D-ID API Review & Alternatives for AI Video Generation [2024]

AI voice generators and video generators are the new must-have for businesses that need quick solutions for marketing content, internal training videos, product demo voiceovers, and more. 

You just can’t scale without the help of generative AI. That’s why 76% of companies use it or at least are starting to explore it. 

One example of an AI voice generator on the market? D-ID—a software that creates digital AI avatars and customized videos with multiple languages to choose from. In this D-ID API review, we’ll cover D-ID’s API features and how you can integrate them with your software, pros and cons, and alternatives to consider on your hunt for AI voice generation software. 

What is D-ID?

D-ID is a generative AI software that creates video content and digital human avatars that businesses can use for customer support, learning and development, and sales video products. 

Its Creative Reality^TM Studio uses deep-learning face animation technology and language learning models to generate AI portraits inspired by the platform’s existing library of faces or your own image. Then, you can make your AI portrait speak in a video with text-to-speech voice generation, your own voice, and the AI’s support to create a customized script.

The platform also specializes in creating digital avatar agents (talking heads), which companies can personalize for explainer videos, customer support products, training support, and more. 

What is D-ID API?

API stands for Application Programming Interface (API). The D-ID API essentially links this AI tool’s capabilities with your existing software or website. 

When you send a D-ID API request, you can create digital talking heads and videos that you can later integrate into your CX system, chatbots, or online games. As you go up the pricing tiers, you can access premium API features like expression, voice, and pitch control.

D-ID API Review: Are you

Curious about how to get started with the D-ID API? We’ll cover the tech’s features and functionality, use cases, pros, cons, and alternative AI tools for you to consider. 

How does D-ID API work?

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The short version includes adding a face, choosing a voice, and generating your avatar or video. However, rendering an AI-generated talking head or video with D-ID API requires a few steps. 

Let’s break down the process, as inspired by the platform’s how-to video linked below: 

1. Sign up for an account on D-IDAPI.com. 
2. Generate an AI avatar.
   • Go to Account Settings
   • Generate your API key, copy it to your clipboard, and store it somewhere safe. 
3. Go to the API Docs
   • Examine detailed descriptions and examples of API features.
   • Go to the Basic Authentication Section on the sidebar.
   • Ensure your generated API key is the header of every API request you make.
   • Create an authorization method in your Workspace
   • Paste API key 
4. Make your first request
   • Create a talk with instructed code, including type, input, and source URL. 
   • Add a new request with the same endpoint to search for the response URL (the result)
   • Wait a few seconds to see your initial AI video
5. Add a webhook for each request
   • Add a new endpoint and add its URL to the request payload. This shows in a new webhook field in your code
   • Press send. 
   • Track status field and ensure value is “done.”
   • Fetch output video from result URL.
6. Create a video with a custom voice and style
   • Choose a text-to-speech provider: Amazon or Microsoft. 
   • Provide voice ID; browse supported voices, genders, styles, and languages in the voice gallery.
   • Select “Davis,” for example. Select Cheerful.
   • Add provider in your Script section in your original code. 
   • Go to Generate AI presenter tab and write a prompt to generate a custom portrait
   • Paste image URL in your code
   • Set Stitch param to “true.”
   • Type your script. Use ChatGPT to generate a custom script with your prompt
   • View your talking head with a custom image, tone, voice, and style.

For more details, you can check out D-ID’s live coding session to visualize the D-ID API process. The video also covers how to use their features like inputting your own voice recording, choosing the output video format, customizing hand gestures, or selecting a photo of a person based on video footage. Coding beginners can also have access to some customer support options with D-ID, depending on their subscription tier. 

