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MiniMax H3 Lite Reference-to-Video API

minimax/h3-lite/reference-to-video

MiniMax H3 Lite Reference-to-Video generates 480P / 768P videos from reference inputs with flexible 4-15 second duration, making it suitable for character consistency, reference-guided motion, creative videos, social content, ads, and production workflows. Ready-to-use REST inference API, best performance, no coldstarts, affordable pricing.

Reference to Video
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Idle

$0.04per run·~25 / $1

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ExamplesView all

Use the pastry chef from <Image 1> and the red bird from <Image 2>. Preserve his exact identity, hairstyle, chef uniform, and proportions. Preserve the bird’s red feathers, ribbon, size, and markings. The opening frame is a clean medium-wide shot of the chef decorating a cake at the counter, with the red bird perched clearly beside him. The bird suddenly grabs the final strawberry and flies across the counter. The chef quickly reaches after it. The bird drops the strawberry perfectly onto a second unfinished dessert. The chef stops, looks at the unexpectedly perfect result, then looks at the bird in surprise. The camera makes one smooth sideways move following the bird from the first cake to the second dessert. Playful culinary comedy, clear action and payoff, realistic bird movement, expressive reaction, premium food cinematography, clean visual storytelling.

Use the reference for the orange handmade clay submarine and the playful blue octopus. Show them exploring a new underwater garden of tall emerald kelp, glowing purple coral and tiny golden fish. The octopus swims beside the submarine, bubbles rising. Smooth storybook tracking shot, colorful tactile stop-motion animation. Soft marimba melody and underwater bubbles.

Use the reference for the iridescent emerald hummingbird. Show it hovering beside enormous vivid purple and pink flowers in a sunlit botanical glasshouse with warm golden shafts of light and drifting pollen. Close macro view, realistic feather detail, slow graceful camera move. Natural wing flutter and gentle garden ambience.

Use the reference for the small yellow delivery vehicle and rainy futuristic city style. Show it crossing a narrow bridge above a canal surrounded by vivid cyan, magenta and orange neon lights, with steam and rain reflected in the water. Smooth cinematic tracking camera, richly detailed animated night scene. Gentle rainfall, quiet electric motor and distant city ambience.

Use the reference image for the dancer and amber dress. Show a graceful slow turn in a bright sunlit studio, flowing fabric, one continuous cinematic shot. Soft piano music and quiet footsteps.

Related Models

README

MiniMax H3 Lite Reference-to-Video

MiniMax H3 Lite Reference-to-Video generates videos using images, video clips, and optional audio as creative references. Use multimodal inputs to guide characters, objects, environments, motion, and sound while generating 4–15 second videos at 480p or 768p.

Why Choose This?

  • Multimodal reference support — Guide generation with images, videos, and audio.
  • Multiple visual references — Use up to 9 reference images and 3 reference videos.
  • Optional audio guidance — Add up to 3 audio clips alongside visual references.
  • Flexible duration — Generate videos from 4 to 15 seconds.
  • 480p and 768p output — Choose the resolution that fits your workflow.

Parameters

ParameterRequiredDescription
promptYesDescribe the desired scene, action, camera movement, and how the references should be used. Supports 1–7000 characters.
reference_imagesConditionalUp to 9 reference images. At least one image or video reference is required.
reference_videosConditionalUp to 3 reference video clips. Clips are adjusted to 2–15 seconds each and no more than 15 seconds combined.
reference_audiosNoUp to 3 reference audio clips. Each clip must be 2–15 seconds, with a combined duration of up to 15 seconds. Audio cannot be used without an image or video reference.
aspect_ratioNoOutput aspect ratio: 21:9, 16:9, 4:3, 1:1, 3:4, or 9:16. Default: 16:9.
resolutionNoOutput resolution: 480p or 768p. Default: 768p.
durationNoOutput video duration in whole seconds from 4 to 15. Default: 5.

At least one reference image or reference video must be provided. Audio-only requests are not supported.

How to Use

  1. Add visual references — Provide at least one reference image or video.
  2. Write a prompt — Describe the desired scene and explain how the references should influence the result.
  3. Add audio optional — Supply reference audio when sound or voice guidance is needed.
  4. Choose duration — Select an output length from 4 to 15 seconds.
  5. Choose resolution — Select 480p or 768p.
  6. Choose framing — Select the desired aspect ratio.
  7. Submit — Generate and retrieve the completed video.

Pricing

ResolutionRequested VideoReference Video
480p$0.025/s$0.025/s
768p$0.04/s$0.04/s

The first 5 reference images are free. Each additional reference image costs $0.02.

Reference audio does not add a separate charge.

