How to Choose an AI Video, Voice or Image Tool
Picking an AI video, voice or image tool for marketing? Use this 6-point checklist covering output quality, licensing, voice rights and cost per usable asset.
Choose an AI media tool by testing it on your own brief, then reading the rights terms before you pay. Quality demos are easy to find. Clear commercial rights, voice consent and a low cost per usable asset are what separate a tool you can run ads on from a toy.
Here is the checklist we'd use, in the order we'd use it.
What do you actually need to make?
Start with the asset, not the tool. "AI video" covers very different jobs.
| Job | What matters most | Typical check |
|---|---|---|
| Social image or ad visual | Style control, text rendering, speed | Ten prompts from your real brand brief |
| Short product video | Motion consistency, length, image-to-video | Does the product keep its shape across clips? |
| Voiceover or narration | Naturalness, languages, pronunciation of your product name | Read your own script, including the awkward lines |
| Localized ads | Language coverage, timing after translation | Does the voice still sound like one brand? |
Write the brief first: format, length, tone, languages. Run the same brief through two or three tools. Do not judge from the vendor's showcase reel, which shows only the best outputs.
How do I compare quality fairly?
Use a small blind test.
- Pick five prompts from real campaigns you ran last quarter.
- Generate three variations per prompt in each tool.
- Hide the tool names and have two teammates score each result: usable as is, usable after editing, or unusable.
- Count the "usable" share.
That share is your real quality number. A tool that is 10% prettier but needs twice as many retries is not cheaper.
Who owns the output, and can I use it commercially?
This is the check most teams skip. Read the terms of service and the plan details for three things.
- Commercial use. Some free tiers restrict commercial use or require attribution. Paid tiers often lift this, but not always for every feature.
- Ownership and licence. Does the vendor assign you the output, or give you a licence? Does it keep a right to reuse your outputs or your prompts?
- Training on your inputs. If you upload product photos, a voice sample or an unreleased video, is that data used to train models? Look for an opt-out or a business tier that excludes it.
Save a copy of the terms with the date. Terms change, and "it was allowed when we made it" is a useful sentence to be able to prove.
What about voices and real people?
Voice and likeness need more care than images of a made-up scene.
- Clone only voices you have written permission to clone: your own, an employee's or a paid actor's. Get the consent in writing, with the scope (which products, which countries, how long).
- Never use a cloned voice of a public figure or a competitor's spokesperson. Even where it is technically possible, it creates legal and reputational trouble.
- Check whether the tool has built-in consent or verification steps for cloning. A tool that makes you prove the voice is yours protects you too.
If an asset contains a recognizable person, treat it like any other casting decision and ask a lawyer, not a blog.
Do I need to label synthetic content?
Increasingly, yes. Ad platforms, social networks and some regulators now expect disclosure for realistic synthetic media. Rules differ by country and platform, so check each platform's current policy before you launch, and ask your legal contact about the markets you sell in.
On the technical side, look for tools that attach provenance metadata. C2PA Content Credentials is the open standard for this: a signed record of how a file was made. We'd treat support for it as a plus, not a requirement, since metadata is often stripped when files are re-uploaded.
What does a usable asset really cost?
Do not compare subscription prices. Compare cost per usable asset.
cost per usable asset = (monthly price + your editing time) / number of assets you actually publish
Watch for credit systems where video costs far more than images, queue limits on cheap plans, and watermarks that disappear only on higher tiers. A $20 plan that gives you four usable clips can cost more than a $60 plan that gives you thirty.
What should I put in my workflow?
- Keep a log: tool, version, date, prompt and who approved the asset.
- Keep one human review step for brand, accuracy and sensitive content.
- Store the licence terms next to the campaign files.
- Re-run your five-prompt test every quarter. Models change fast, and your first pick may not be your best pick in six months.
Once the assets are ready, they still need an audience. If you are launching a product, our Outreach page lists places to submit it, and the AI Images, Video & Media hub tracks tools in this space. You can also list your own AI tool in Discover.
FAQ
Can I use synthetic images in paid ads?
Often yes, but check the tool's commercial terms and the ad platform's policy on synthetic media. Keep records of the plan you used when you made the asset.
Is it safe to clone my own voice for ads?
Generally it is the safest cloning case, as long as the tool's terms allow commercial use and you keep your sample private. Get written consent from anyone else whose voice you use.
Which is better for marketing: image-to-video or text-to-video?
Image-to-video usually keeps your product and brand look more consistent, because you control the first frame. Test both on your own product before choosing.
How many tools should a small team use?
Start with one per format and add more only when a clear gap shows up in your test. Every extra tool is another set of terms to read.
