ByteDanceHow to Use Seedance 2.5
Make a Seedance 2.5 video in the CheaperGen Studio — no code, no install, no ByteDance account. Pick a mode, write one clear prompt, set the resolution and length and press Generate. A test costs $0.38; developers can follow the API tutorial instead.
- Modes
- 3
- Text → Video · Image → Video · Reference → Video
- Test clip
- $0.38
- 4 s · 480p
- Length
- 4–30 s
- up to 1080p
- Failed runs
- $0
- refunded automatically
Prompt builder
Build a Seedance 2.5 prompt
Fill in the parts of the shot; the prompt assembles itself. Send it to the playground below and run it — the steps after it explain each part.
Your Seedance 2.5 prompt
Fill in a few boxes — or start from the example — and the prompt appears here.
Try it
Try Seedance 2.5 here
Runs on your balance at the price on the button; failed runs are refunded. Results are saved to your account.
Before you start
Which Seedance 2.5 mode to use
Seedance 2.5 has 3 modes. Pick by what you already have.
| Mode | You give it | Best for | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| Text → Video | A prompt | Ideas from scratch: scenes, b-roll, concepts and storyboards. | $0.0935/s |
| Image → Video | A first frame, optionally a last frame, and a prompt | Bringing a picture you already have to life: a product shot, a character, an artwork. With a last frame: transitions and loops. | $0.0977/s |
| Reference → Video | Up to 30 images, 10 videos and 10 audio clips, and a prompt | Keeping a character, product or style consistent, or matching a clip's motion or a sound. | $0.0977/s |
Step by step
How to use Seedance 2.5 in 6 steps
- 1
Open Seedance 2.5 in the Studio
Open the Studio (it opens with Seedance 2.5 selected), or choose the Video tab and pick Seedance 2.5 in the model menu. Sign in with Google or your email; you pay per generation from prepaid credits.
- 2
Choose what to make
- Text → Video — a prompt.
- Image → Video — a first frame, optionally a last frame, and a prompt. Add it under “First frame” (and “Last frame” for a transition).
- Reference → Video — up to 30 images, 10 videos and 10 audio clips, and a prompt.
In reference mode, refer to each upload in the prompt by its tag — @Image1, @Video1 and @Audio1 — and say what to take from it.
- 3
Write the prompt
One shot per prompt works best. Cover these, in plain sentences:
- Subject. Who or what is on screen, with the details that must stay consistent: age, clothing, materials, colours.
- Action. One clear action in the present tense. For clips up to 30 s, describe a short sequence of beats.
- Camera. Shot size and movement: close-up, wide, dolly-in, orbit, handheld, drone.
- Scene and light. Location, time of day, and where the light comes from.
- Style. Lens, film look, colour grade or animation style.
- Sound. Seedance 2.5 generates synchronized audio with the clip, so name the ambience, effects or lines of dialogue you want.
More structure and examples: the Seedance 2.5 prompt guide.
- 4
Set the options
The settings sit under the prompt; rarely needed ones are behind ⋯. What each does — and to the price — is in the table below.
- 5
Generate
The exact price is shown before you run: press Generate (or ⌘/Ctrl + Enter). The amount is held from your balance and refunded in full if the generation fails.
- 6
Download and iterate
Results appear above the prompt; download them from there. Change one thing per try — the prompt, the camera move or a setting — so you know what helped. Compare runs the same prompt on several models side by side, and Code shows the same request for the API.
Settings
Seedance 2.5 settings explained
For Text → Video; the other modes add their inputs (frames, references or images to edit). Prices are per second.
| Setting | Choices | Default | What it does | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aspect ratio | 16:9, 9:16, 1:1, 4:3, 3:4, 21:9 | 16:9 | Output frame shape. | Changes the price |
| Resolution | 480p, 720p, 1080p | 720p | Output resolution. Higher resolutions cost more per second. | $0.0935–$0.5113/s |
| Duration | 4–30 s | 5 s | Length of the generated clip in seconds (4–30s). You pay per second. | Price scales with length |
| Generate audio | On / off | On | Generate synchronized sound, ambience and dialogue. No extra cost. | Included in the price |
| Seed(⋯) | Free text | — | Use the same seed and settings to reproduce a result. Leave empty for random. | No effect on the price |
Every tier and a calculator: Seedance 2.5 API Pricing.
Worked example
A first prompt to try
Text → Video with the default settings. Paste it into the Studio and change one thing at a time.
“A paper boat drifts down a rain-soaked city gutter, camera tracking at water level, reflections of neon signs”
Aspect ratio: 16:9 · Resolution: 720p · Duration: 5 s · Generate audio: On
$1.04$1.16 for this clip
Try it in the StudioAvoid these
Common Seedance 2.5 mistakes
Drafting at 1080p
Every try at 1080p costs 5.5× one at 480p. Settle the composition and motion at 480p, then render the keeper at the resolution you deliver.
Expecting one long take
One generation is up to 30 seconds (4–30 s). Plan longer pieces as several shots, and keep the subject consistent with the same reference images in each.
Several actions in one prompt
Give each clip one clear action and one camera move. A list of events in one prompt usually gets merged or skipped.
References the prompt doesn't name
Refer to each upload by its tag — @Image1, @Video1, @Audio1 — and say what to take from it (the face, the outfit, the camera move, the voice).
Describing what you don't want
Prompts work better when they describe what should be on screen. "No blur" or "no extra fingers" can pull the result towards the very thing you name.
FAQ
How to use Seedance 2.5: questions
Seedance 2.5 is developed by ByteDance. CheaperGen provides API access and does not own the model. Trademarks belong to their respective owners.