# Reference images, video and audio

> Add photos, MP4 clips or MP3/WAV sound so your video copies a face, a move or a voice. Photos up to 10 MB each, caps set by each model. Add yours now.

URL: https://reviral.ai/docs/cinema-studio/references
Updated: 2026-10-05
Open Cinema Studio: https://reviral.ai/app/cinema

A reference is a file you attach so the video copies something real: a photo for a face, product or place, a short MP4 clip for movement or camera, or an MP3/WAV file for a voice or music. Each video model (the AI engine that makes the video) takes its own number of each kind, and the studio shows that number on every add button.

**Who can use it:** any signed-in account in [Cinema Studio](https://reviral.ai/docs/cinema-studio). Developers sending files by API should read [API reference inputs](https://reviral.ai/docs/api/reference-inputs).

## Steps

1. **Pick the model first.** Press the **Model** chip and choose. The add buttons below the text box change to match it, and a model may say **Needs 1 photo** or **Needs photo or video**.
2. **Add photos.** Press **Reference photos** ({n} of {cap}) and pick picture files, such as JPG, PNG or WebP. The line under it says "Up to {cap} photos for this model". Each photo can be up to 10 MB. You can drag thumbnails to change their order.
3. **Add a video clip (if your model takes one).** Press **Add a reference video** and pick an MP4. The line under it says "Up to {cap} MP4 clips under {MB}MB each, {sec} seconds total". A clip longer than the total shows "Will be trimmed to {sec}s automatically".
4. **Add sound (if your model takes it).** Press **Add reference audio** and pick an MP3 or WAV file ("MP3 or WAV, up to {MB}MB each"). Some models need at least one photo or video next to the sound.
5. **Point at each file in your words.** Type `@` in the text box. A list opens ("Add a reference"); pick a file and a tag goes into your prompt: `@图片1` for photo 1, `@视频1` for video 1, `@音频1` for audio 1. Then write what it is for, for example "the woman in @图片1 walks like the dancer in @视频1".
6. **Check the price and press Generate.** If the model list showed **Ref Video · {x}× price**, the button already includes that.

## At a glance

| Kind | File types | Size per file | How many |
|---|---|---|---|
| Photo | Picture files such as JPG, PNG, WebP | 10 MB | 1 to 30, by model |
| Video | MP4 | 64 MB on most models, 60 MB on some; between 409,600 and 8,847,360 pixels (for example 640×640 up to 4096×2160) | 0 to 10, by model, with a total-seconds limit |
| Audio | MP3, WAV | 50 MB on most models | 0 to 10, by model |

What each model takes, read on 2026-10-05 from the public model list (photos / videos with total seconds / audio):

| Model | Photos | Videos | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|
| [Seedance 2.5](https://reviral.ai/seedance-2-5) | 30 | 10, 30 s total, 60 MB each | 10 |
| [Seedance 2.5 720P VIP](https://reviral.ai/seedance-2-5) | 30 | none | 10 |
| [seedance 2.5 720p](https://reviral.ai/seedance-2-5) (30 s only) | 9 | none | none |
| [Seedance 2](https://reviral.ai/seedance-2-0) | 9 | 3, 15 s total | none |
| [Wan 3.0](https://reviral.ai/wan-ai-video-generator) | 10 | 5, 15 s total | 5, needs a photo or video too |
| [MiniMax H3](https://reviral.ai/docs/api/models/minimax-h3) | 9 | 3, 15 s total, 50 MB each | 3, 15 MB each, needs a photo or video too |
| [Kling V3](https://reviral.ai/kling-ai-video-generator) | 4 | none | none |
| [Veo 3.1 Fast](https://reviral.ai/veo-3-video-generator) | 3 | none | none |
| [Hailuo 2.3](https://reviral.ai/hailuo-ai-video-generator) | 1 | none | none |

Model names are shown exactly as the model list in Cinema Studio prints them.