Reference videos are billed with a 2-second minimum per clip and a 15-second combined maximum. Their combined duration is rounded up to the next whole second. The generated video is charged by the requested duration.

Best Use Cases

  • Character consistency — Use reference images to guide recurring people or characters.
  • Product videos — Keep products and visual details consistent across generated scenes.
  • Motion reference — Use video clips to guide movement and action.
  • Audio-guided generation — Add audio references for voice or sound direction.
  • Multi-reference storytelling — Combine multiple references into a single generated scene.

Pro Tips

  • Clearly explain the role of each reference in the prompt.
  • Use visually consistent references when maintaining a character or product identity.
  • Keep reference videos focused on the motion or action you want to guide.
  • Start with fewer references when testing a new concept.
  • Use 480p for lower-cost iteration before moving to 768p.
  • Keep the requested action achievable within the selected duration.

Notes

  • prompt is required.
  • Supported aspect ratios are 21:9, 16:9, 4:3, 1:1, 3:4, or 9:16. Default: 16:9.
  • At least one reference image or video is required.
  • Audio cannot be supplied alone.
  • Up to 9 reference images are supported.
  • Up to 3 reference videos are supported.
  • Up to 3 reference audio clips are supported.
  • Reference videos longer than the allowed duration are trimmed from the end; short clips are extended to 2 seconds. The combined processed duration is limited to 15 seconds.
  • Reference audio clips must each be 2–15 seconds.
  • Combined reference audio duration is limited to 15 seconds.
  • Use MP4 or MOV reference videos, no larger than 50 MB.
  • Reference audio must be WAV or MP3, no larger than 15 MB per file.

Related Models

Note:This website uses AI models provided by third parties. Documentation prices are for reference and may be outdated. The Generate button shows an estimate; the final task charge prevails.

H3 Lite Reference To Video API — Quick start

Grab a WaveSpeedAI API key, then call POST https://api.wavespeed.ai/api/v3/minimax/h3-lite/reference-to-video with your input as JSON. The endpoint returns a prediction id. Start polling the result endpoint around every 2 seconds, increase the interval for long-running tasks, and stop on any terminal status. On completed, read output values from data.outputs. Examples for H3 Lite Reference To Video below.

HTTP example
set -euo pipefail

: "${WAVESPEED_API_KEY:?Set WAVESPEED_API_KEY}"

REQUEST_BODY=$(cat <<'JSON'
{
    "prompt": "A cinematic shot of a city at sunset, soft golden light",
    "aspect_ratio": "16:9",
    "resolution": "768p",
    "duration": 5
}
JSON
)

# 1. Submit the prediction.
SUBMIT_RESPONSE=$(curl --silent --show-error --fail-with-body \
  -X POST "https://api.wavespeed.ai/api/v3/minimax/h3-lite/reference-to-video" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $WAVESPEED_API_KEY" \
  -d "$REQUEST_BODY")

TASK=$(printf '%s' "$SUBMIT_RESPONSE" | jq 'if has("data") then .data else . end')
PREDICTION_ID=$(printf '%s' "$TASK" | jq -r '.id')
if [ -z "$PREDICTION_ID" ] || [ "$PREDICTION_ID" = "null" ]; then
  printf 'Submission response did not contain a prediction id
' >&2
  exit 1
fi
RESULT_URL="https://api.wavespeed.ai/api/v3/predictions/$PREDICTION_ID/result"

# 2. Poll until the prediction finishes.
while true; do
  RESPONSE=$(curl --silent --show-error --fail-with-body "$RESULT_URL" \
    -H "Authorization: Bearer $WAVESPEED_API_KEY")
  RESULT=$(printf '%s' "$RESPONSE" | jq 'if has("data") then .data else . end')
  STATUS=$(printf '%s' "$RESULT" | jq -r '.status')
  case "$STATUS" in
    completed) printf '%s\n' "$RESULT" | jq '.outputs'; break ;;
    failed|cancelled|timeout|deleted) printf '%s\n' "$RESULT" | jq . >&2; exit 1 ;;
    *) sleep 2 ;;
  esac
done
Node.js example
const submitUrl = "https://api.wavespeed.ai/api/v3/minimax/h3-lite/reference-to-video";
const apiKey = process.env.WAVESPEED_API_KEY;
if (!apiKey) throw new Error('Set WAVESPEED_API_KEY');

async function requestJson(url, options = {}) {
  const response = await fetch(url, options);
  if (!response.ok) throw new Error(await response.text());
  return response.json();
}

