ElevenLabs Video to Music is a multimodal AI feature that takes video as input and produces original music as output — the model reads the video’s visual content, motion, pacing, and emotional character and generates background music that matches these qualities. It was added to the ElevenLabs API changelog on April 1, 2026, as POST /v1/music/video-to-music.
The feature builds on ElevenLabs’ AI music model (launched August 2025, commercialised through ElevenMusic in April 2026) and extends it with video understanding — the same music generation technology that ElevenMusic uses for text-prompted music now accepts video as the creative input alongside or instead of text descriptions. This positions ElevenLabs’ music generation as a complete multimodal system: creators can generate music from text prompts (ElevenMusic), from video content (Video to Music), or potentially from both simultaneously.
How It Works: The API
Endpoint
POST /v1/music/video-to-music
Request Format
The endpoint accepts multipart form data — the standard format for file uploads in HTTP. One or more video files are submitted as form fields. Supported video formats include MP4, MOV, and other common video container formats. Multiple video files can be submitted in a single request — the model can analyse multiple clips to generate music suited to a sequence or series of related video content.
Parameters
| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
| video | file (multipart) | Yes — at least one | Video file to analyse for music generation. Multiple files accepted. |
| prompt | string | No | Optional text description to guide music generation alongside video analysis |
| duration_seconds | float | No | Target duration of the generated music. Defaults to match the video duration. |
| seed | integer | No | Random seed for reproducibility. Same seed + same video produces consistent output. |
| loudness | float (-1 to 1) | No | Output loudness level. 0 is standard level; positive is louder, negative is quieter. |
| quality | string | No | Generation quality level. Higher quality takes longer to generate. |
| guidance_scale | float | No | How closely the model follows the video and prompt. Lower = more creative interpretation. |
Response
The endpoint returns the generated music as an audio file — MP3 or WAV depending on output format configuration. The response includes the audio data and metadata including duration, seed used, and generation parameters. Save the returned audio as a file for import into your video editing software.
Creator Workflow: From Video to Scored Video
Step 1: Prepare your video cut
Video to Music works best with a finalised or near-finalised video cut where the pacing, mood, and visual character are established. The model needs to read the video as it will actually appear — rough cuts with placeholder sequences may produce music that does not match the final edit. For short-form content (under 60 seconds), a single finalised cut is ideal. For longer content, consider splitting into scene-length segments and generating music for each.
Step 2: Call the Video to Music API
Submit the video file to POST /v1/music/video-to-music. For the first generation, omit the prompt parameter — let the model infer music characteristics purely from the video. If the result does not match your expectation, add a prompt on subsequent calls to guide the generation: ‘keep the energy level up, more driving percussion’, ‘more ambient, less melodic’, ‘cinematic and dramatic, building tension’. The combination of video analysis and text guidance produces more targeted results than either alone.
Step 3: Review and iterate
Listen to the generated music against the video in your editing software. Key assessment points: does the energy level match the video’s visual pace? Do musical transitions align with visual cuts or scene changes? Does the genre and instrumentation fit the video’s aesthetic? If the fit is close but not perfect, use the prompt parameter to describe the adjustment and regenerate.
Step 4: Import and sync
Import the generated music into your video editor (Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, Final Cut, CapCut) as the background audio track. For most use cases, the generated music duration matches the video duration automatically. Adjust volume relative to narration, dialogue, or sound effects as needed. Apply any mastering (normalisation to -14 LUFS for YouTube) before export.
Video to Music vs Text to Music vs Stock Music
| Approach | How It Works | Time Investment | Cost | Unique to Your Video | Best For |
| Video to Music | Upload video, AI generates music from visual analysis | 5-10 minutes total | ElevenLabs credits | Yes — generated for your specific video | High volume, fast turnaround, unique music |
| Text to Music (ElevenMusic) | Describe music in text, AI generates | 15-30 min per video (describe, generate, assess, iterate) | ElevenLabs credits | Yes — generated | Specific music vision, control over style |
| Stock music library | Search, preview, license existing tracks | 20-60 min per video | Subscription or per-track license | No — same tracks as everyone | When specific established track is needed |
| Human composer | Commission original score | Days to weeks | Hundreds to thousands $ | Yes — fully custom | Premium productions, unique creative vision |
Use Cases
Social Media Content — Instagram Reels, TikTok, YouTube Shorts
Short-form video creators who produce high volumes of content (multiple clips per week) spend disproportionate time on music selection and licensing. Video to Music generates original, royalty-free background music for each clip based on its visual content — eliminating stock library subscription costs and the time spent searching for the right track. For creators posting 5-10 short clips per week, Video to Music can save several hours per week in music sourcing time.
Product and Ad Creative
Marketing teams producing product videos, ad creative, and promotional content need background music that fits each creative’s mood and energy. Video to Music generates music that matches the video’s aesthetic without requiring a music brief, style description, or music supervisor review. For teams producing frequent ad creative variations — A/B tests, seasonal campaigns, platform-specific cuts — Video to Music accelerates music production without compromising fit.
