Luma AI

What is Luma AI?

Luma AI is a generative platform that turns text, images and existing footage into short cinematic video clips and images. Its Ray3.2 model handles video, while Uni-1 creates and edits images using style and character references.

Since March 2026 the main product has been Luma Agents, where AI agents research, generate and refine work across video, image, audio and text. Luma released the Uni-1.1 image API in May 2026 and added Skills, a builder for reusable creative workflows, in June 2026.

Luma AI, Inc. is based in Palo Alto and led by co-founder Amit Jain. The company began with 3D capture tools, and some directories still describe its older Genie text-to-3D product. The Dream Machine app still loads at its own address, but the site now promotes Agents and names brand and agency users such as Publicis Groupe, Dentsu and Mazda. A $900 million funding round led by HUMAIN was reported in November 2025.

Key Features

Keyframe control and native HDR output define Ray3.2, giving directors frame-level direction and giving colourists footage they can actually grade.

• Ray3.2 video: Text or image prompts become clips of 5 or 10 seconds at 360p draft, 540p, 720p or 1080p. Draft mode at 360p uses the fewest credits, so you can test ideas before paying for a full render.
• Multi-keyframe control: Up to 16 keyframes can guide one clip in text-to-video, image-to-video and Modify Video modes. You can set poses or framing at several points instead of hoping a single prompt lands correctly.
• Modify Video: Existing footage of up to about 20 seconds at 24fps can be restyled, relit or transformed. Face tracking handles up to eight faces and keeps lip sync and dialogue timing, and the original audio is preserved.
• Reframe: Clips can be extended into new aspect ratios from 9:16 to 21:9, with scene-aware fill at the edges. One horizontal shot can therefore be reworked for vertical social feeds without a reshoot.
• HDR and EXR output: Ray3.2 generates native 16-bit HDR and exports EXR files in the ACES2065-1 colour space. Colourists can grade these clips next to live-action plates rather than working from a compressed 8-bit file.
• Uni-1 and Luma Agents: Uni-1 creates and edits images with style and character references to keep a brand consistent. Agents can then plan a project and call Luma models plus partner models such as Veo and Kling.

Pros

Studio-grade colour is the clearest reason to choose Luma AI, because few rival video models export 16-bit HDR as EXR files.

• Cinematic motion: Reviewers find that camera moves and physics look natural in most clips. Directors and advertisers get usable concept shots with fewer rerolls than older text-to-video tools needed.
• Professional output: HDR generation and EXR export in ACES colour fit studio grading and compositing pipelines. VFX artists can place clips beside live-action footage instead of converting them first.
• Many models in one place: Luma Agents can call partner models such as Google Veo and Kling alongside Ray3.2 and Uni-1. Teams compare results inside one project rather than paying for several separate subscriptions.
• Developer access: A pay-per-use API covers Ray3.2 video and Uni-1.1 images, with a Scale tier for production traffic. A 5-second text-to-video clip at 540p costs $0.15, so prototypes stay cheap.
• Precise control: Keyframes, Modify Video and Reframe offer far more direction than a single prompt box. Editors can fix framing, performance and aspect ratio after generation, which reduces credits wasted on full rerolls.

Cons

A $30 monthly entry price is the main hurdle, as the pricing page lists no free plan and HDR renders cost extra credits.

• No listed free plan: The pricing page starts at $30 a month and lists no free tier, although the terms still refer to free-tier use. Hobbyists who only want to experiment may find cheaper tools easier to try.
• Short clips: Text and image prompts produce clips of only 5 or 10 seconds. Longer pieces need extending or joining several shots, which adds credits and editing time.
• Confusing history: Reviews still quote legacy Dream Machine tiers from $7.99 to $149.99 and a watermarked free plan. Check the current pricing page rather than relying on older articles or directory listings.
• Training rights: Luma’s terms let it use prompts, uploads and outputs from free and paid users to train its models. Avoid uploading confidential footage unless an enterprise agreement says otherwise.
• No sound in new clips: Text-to-video and image-to-video clips are generated without audio. Modify Video and Reframe keep the original soundtrack, but fresh clips need music or dialogue added in another tool.

Who is Using Luma AI?

Advertising agencies are Luma AI’s most visible customers, with Publicis Groupe, Dentsu and Serviceplan named on its homepage.

• Advertising agencies: Creative teams produce many campaign variants quickly with Luma Agents. The homepage pitches ten directions before a morning stand-up and fifty variants by the end of the day.
• Filmmakers: Directors test shots, camera moves and lighting before a shoot. Keyframes let them block out a sequence frame by frame without a crew.
• VFX artists: Compositors use HDR and EXR plates in grading and compositing. Modify Video also helps them restyle or relight footage they already own.
• Developers: Product teams add video and image generation to their own apps through the API. Pay-per-use pricing suits testing, and the Scale tier suits production loads.

Pricing

Luma AI sells credit plans from $30 a month, or $25 a month billed yearly (official prices, October 2026).

Older reviews still quote Dream Machine tiers from $7.99 to $149.99 with a watermarked free plan, while the current pricing page lists no free tier.

Disclaimer: Credit use differs by model, resolution and HDR setting, so cost out a short test project before you commit to a plan.

What Makes Luma AI Unique?

Native 16-bit HDR generation with EXR export in ACES2065-1 is rare among video models, and it lets clips go straight into professional grading. Combined with 16 keyframes per clip, it gives directors a level of control closer to a real shoot than a prompt box.

Luma also behaves less like a single model and more like a small studio. Agents can hand tasks to rival models such as Veo and Kling, and Skills turns a proven process into a reusable workflow, which suits agencies producing large numbers of variants.

Compatibilities and Integrations

Luma AI runs in a web browser and through a public API, and its Ray models are also offered inside partner platforms such as Adobe and Freepik.

• Platforms: Web app in desktop and mobile browsers. The older Dream Machine app still opens at its own address.
• API: Ray3.2 and Uni-1.1 with documentation and a test playground. Build and Scale tiers set rate limits and service levels.
• Partners: Ray models appear in Adobe, Envato and Freepik. Teams can use them without leaving those tools.
• Export: Standard video files plus EXR in ACES colour. Reframe outputs ratios from 9:16 to 21:9.

Luma AI Tutorials

A 360p draft is the cheapest starting point, so test prompts there before rendering anything at 1080p or in HDR.

1. Sign in to the web app and pick a plan with enough credits.
2. Choose Ray3.2 and a mode: text-to-video, image-to-video or Modify Video.
3. Describe the subject, motion and camera move in one clear prompt.
4. Add keyframes to fix poses or framing at key moments.
5. Review the 360p draft, then render the best version at 1080p or in HDR.
6. Use Reframe for vertical formats and export the clip or EXR files.

How We Rated It

Luma AI scores 3.9 overall: excellent features and integrations, pulled down by cost and by terms that allow training on user content.

Summary

Luma AI suits agencies, filmmakers and VFX teams that want cinematic clips with real control and professional colour. Ray3.2 keyframes, Modify Video and HDR with EXR export put it ahead of most rivals for post-production work. Cost is the main limitation, since plans start at $30 a month and HDR renders use extra credits. Its terms also allow training on your uploads, which matters for confidential projects. Draft at 360p or 540p first and switch to 1080p or HDR only for final shots.