Hailuo Video API: Lifelike Motion Video by MiniMax

The Hailuo API gives developers MiniMax's video models on Atlas Cloud through one OpenAI-compatible key. It covers text to video and image to video across the Hailuo 02 and Hailuo 2.3 lines, built around lifelike, physics-aware motion and strong prompt control. Reach for it when you want realistic movement or committed anime and illustrated styles.

Hailuo 02 focuses on realistic, cinematic output with top-ranked physics and high instruction following. Hailuo 2.3 specializes in anime and illustrated video, following animation principles rather than approximating them. Use 02 for photoreal work and 2.3 when the look should read as genuine animation.

Both lines take a text prompt, and image to video accepts a reference image to anchor composition and mood. Output is video at resolutions up to native 1080p, in clip lengths of roughly 5 to 10 seconds. Hailuo generates visuals only, so you add music, voice, or effects separately in your edit.

Hailuo produces clips up to native 1080p, with Standard tiers at 768p and Pro at full 1080p. Durations sit in the 5 to 10 second range depending on the model and tier. There is no 4K output, so route work that needs higher resolution to a model built for it.

No. Hailuo focuses purely on the visuals and does not produce native sound. For finished clips, pair the output with your own music, voiceover, or sound effects in post, or use a separate audio model. If you need video and audio generated together, a model with native audio is the better fit.

Standard balances quality and cost for everyday clips, Pro pushes native 1080p detail for final and commercial work, and Fast trades a little fidelity for quicker, cheaper runs. All tiers share the same prompt and image inputs, so you can move a job between them without reworking your request.

Hailuo 02 reports a high response rate on complex, multi-part instructions, so cameras, actions, and scene details tend to land as written. Repeated calls with the same prompt also stay reasonably consistent, which helps client work and pipelines that need comparable output across runs.

Yes, that is Hailuo 2.3's specialty. It commits to animation conventions, exaggerated arcs, anticipation, held poses, and anime-standard color, instead of the semi-realistic compromise general models produce. That makes its output easier to blend with hand-drawn or traditionally animated material.

Generation is asynchronous: each request returns a prediction ID that you poll until the clip is ready, which fits queues and high-volume runs. Use the Fast tiers for iteration and previews, reserve Pro for finals, and add retry logic with backoff so one failed job does not stall the batch.

Uploads that contain real human faces are subject to platform content rules and identity protections, and may be restricted. For a consistent look, build characters from prompts or non-identifying reference images rather than a real person's photo, and review Atlas Cloud's acceptable use terms before relying on face-based inputs.