Can I use AI-generated videos commercially?
Usually yes, but only on the plan and terms that allow it: several tools reserve commercial use for paid plans, for example Pika from its Creator plan up[2] and Hedra not at all on Free[5]. You also need rights to any music, logos or real faces in the video, and an ad with an AI character still has to follow endorsement disclosure rules[14].
This page is general information, not legal advice. Plan terms change; read the current terms of the tool you used before you sell anything made with it.
What the tools say about commercial use (as of 2026-10-18)
Commercial rights come from the tool's terms, not from copyright law. In the US, raw AI output is generally not copyrightable on a prompt alone[9], so the licence you get from the tool is often the main thing that says what you may do with it. Here is what each company's own page states:
| Tool | Commercial use | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Kling | Permitted for eligible outputs under the applicable paid-service terms | [1] |
| Pika | Commercial license starts on Creator; Free and Starter do not include it | [2] |
| Midjourney | Subscribers may use outputs commercially; companies over $1,000,000 yearly gross revenue must buy Pro or Mega | [3] |
| Luma | Commercial use is listed under the Plus plan | [4] |
| Hedra | Free has no commercial use; commercial use is a paid-plan perk | [5] [6] |
| Captions | Says its avatars can be used in commercial content | [7] |
| HeyGen | Pricing page lists 'Commercial terms' only under Enterprise and does not spell out rights on other plans | [8] |
The pattern: free tiers often exclude commercial use, and the paid tier you were on when you generated the video is what counts. Keep a record of which plan you used.
The three things a plan cannot license for you
- Music. A song in the background is licensed separately from the picture. When we make dance videos we write an original song for each one; the song brief and lyrics sit on the video's prompt page, for example Own It.
- Other people's characters and brands. Only a copyright owner may authorise adaptations of their work[10], so a paid plan does not make a franchise character usable in an ad.
- Real people. Using someone's face or voice to sell something generally needs their permission. Platforms like TikTok ban AI content that falsely shows a public figure endorsing something, even when labelled[11]. See is it legal to make an AI video of a real person.
Ads and sponsored posts with AI characters
If an AI character promotes a product, US endorsement rules still apply. The FTC's Endorsement Guides define an endorser as a party who could be or appear to be an individual[13], and when adopting the 2023 guides the FTC said that definition covers virtual influencers too[14]. For video, the disclosure should be in the video itself, not only the description[15].
Platforms add their own layer. YouTube requires disclosure of realistic AI content[16], and TikTok requires labels on realistic AI images, audio and video[12]. For earning from the videos themselves, see can you monetize AI videos on YouTube.
A checklist before you sell
- Confirm your plan at generation time allowed commercial use, and save the terms page.
- Replace any music you do not hold rights to.
- Remove franchise characters, logos and props.
- Remove or get written permission for any real person's likeness or voice.
- Add the AI label the platform requires, and an ad disclosure in the video if it is sponsored.
Where Cast fits
- Original characters drawn from a text description, with no franchise or real-person likeness to clear.
- Short vertical drafts for testing ad ideas before you commit to a production tool; Cast adds no visible watermark of its own.
Where it does not:
- Commercial work that needs written licence terms today: Cast has not published commercial-use terms yet.
- Ads featuring you or a real spokesperson: Cast cannot make an avatar of a real person.
- Lip-syncing to a voice-over or song file you own: Cast does not take uploaded audio.
People also ask
- Do free plans allow commercial use?
- Often not. Pika's Free and Starter plans have no commercial license[2] and Hedra's Free plan excludes commercial use[5]. Check the tool's own plan page.
- Who owns an AI video I made?
- The tool's terms decide what you may do with it. Copyright in the US covers only your own human contributions, not output from a prompt alone[9].
- Can I use a popular song in an AI video ad?
- Only with a licence for that use. The video tool's plan does not cover music you add, and the former Sora API even rejected copyrighted music in prompts[17].
Sources
Claims about other companies come from their own pages, read on the date shown. Products and prices change; check the link for the current version.
- Kling AI: AI video generator feature page (read )
- Pika: pricing (read )
- Midjourney: Comparing Midjourney plans (read )
- Luma AI: pricing (read )
- Hedra: plans (in-app plan copy) (read )
- Hedra: plans, paid perks (in-app plan copy) (read )
- Captions: generate AI avatars (read )
- HeyGen: pricing (read )
- US Copyright Office: Copyright and AI, Part 2: Copyrightability (PDF) (read )
- US Copyright Office: Circular 14, Copyright in Derivative Works (read )
- TikTok: AI-generated content FAQ (read )
- TikTok: AI-generated content labels (read )
- FTC Endorsement Guides, 16 CFR Part 255 (read )
- Federal Register: FTC Endorsement Guides, 2023 statement of basis (read )
- FTC: Disclosures 101 for social media influencers (read )
- YouTube Help: disclosing altered or synthetic content (read )
- OpenAI: video generation guide (Sora API) (read )
Related answers
- Can AI-generated videos be copyrighted?
- Can AI influencers get brand deals, and do they have to disclose them?
- Can you really make money making AI videos?
- Is it legal to make an AI video of a real person?
- Do I have to disclose AI-generated videos on YouTube?
Part of the Cast answers library (Copyright, rules and safety).
Updated