D-ID API Features

Here’s a quick look at some of D-ID’s features: 

• Texto-to-speech and video; script generation: You can enter your own text or customize a script with a prompt to the platform’s integration with GPT-3 technology. 
• AI agents: Customizable AI digital avatars with different genders, pitch, styles, and voices
• Multiple languages: 1119 languages and dialects are available on the platform. 
• Custom uploads: Submit a video or image of your own presenter
• Emotion and expression control: Adjust facial movements and tone for your presenter with descriptors like “cheerful”
• Voice cloning: Replicate your voice for your AI avatars

D-ID API Use Cases

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D-ID has three categories of use cases: 

• Customer experience: The platform can generate AI agents, which you can use as automated assistants on your website.
• Marketing: You can integrate D-ID’s AI portraits and videos into your Canva templates to create more engaging social media marketing campaigns. 
• Education: Use the platform to create onboarding videos, e-learning courses, and corporate communication content. 

Pros

• Over 100 languages to choose from
• Avatars have a multitude of ethnicities, styles, races, and genders for greater diversity and inclusion
• Somewhat fast video generation
• Immense customization potential with adjustable emotions, expressions, voice, and pitch

Cons

• Custom features like pitch and style control require higher-tier, more expensive subscriptions
• Limited branding flexibility, with custom watermarks only available on custom pricing plan
• API set-up could feel intimidating to users with limited coding experience
• Avatars have a robotic feel in the way their lips move and their voices comes out; human likeness could be improved

D-ID API Alternatives

Not sure if the D-ID API is right for you? Keep reading for a solid list of similar software for you to consider. 

1. Tavus API

Tavus is an AI video generator that offers extensive customization and personalization potential with multiple languages, voices, emotional control, branded elements, and voice cloning.

Tavus’s Replica API creates advanced models with natural face movements and ultra-realism made possible with neuro-radiance fields (NERFs). The result? Super-realistic talking heads that capture all the elements that make us human–including gestures, tone, and expressions. 

The Tavus API allows developers to access video generation with unprecedented realism and customization, enabling a wide range of applications.

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Features:

• Realistic talking heads
• Three-dimensional facial scenes with neural radiance fields (NERFS)
• Replica trained within two minutes of video footage
• Text-to-video generation
• Stock replicas
• 30+ languages
• In-place lip syncing 
• Translation and dubbing
• Voice cloning
• Personalized and customizable templates with custom variable inputs
• HD quality for added realism
• Professional voice cloning that captures tone as well as facial expressions and emotions
• Event triggers for workflow automation and operational efficiency
• Branding consistency with adjustable logos, colors, calls to action, and titles
• Li-syncing for accurate portrayal
• Batch-video production for scaling (thousands of videos)
• Direct integrations to 100+ different software, including marketing, CRM, and web host software

Build with Tavus today!

2. Creatus.AI

Creatus.ai offers over 35 different AI tools like AI avatars, text-to-speech generation, image-to-HTML code, virtual try-ons, and more. Use cases include social media marketing content as well as AI agents for customer service and employee onboarding. The company does offer an API but offers limited information about it on their website. 

Features:

• 90+ business integrations
• Image editing
• Animation
• Text-to-video
• AI avatars
• Face swap

3. DeepBrain AI

DeepBrain AI is an AI software that offers multiple paths to video generation, where users can input a URL, document, script, or topic and the platform will generate a video from it. The API lets you create videos and images in your own applications and websites while leveraging the platform’s  customizable templates for a variety of use cases. These include explainer videos and how-tos, as well as employee onboarding content. 

Features:

• Topic-, URL-, and PowerPoint-to-video
• Text-to-video
• AI Avatar library with diverse ethnicities and outfits
• Customizable video templates
• In-editor ChatGPT
• Multiple voices and tones

4. Colossyan

Colossyan offers quick text-to-video AI generation in over 50 different languages with its API. It also offers 1-click translations for brands that need videos for audiences in different countries. Use cases include employee training and customer service, but the platform offers hundreds of templates to guide your AI video formatting. The API offers 200 voices to choose from, multi-scene videos, lip syncing, and final video and image embeds for your final video products. Collysan also offers the option of inputting your own images to create a custom AI avatar, or to choose from their library of avatars instead. 

