Google Makes AI Video Editor Vids Free For Everyone
Great news for content creators and professionals: Google is making its AI-powered video editor, Vids, accessible to everyone by launching a free, basic version. Previously exclusive to Google Workspace or AI plan subscribers, this move opens the door for a much wider audience to experience AI-assisted video creation.
What is Google Vids?
First introduced last year, Vids is the newest member of Google's Workspace suite, sitting alongside familiar tools like Docs, Sheets, and Slides. Its primary goal is to help users quickly assemble professional-looking video presentations. The platform leverages AI to streamline the creative process, offering tools that can generate a storyboard, suggest scenes, and pull in relevant stock images and background music to match your script.
What's Included in the Free Version
According to Vishnu Sivaji, Google's product director, the free version of Vids includes "pretty much all of the amazing capabilities" of the app. Users will have broad access to its core functionalities, including a library of templates and stock media, along with a "subset of AI capabilities." This provides a powerful toolkit for creating high-quality videos without a subscription.
However, the most advanced, newly announced AI features are reserved for paying subscribers.
The Premium AI Features
While the free version is robust, Google is differentiating its paid plans with several cutting-edge AI tools that are not included in the free tier.
One of the headline features is the ability to use AI-generated avatars to narrate your video. You can select from 12 pre-made avatars, each with a unique appearance and voice, and simply provide a script for them to read. This is perfect for standardized presentations or for users who may not be comfortable on camera. For now, you cannot create a custom avatar of yourself, a feature that competitors like Zoom already offer.
Additionally, premium users can access an image-to-video tool that generates an 8-second video clip based on a single image, ideal for bringing product shots to life. Another powerful feature is an AI-powered transcript editor that automatically removes filler words and awkward pauses from your recorded narration, saving significant editing time.
The Business Case for Vids
Google is positioning these advanced tools as major time and money savers for businesses. Sivaji explained that creating a high-quality, 10-minute video with actors can take months and cost tens of thousands of dollars. Vids aims to dramatically lower that barrier.
"What we’re hearing from customers is that it allows them to dramatically scale how many people can make these kinds of videos and how often they can make them," Sivaji said. By simplifying the process, companies can more easily produce product demos, training content, and support videos, empowering more employees to become content creators.