// 1. Submit the prediction.
const body = await requestJson(submitUrl, {
  method: "POST",
  headers: {
    "Authorization": `Bearer ${apiKey}`,
    "Content-Type": "application/json",
  },
  body: JSON.stringify({
        "prompt": "A cinematic shot of a city at sunset, soft golden light",
        "aspect_ratio": "16:9",
        "resolution": "768p",
        "duration": 5
}),
});
const task = body.data ?? body;
if (!task.id) throw new Error("Submission response did not contain a prediction id");
const resultUrl = `https://api.wavespeed.ai/api/v3/predictions/${task.id}/result`;

// 2. Poll until the prediction finishes.
while (true) {
  const resultBody = await requestJson(resultUrl, {
    headers: { "Authorization": `Bearer ${apiKey}` },
  });
  const result = resultBody.data ?? resultBody;
  if (result.status === "completed") {
    console.log(result.outputs);
    break;
  }
  if (["failed", "cancelled", "timeout", "deleted"].includes(result.status)) throw new Error(JSON.stringify(result));
  await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, 2000));
}
Python example
import json
import os
import time
from urllib.request import Request, urlopen

api_key = os.environ["WAVESPEED_API_KEY"]
headers = {"Authorization": f"Bearer {api_key}", "Content-Type": "application/json"}
payload = {
    "prompt": "A cinematic shot of a city at sunset, soft golden light",
    "aspect_ratio": "16:9",
    "resolution": "768p",
    "duration": 5
}

def request_json(url, data=None):
    request = Request(url, data=data, headers=headers, method="POST" if data else "GET")
    with urlopen(request) as response:
        return json.load(response)

# 1. Submit the prediction.
body = request_json("https://api.wavespeed.ai/api/v3/minimax/h3-lite/reference-to-video", json.dumps(payload).encode())
task = body.get("data", body)
if not task.get("id"):
    raise RuntimeError("Submission response did not contain a prediction id")
result_url = f"https://api.wavespeed.ai/api/v3/predictions/{task['id']}/result"

# 2. Poll until the prediction finishes.
while True:
    result_body = request_json(result_url)
    result = result_body.get("data", result_body)
    status = result.get("status")
    if status == "completed":
        print(result.get("outputs", []))
        break
    if status in {"failed", "cancelled", "timeout", "deleted"}:
        raise RuntimeError(result)
    time.sleep(2)

H3 Lite Reference To Video API — Frequently asked questions

What is the H3 Lite Reference To Video API?

H3 Lite Reference To Video is a MiniMax model for reference-guided video generation, exposed as a REST API on WaveSpeedAI. MiniMax H3 Lite Reference-to-Video generates 480P / 768P videos from reference inputs with flexible 4-15 second duration, making it suitable for character consistency, reference-guided motion, creative videos, social content, ads, and production workflows. Ready-to-use REST inference API, best performance, no coldstarts, affordable pricing. You can call it programmatically or try it from the playground above.

How do I call the H3 Lite Reference To Video API?

POST your input parameters to the model's REST endpoint (shown in the API tab of this playground) with your WaveSpeedAI API key in the Authorization header. Submission returns a prediction ID. Poll the result endpoint starting around every 2 seconds, increase the interval for long-running tasks, and stop on any terminal status. The playground generates Python, JavaScript, and cURL examples for submitting requests and polling results. Full request/response shape is documented at https://wavespeed.ai/docs/docs-api/minimax/minimax-h3-lite-reference-to-video.

How much does H3 Lite Reference To Video cost per run or per second?

H3 Lite Reference To Video starts at $0.04 per run or per second. That figure is the base price — the final charge scales with the parameters you set in the form (output size, length, count, references, or whatever knobs this model exposes), so a higher-quality or larger output costs more than a minimal one. The exact cost for your current input is shown live next to the Generate button before you submit, and the actual per-call charge is recorded on the prediction afterwards.

What inputs does H3 Lite Reference To Video accept?

Key inputs: `prompt`, `aspect_ratio`, `resolution`, `duration`, `reference_images`, `reference_audios`. The full JSON schema (types, defaults, allowed values) is rendered above the Generate button and mirrored in the API reference at https://wavespeed.ai/docs/docs-api/minimax/minimax-h3-lite-reference-to-video.

How do I get started with the H3 Lite Reference To Video API?

Sign up for a free WaveSpeedAI account to claim starter credits, copy your API key from /accesskey, then call the endpoint shown in the API tab of the playground. The playground also auto-generates a code sample in Python, JavaScript, or cURL for the parameters you've set.

Can I use H3 Lite Reference To Video outputs commercially?

Commercial usage rights depend on the model's license, set by its provider (MiniMax). Check the provider's applicable terms and WaveSpeedAI's Terms of Service before commercial use.

llms.txt — minimax/h3-lite/reference-to-video for AI agents and LLMs