A Tiny Desk AI video casts new people in an intimate band performance. The workflow on this site uses individual portraits for the singer, keyboard player, backing singers and saxophonist. The supplied source video is available to preview with sound. This guide covers choosing your photos, reviewing the quote and checking the finished result.
1. Choose the people in your band
Decide who should take the lead and who gets the supporting roles. The lead appears prominently, so choose a photo where their facial features are clear. The keyboard and saxophone roles add their own moments; the backing singers complete the group.
Prepare 1–5 individual portraits, one for each role you want to recast. Leave a role empty to keep the original person. You do not need to get everyone into one group photo. Use your own pictures or photos from people who agreed to be included.
2. Pick clear reference photos
A normal phone portrait is a good starting point. Look for even light, a face turned toward the camera and visible eyes. Keep enough of the face in the image to recognize the person without zooming in on a tiny detail.
- Use one visible person per photo.
- Avoid sunglasses, masks, heavy beauty filters and motion blur.
- Use a sharp original rather than a screenshot of a small profile picture.
- The studio accepts JPEG, PNG and WebP images up to 10 MB each, at least 256 × 256 pixels.
The portrait preview on the home page runs in your browser. It does not send images to the generation provider until final confirmation. Photos are saved in this browser for up to 24 hours so they can be restored after checkout.
3. Assign each portrait to a performer
The planned five-person layout has a lead singer, keyboard player, two backing singers and a saxophonist. Place each reference into its labeled slot. The finished scene will confirm the exact casting before any request is submitted.
Keep the assignments consistent. If your friend is the saxophonist, use that friend’s portrait in the saxophone role, even if the camera changes angle. The goal is one identity per performer throughout the scene.
4. Watch the Tiny Desk source and review the settings
Play the supplied template source on the home page to see the performance, camera cuts and soundtrack. It is a 19-second vertical clip with audio, and is separate from any future personalized result. Check the available length, resolution and framing rather than assuming every Tiny Desk AI tool produces the same kind of clip.
The studio will show the exact credit quote before generation. A final price and supported output settings have not been published for this template yet. Do not infer them from another site or from an unrelated EasyVideoAI effect.
5. Review the finished video before sharing
Look at every performer, especially during close-ups and transitions. Check that the identities remain recognizable, faces do not blend together and hands and instruments look plausible. AI results can vary between requests.
Listen to the audio and check its timing. The intended workflow restores the prepared scene’s soundtrack after visual generation. Your photos provide visual references; they do not supply or clone anyone’s voice. The actual soundtrack will be shown in the finished template preview.
Describe the clip as AI-generated when posting it. Choose the social platform’s AI-content label where appropriate and make sure everyone pictured agreed to the use.
Can I make a Tiny Desk AI video from one photo?
Yes, you can plan a one-photo edit by filling only the role you want to recast. Use slot 1 for the lead singer or slot 5 for the saxophonist. Leave the other roles empty to keep the original people. The slot labels stay fixed; the saxophone photo does not move to the lead role when it is the only image selected.
For two friends or a full band, use the Tiny Desk AI video with friends guide to choose a casting plan.
Template workflow or a custom prompt?
A prepared template supplies the scene, motion and character assignments. That can make the setup simpler than writing a detailed desk-concert prompt from scratch. It also means your choices depend on the actual template: its cast, clip length, camera moves and soundtrack.
If you need a different song, custom concert footage or a different number of performers, check the studio’s supported options first. Those features are not promised by this draft. The Tiny Desk AI prompt guide explains how to describe role assignments in a separate compatible editing workflow.
Can I generate the video now?
Yes. Choose at least one portrait, select 480p or 720p and press Generate video. A browser wallet starts automatically. Review the credit quote and casting plan before final confirmation; if your balance is short, the studio opens the credit purchase options.
Return to the Tiny Desk AI studio or read the frequently asked questions.
This is an independent project with no affiliation to NPR or Tiny Desk Concerts.