Midjourney Just Launched Video Generation—But Is It Any Good?

Midjourney just dropped V1 video generation, and I've been testing it out to see if it lives up to the hype.

Spoiler: It's impressive, expensive, and exactly what you'd expect from the team that made AI art feel magical.

Let’s take a look and see what Midjourney V1 is good at, where it disappoints, and whether you should add it to your creative arsenal.

In a nutshell, V1 is an easy way to create cinematic videos directly in Midjourney. The outputs have all sorts of quirks and WTF moments, but the styles, textures and aesthetics are as impressive as any other video generator I’ve used.

Here's what it looks like: you feed V1 any image—whether it's something you generated in Midjourney or uploaded from your camera roll—go to ‘Animate Image’ and choose from Auto Low/High Motion or Manual Low/High Motion if you want to add a prompt. Hit ‘Submit’ and watch your images come to life.

V1 is pretty damn fast - spitting out four different 5-second video clips in a minute or so. This speed will vary depending on how many users are generating at any given time and will slow down if you’re using Relax mode.

The quality? It’s a mixed bag. Overall, I found V1’s outputs were all visually engaging and oozed that aesthetic we’ve come to associate with Midjourney. Compared to the likes of Veo 3, Kling and Runway, Midjourney V1 is right up there in terms of subject matter movement, character consistency and aesthetic. Some of these outputs are just so visually engaging you get lost in them.

The mixed bag part? As you can see, just about every output has at least one uncanny element and oftentimes the movement is all over the show. I think Google Veo 3 and Runway have an edge in terms of overall quality but V1 is not far behind and will no doubt improve with new releases.

Let's talk money because this is where things get interesting. Each video generation costs approximately 8 times more than creating a single image. Ouch.

If you're on the $10 Basic plan, your credits are going to disappear fast. Really fast. You might get a handful of video generations before you're tapped out for the month.

The sweet spot seems to be the $60 Pro plan or the $120 Mega plan. These higher-tier plans get unlimited video generations in "Relax" mode, which means you can experiment without watching your credit counter like a hawk. The downside is that generations in Relax mode can be slow.

But here's the thing about that 8x cost—you're not just getting one video. You're getting four variations, each 5 seconds long. So you're really looking at 20 seconds of content per generation.

When you break it down per second, the math starts looking not only reasonable, but great value for money considering what you would have traditionally spent to create video like this. It’s especially reasonable when compared to the more expensive Veo 3 and Runway.

My suggestion? Experiment with the basic plan and upgrade if/when you need to. An unlimited plan is a gamechanger if you plan on generating video at scale for your business or personal projects.

The biggest win is workflow integration. If you’ve already been using Midjourney for image generation, V1 will fit like a glove.

I’ve used Midjourney to develop image frames for video generators like Veo 3, but it was a pain in the ass constantly moving between the two. Now, you no longer need to jump between platforms or learn new interfaces. It's right there in your existing Midjourney setup, which means you can go from static concept to moving prototype in minutes.

For social media content, this is a big deal. Those 5-second clips are perfect for Instagram stories, TikTok transitions, or LinkedIn posts that need a little extra visual punch. You can create custom animations that would normally require After Effects skills or hiring a motion designer.

The style consistency is also spot-on. If you've built a brand around Midjourney's aesthetic, your videos will match perfectly. My favourite thing about V1 is the stylization - the majority of my outputs were at least great to look at (even if the scene was incoherent).

Let's be real about the creative limitations. You can't fully control the direction of movement, the speed, or specific elements that animate. You're essentially rolling the dice and hoping one of the four variations matches your vision.

Speaking of limitations, Disney and Universal just dropped a massive 110-page lawsuit on Midjourney, claiming the AI company "pirated" their libraries to train its software and is now generating "endless unauthorized copies" of characters like Darth Vader and the Minions.

According to the lawsuit, Disney and Universal actually tried to work with Midjourney first, asking them to stop infringing their copyrighted works or at least put in safeguards to prevent AI-generated versions of their characters. Midjourney's response? Basically, "no thanks."

This isn't just corporate drama—it's a battle that could reshape how all AI tools operate. Midjourney is already fighting a separate class-action lawsuit from artists who found users typing their names into prompts to create eerily similar artworks.

For creatives, this lawsuit will likely determine the future landscape of AI tools—whether they'll keep operating as they do now or need to fundamentally change their approach.

If you're already paying for Midjourney Pro or Mega, absolutely. The unlimited Relax mode generations mean you can experiment without breaking the bank, and the learning curve is minimal since you're already familiar with the platform.

If you're on the Basic plan, I'd recommend upgrading before diving into video generation. The credit burn rate will be too frustrating otherwise.

For content creators, marketers, or anyone who regularly needs short-form video content, this tool is immediately useful. The time savings alone justify the cost if you're currently paying for motion graphics or animation work.

Ok but let’s get to the real point: is Midjourney V1 the best in terms of quality? In my opinion, sometimes. It still lags behind Google Veo 3 and Runway in overall quality but it also produces some gems. I’ll be using it in combination with Veo 3, Kling and Runway, especially for rapid prototyping and storyboards.

Midjourney describes this as "an early milestone toward AI systems that can simulate entire 3D worlds in real time", so we're definitely in the early stages of something bigger.

The question isn't whether AI video will become mainstream—it's whether you want to start learning now while the competition is still figuring it out, or wait until everyone else catches up.

For what it is right now, Midjourney V1 delivers on its promise. Your images move, they look good, and the process is straightforward. Just budget accordingly and set realistic expectations about what 5-21 seconds of video can actually do for your projects.

The future of AI video is here. It's just going to cost you 8x more than you're used to paying.