Guide / How-to
Complete Sora Tutorial: Generate Video from Text
Sora is OpenAI's video-generation AI that turns text prompts into footage. This guide covers the basics — getting access, writing prompts, generating, refining and exporting — plus tips for clean results, based on public information.
⚠️ Important: Sora has been discontinued
OpenAI announced on March 24, 2026 that Sora is being discontinued. The app and web experience ended on April 26, 2026, and the API will end on September 24, 2026. Consider alternatives such as Runway — see our AI video tools comparison.
What Sora is
Sora is OpenAI's text-to-video AI: describe the footage you want and it generates a short clip to match. It's good for realistic-looking footage and image cuts, and is often compared to Runway. For narrated explainers, see Fliki or Pictory; for avatars, Synthesia/HeyGen.
How to use Sora in 5 steps
Step 1: Get access
Sora is typically used via an OpenAI account and an eligible plan. Rollout and plans vary by time and region, so confirm current terms officially. For free options, see best free AI video tools.
Step 2: Write your prompt
Describe the footage specifically in text. Including these elements helps:
- Subject: who/what appears
- Motion: how it moves (walking, flowing, rotating)
- Camera: close-up, wide, pan
- Look & length: mood/brightness and rough duration
Step 3: Generate and review
Submit the prompt and Sora generates a clip. It won't always be perfect on the first try, so generate several short clips and pick the best. If it misses, add or rephrase words in the prompt.
Step 4: Refine
Adjust the prompt by adding or removing detail. Change one thing at a time ("brighter", "slower camera") so intent comes through. Collect the good clips with the assumption you'll stitch them in an editor later.
Step 5: Export and finish
Download the clips you like. To add on-screen text, music or narration, finish in an editor like Veed.io. For captions, see auto subtitles & captions.
Tips for a better result
- Be specific: subject, motion, camera, look
- Generate and select: choose from candidates, not one take
- Adjust one element at a time
- Finish in an editor: text, music and captions elsewhere
Notes on commercial use
For monetization or ads, confirm your plan's commercial terms and how outputs may be used. Resemblance to real people, brands or copyrighted works can raise rights issues. See our AI video commercial-use guide.
Summary
Sora goes prepare → prompt → generate → refine → export, turning text into footage. Generate several short clips, pick the best and finish in an editor. To compare text-to-video tools, see text-to-video tools; for the overall picture, the comparison ranking. Pricing and availability change — confirm officially.
FAQ
Where is Sora available?
Availability, regions and eligible plans change over time. Always confirm the current rollout and terms on OpenAI's official channels. This article is a general how-to based on public information.
Is Sora free?
Sora is typically offered as part of a paid plan. Pricing and generation caps can change, so confirm current terms officially. If you want to test for free, other AI video tools are an option.
How do I get good results with Sora?
In your prompt, specify subject, motion, camera work, look and length. Don't aim for one perfect take — generate several short clips, pick the best and stitch them in an editor.
How is Sora different from other tools?
Sora excels at generating footage itself from text. For narrated explainers use Fliki or Pictory; for avatar videos use Synthesia or HeyGen — pick by use case.