Documentary and Long-Form Content
Documentary producers and long-form content creators can use Video to Music to generate draft scores for scenes — the AI-generated music serves as a creative starting point that a music editor refines, or as a budget alternative to commissioned scoring for independent productions. Submitting multiple scene clips in a single API call generates music for the entire content sequence with consistent stylistic character.
Three Insights Most Video to Music Coverage Misses
1. Multiple Video Input Enables Scene-Consistent Music Generation
The Video to Music endpoint accepts multiple video files in a single request. This is not just a convenience feature — it allows the model to generate music that maintains stylistic consistency across multiple scenes in a longer piece, rather than generating separately styled music for each scene. Submitting five scene clips from a short film in one request produces five music segments that share tonal and stylistic character. Generating them in five separate requests produces five independent music pieces that may not fit together. Use multi-file submissions for any content longer than a single scene.
2. The Seed Parameter Enables Music A/B Testing
The seed parameter makes Video to Music generation reproducible — the same video and same seed produce consistent output. This enables music A/B testing: generate multiple music tracks for the same video using different seeds, test which performs better with your audience, and use the winning seed for future similar content. For creators who run content experiments, the ability to systematically vary music while keeping video constant — and reproduce the winning result — is a significant creative and analytical tool.
3. Video to Music Is Licensed Through ElevenMusic’s Kobalt/Merlin Agreements
ElevenLabs’ music generation — including Video to Music — is built on the fully licensed music model announced with ElevenMusic, underpinned by licensing deals with Kobalt and Merlin. Music generated through Video to Music on paid ElevenLabs plans carries commercial use rights without separate licensing or attribution requirements, unlike most AI music generators whose commercial licensing status is ambiguous. For creators producing content for monetised YouTube channels, advertising, and commercial projects, the licensed model is the critical differentiator that makes Video to Music commercially viable where unlicensed AI music tools are not.
Key Takeaways
- ElevenLabs Video to Music (POST /v1/music/video-to-music) generates background music from uploaded video files — the video’s visual content is the music prompt.
- Launched April 1, 2026. Accepts multiple video files per request for scene-consistent music generation across longer content.
- Adds optional text prompt parameter alongside video for guided generation when pure video-inference does not produce the desired result.
- Seed parameter enables reproducible generation and music A/B testing.
- Music generated on paid ElevenLabs plans carries commercial use rights — built on ElevenMusic’s Kobalt and Merlin licensing agreements.
Conclusion
ElevenLabs Video to Music is the music selection step that video creators have been waiting for — one that eliminates the disconnect between having a finished video and finding music that actually fits it. The text-first approach to music generation (describe what you want, iterate until it matches the video) has always had a fundamental mismatch at its core: creators think visually about their content but have to translate that into musical language to prompt AI music tools. Video to Music removes this translation entirely. Upload the video, receive music that fits the video, and move on. For creators producing high volumes of video content who have been spending disproportionate time on music selection, this is the most practically useful ElevenLabs music feature of 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is ElevenLabs Video to Music?
An API feature (POST /v1/music/video-to-music) launched April 1, 2026 that generates original background music from uploaded video files. The model analyses the video’s visual content, mood, and pacing to generate appropriate music without requiring a text description.
Can I use Video to Music music commercially?
Yes — music generated on paid ElevenLabs plans carries commercial use rights, built on ElevenMusic’s licensing agreements with Kobalt and Merlin. Verify the specific commercial rights for your subscription tier in ElevenLabs’ current terms of service.
How long does Video to Music generation take?
Generation time varies with video length and quality setting. Short clips (under 30 seconds) typically generate in 30-60 seconds. Longer videos may take 2-5 minutes. Higher quality settings increase generation time.
Can I submit multiple videos in one request?
Yes — the endpoint accepts multiple video files as multipart form data. Multiple videos are analysed together, producing music with consistent stylistic character across all submitted clips — ideal for scenes in longer content.
How is Video to Music different from ElevenMusic?
ElevenMusic generates music from text descriptions (you describe the music you want). Video to Music generates music from video content (the video is the prompt). Video to Music skips the text description step and generates music specifically matched to your video’s visual character.
Methodology
Video to Music endpoint from ElevenLabs API changelog (April 1, 2026): POST /v1/music/video-to-music added. Music generation parameter documentation from ElevenLabs changelog (February 2026) noting seed, loudness, quality, and guidance_scale parameters. ElevenMusic licensing basis from TechCrunch and ElevenLabs blog August 2025 Kobalt/Merlin announcement. Commercial rights from ElevenLabs official terms and ElevenMusic documentation. This article was drafted with AI assistance and reviewed by the editorial team at ElevenLabsMagazine.com.
References
ElevenLabs. (April 1, 2026). Changelog — video-to-music endpoint. https://elevenlabs.io/docs/changelog/2026/4/1
ElevenLabs. (2026). Music API documentation. https://elevenlabs.io/docs
TechCrunch. (August 5, 2025). ElevenLabs launches an AI music generator cleared for commercial use. https://techcrunch.com/2025/08/05/elevenlabs-launches-an-ai-music-generator
