Pictory: Transform Text to Videos in Minutes
Type in your blog article or script, click "create," and get a professional video a few minutes later. With Pictory you can transform text content into engaging videos without video editing skills.
This AI tool has fundamentally changed the approach to video production. Whether you're a marketing specialist, content producer, or business owner, Pictory saves users hours of editing work and makes it possible to create professional video content without special technical prerequisites.
Pictory was founded in 2019 in Bothell, Washington, by the entrepreneurial trio Vikram Chalana, Vishal Chalana, and Abid Mohammed. The Chalana brothers had previously built the enterprise software company Winshuttle to 300 employees globally, while Mohammed contributed his expertise in growth strategy, sales, and customer service. The idea for Pictory emerged from their experiences with effectively communicating with global teams and the desire to make video production more accessible to everyone.
The first prototype was developed during a hackathon in Seattle in 2019, and the commercial version of Pictory was launched in July 2020. Since then, the company has grown steadily and attracted investment from FUSE and Voyager Capital, enabling further development of the platform and expansion of the team.
From Text to Video in Minutes
Since its launch, Pictory has evolved from a simple text conversion tool to a comprehensive video production platform:
Blog conversion: Insert a URL or text, and Pictory automatically identifies key points and finds appropriate images and video clips
Script-based video: Write a script and have it transformed into a video with synchronized voiceover and visual elements
Automatic subtitles: Add and edit subtitles to existing videos with precise synchronization
Screen recordings: Transform long screen recordings into concise, edited videos by removing pauses and adding automatic subtitles
The entire process typically takes less than 15 minutes – from text to finished video – compared to hours or days with traditional video editing tools.
AI Engine Understands Your Content
Pictory's AI technology is at the core of the platform's capabilities. The system can:
Analyze text to identify key points and main ideas
Select relevant media from a comprehensive library of over 3 million stock images and video clips from leading providers like Shutterstock, licensed directly through Pictory, so users don't need separate subscriptions
Generate naturally sounding voiceover with AI voices in multiple languages
Synchronize audio and images to create a coherent narrative
Identify and highlight keywords in subtitles to increase engagement
The AI engine uses advanced natural language processing to understand the context of your content, not just keywords. This ensures that the chosen visual elements actually reflect the meaning and tone of your content.
Who Uses Pictory?
Pictory has made advanced video production accessible to users without technical video editing skills:
Marketing teams can quickly transform blog posts into social media videos
Educators can create engaging learning videos from their teaching materials
Content producers can increase their productivity by repurposing text content into video
Small businesses can create professional video content without the need for expensive specialists
Internal communication teams can transform company policies and updates into easily accessible videos
After the launch in 2020, the number of users grew rapidly. Many companies began using Pictory as remote work became more common, and the need for effective visual communication with dispersed teams increased.
Templates and Media Library Power
Pictory offers a range of templates designed for different purposes:
Social media videos optimized for different platforms
Educational videos with space for explanations and examples
Product demonstrations focusing on features and benefits
Corporate presentations with professional aesthetics
Personal stories with a more emotional approach
Pictory's media library contains millions of royalty-free images and video clips, various AI voices in multiple languages, background music, and fonts and design elements for branding.
Users can also upload their own media to create a more personal or brand-specific feel in their videos.
Getting Started
Pictory step by step:
Create an account: Visit Pictory.ai and sign up
Choose a subscription: Pictory offers different subscription plans – from the basic version to premium solutions with extended features and higher export quality
Select your method: Decide whether you want to convert an existing text or start with a script
Follow the assistant: Let Pictory's guide take you through the process step by step
Customize: Adjust automatically generated elements as needed
Export: Download your finished video in the format and quality your subscription allows
As with most professional tools, more expensive subscriptions provide access to more features, higher video quality, and more exports per month. Precise prices and subscription details can be found on Pictory's website, where you can compare the options and choose the solution that fits your needs.
The Future is Visual
With solid investment from FUSE and Voyager Capital, Pictory's team can accelerate product development. The company has expanded from its original three-person founding team to a larger team of developers, designers, and AI specialists.
What we can expect in the future:
Expanded AI voices with more languages and more natural intonations
Personal video templates based on your previous content and preferences
Integration with other AI tools for a more streamlined workflow
Mobile apps for video creation on the go
Advanced analytics tools to measure video engagement and effectiveness
Pictory continues to focus on making video production easier for small businesses and independents, so they can produce professional video content in a market where video is becoming increasingly important.
Video Now More Accessible Than Ever
Pictory has made it possible to convert text to video efficiently, saving time and resources for both professionals and ordinary users. The tool has developed significantly since the first prototype in 2019 and is now a well-functioning platform with many users.
Focus on user-friendliness has resulted in a tool that combines advanced AI with simple operation. The result is that anyone can now create videos without having technical experience in video production.