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Features:

• AI video generation from text prompts
• Multiple voices, genders, and accents to choose from
• Over 50 languages for voices
• Lip syncing
• Multi-scene videos
• Video and image embeds in final videos
• Green screen removal

5. Synthesia

Synthesia is an AI video generator that creates customized AI avatars and videos based on your inputted text, or even scripts created from prompts via generative AI. The interface resembles a PowerPoint deck, where you can insert an avatar, adjust boxes for elements, customize text, and even comment feedback amongst colleagues with its collaboration features. Its API lets you integrate video creation features into your existing tech and use its templates as well. The API also offers webhooks for automation capabilities. 

Features:

• AI voice and video generation
• Over 160 different languages
• Over 120 voices and accents
• Customizable avatars
• Script-to-video
• Text-to-video
• Voice cloning

6. HeyGen

HeyGen is an AI video generator that helps you create explainer videos with a choice of over 80+ avatars. While users can’t customize the avatar's movements and gestures, they can browse the library to pick ones that most align with their needs. The platform does offer an API, though there isn’t much information about it or documentation on the website. 

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Features:

• AI voices
• AI videos
• Personalization from user CRM software
• Text-to-speech voiceovers
• Generative outfits for avatars
• Branding kit
• Auto-generated closed captions
• 80+ AI avatars with different genders, races, and ethnicities

7. Hour One

Hour One is an AI video platform that can generate digital avatars, create text-to-speech voices, and clone your own voice for custom videos. It also has a comprehensive voice library that covers over 100 different languages, as well as professionally designed templates to suit product videos, training products, and more. Its API offers video automation, an online video editor, and video generation integrated with your own applications. However, its starter price is quite expensive at $3,000 per month for only 50 cloned voices and one business seat. 

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Features:

• Video automation
• Video editor
• Custom AI avatars
• Custom templates
• Video sharing and collaboration
• Co-creation and editing
• Text-to-speech
• Auto-dubbing

More About D-ID API

Curious about pricing, alternatives, and more insight into D-ID? Keep reading for some frequently asked questions.

Can I use Studio D-ID for free?

Yes, but only during the free two-week trial. D-ID API pricing starts at $0 with the trial, then jumps to $18 for the “Build” tier. This tier includes up to 32 minutes of streaming video or 16 of regular video, up to 36 agent sessions for one agent, subtitles, and premium voices. 

Going up the tiers, you can access more agents, session time, video time, and premium features with the “Launch,” “Scale,” and “Enterprise” plans for $50, $198, and custom monthly pricing, respectively. 

Are there any free alternatives to Studio D-ID?

Most AI voice and video generation software don’t offer free plans that let you leverage the extent of its features. Still, you can try Studio D-ID’s free two-week trial for a time-limited, free alternative to its other subscriptions. 

What is similar to D-ID AI?

Tavus is similar to D-ID AI in its ability to generate customized voices and videos based on AI imaging and user inputs. However, it goes further in business potential with its batch videos that allow for scaling.

Choose the Right D-ID Alternative for Your Business

D-ID offers solid customization potential with voice styles and pitch control, as well as an API with 4X faster rendering time than real-time, at 100 FPS. Its API also gives you the flexibility to create digital talking heads from your own image or audio files. 

Still, the platform requires a decent amount of coding expertise to implement the AI. Alternatives like Tavus offer more user-friendly features to speed up the process. 

Additionally, Tavus is more appealing if you want an API with more voice cloning potential (including professional voice cloning) without D-ID’s requirement for enterprise pricing. It’s also a clear winner with scaling potential since you can auto-generate thousands of AI videos with personalized templates and machine learning that tweaks your inputted text and videos. 

Bottom line? Tavus offers a premium AI voice and video solution that meets every business’s needs. Ready to unlock personalized, scaled, AI video potential? 

Try Tavus today!