Two Seedance 2.5 720p models look alike but work differently:

- **Seedance 2.5 720P VIP** makes videos of any length from 4 to 30 seconds in six frame shapes, takes up to 30 photos and 10 sound files but no video clips, and cost 102 credits for 5 seconds on 2026-10-05.
- **seedance 2.5 720p** makes only 30-second videos in 9:16, 16:9 or 1:1, takes up to 9 photos and no video or sound files, and cost 354 credits for its 30 seconds on 2026-10-05.

Every model's caps, lengths and prices, side by side, are on [AI video models](https://reviral.ai/ai-video-models). Developers sending files by API: [/docs/api/models](https://reviral.ai/docs/api/models).

## Use when / Avoid when

| Use references when | Skip them when |
|---|---|
| The same face or product must look right in every shot | You only need a mood or a scene you can describe in words |
| You want to copy a real movement or camera move from a clip | Your model shows "none" for that kind of file — pick another model first |
| A voice or music track should drive the video | The photo shows a real person and the model says it cannot use real people (see below) |

## Troubleshooting

| Message on screen | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| "Only {x} of {y} photos added — this model takes up to {cap}." | You picked more photos than the model takes | Keep the best ones, or switch to a model with a higher cap |
| "Reference images trimmed to {cap} for {model}." | You switched to a model with a lower cap | Check which photos stayed |
| "Reference videos removed because this model does not support them." | The new model takes no video | Switch back, or describe the move in words |
| "Reference audio removed because this model does not support it." | The new model takes no audio | Switch to a model with **Add reference audio** |
| "That video is {w} x {h}. Use a video between 409,600 and 8,847,360 pixels." | The clip is too small or too large in picture size | Export it at a normal size such as 720p or 1080p |
| "Reference video too big — use one under {MB}MB." | The file is over the size limit | Shorten or compress the clip |
| "Reference videos can be up to {sec} seconds total." | All clips together are too long | Remove or trim a clip |
| "Reference audio too big — use one under {MB}MB." | The sound file is over the limit | Use a shorter or lower-quality MP3 |
| "Add at least one reference photo or video with reference audio." | This model needs a picture next to the sound | Add one photo or clip |
| "Use reference images or reference videos, not both." | This model takes one kind at a time | Remove the photos or the clips |
| "Use reference-photo mode when adding a reference video." | **Image upload mode** is set to First and last frames | Set it back to Reference in **Model parameters** |
| "This model can't use photos of real people — try a different photo or model" | The model refused a photo of a real person after you pressed Generate; your credits come back | Use a drawn, anime or 3D character picture, or another model |
| "A reference file was rejected by a copyright check. Retrying will not help — replace that reference, then render again. Your credits are returned." | A file looked like protected material | Replace that file |

More failure messages: [Every error message and what to do](https://reviral.ai/docs/render-errors). See [plans and prices](https://reviral.ai/pricing).

## Related

- [Direct a video in Cinema Studio](https://reviral.ai/docs/cinema-studio)
- [Cinema Studio, every setting](https://reviral.ai/docs/cinema-studio/settings)
- [Every error message and what to do](https://reviral.ai/docs/render-errors)
- [How credits work](https://reviral.ai/docs/credits)

## FAQ

### How many reference photos can I add?

It depends on the model: from 1 (Hailuo 2.3) up to 30 (Seedance 2.5). The chip shows the cap, for example Reference photos 0 of 9.

### Why did my reference video disappear when I changed model?

The new model does not take video references, so the studio removes them and says so. Switch back to a model that lists Add a reference video.

### Does a reference video cost more?

On some models, yes. Those models carry a tag like Ref Video · 1.8× price in the model list, and the Generate button shows the new total.

### How do I tell the model which photo is which?

Type @ in the prompt and pick the file. A tag such as @图片1 (photo 1) or @视频1 (video 1) goes into your words, so you can write what each file is for.