Hedra Labs’ tech is super cool—it turns regular photos into animated, talking images that sync speech and facial movements. It’s perfect for content creators who want to spice up their visuals, social media managers looking to make posts more engaging, or educators who want to bring lessons to life with interactive materials. Marketers can also use it to create eye-catching ads, while photographers and AI enthusiasts can experiment with blending art and technology.
Even if you’re just having fun, you can animate your selfies or create personalized talking images to share with friends. Basically, it’s a game-changer for anyone who loves creativity, storytelling, or just playing around with cool tech!
In this tutorial, we’ll show you how to use Hedra Labs' talking selfie feature to create cool talking images using a selfie. We’ll show you how to upload your selfie photo, generate the audio, and create your own talking photo. You can do this with any image. Make sure you have a copyright-free image and can make it speak in no time.
By the end of this tutorial, you’ll be able to:
Upload your photo
Generate an audio for the photo
Create a talking photo
Tools you’ll need for this tutorial:
Hedra.ai (Free account. A $10/month account for better results)
Let’s get started, shall we?
Upload your photo
To start using Hedra Labs’ talking photo feature, simply head over to their website. On the homepage, you’ll find the “Sign In” button in the top right corner. If you’re new to the platform, you must create a free account first—it’s quick and straightforward. Once that’s done, you’re all set to explore the feature!
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Once you’re logged in, you’ll land on the main dashboard. This is your central hub, where you can access all the tools and features Hedra Labs offers. It’s designed to be user-friendly, so you can easily navigate and start creating right away.
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In the "Character" section of the dashboard, you’ll find an option to upload an image. Just click the upload button or drag and drop your chosen photo into the designated area.
For our example, we have selected a copyright-free image of a woman with a yellow background.
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For the best results, we’d suggest using a high-quality, clear photo with good contrast between the main character and the background. It’s also better if the main character isn’t smiling, as the results tend to be worse in those cases.
Besides, photos where the subject is facing the camera directly usually produce the most natural-looking animations. Follow these tips, and you’ll be all set to create something awesome!
Change the aspect ratio to 9:16 for Instagram or TikTok reels.
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You can change the photo by stylizing the image. Click the stylize button at the bottom of the uploaded image, next to the aspect ratio tab. There are a couple of options you can use to style the photo. It’s just an optional feature. You’re free to create a photo however you like.
You can use the randomize prompt to allow Hedra to create something cool for you. There is a settings button next to it, but we do not recommend fiddling with it as it will produce inconsistent results.
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Generate an audio for the photo.
Head over to the "Audio" tab on the left side of the interface. Here, you’ve got two choices:
Generate Audio: Type the text you want your photo to say in the provided text box. You can enter up to 300 characters. Once you’re done, you can even pick a voice from the dropdown menu below the text box to customize how it sounds.
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Upload Audio: If you already have a pre-recorded audio file, you can upload it directly here.
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Record Audio: Access this tab to record your voice. Simply press ‘Start recording’ and speak your words. Finish the recording, and your image will speak the words in your voice.
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Whether you’re generating new audio or using your own, this step is where your photo really starts to come to life!
For our example, we decided to write the words for the character to speak. Select the voice sample you want the image to say, or create your own voice. If you create your own voice, you must upgrade your account to a paid subscription.
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Quick tips: You can preview an audio voice sample or create a sample in your own voice for $10 a month. Hedra requires you to upgrade to a paid subscription to create a voice sample in your own voice.
Create a talking photo.
Here comes the exciting part. Once you’ve uploaded your photo and added your audio, it’s time to bring everything to life. Just click the "Generate video" button in the "Video" section of the dashboard. Hedra’s AI will work magic, combining your inputs to create a video of your photo speaking the text or audio you provided.
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Parsing the video and audio will take a minute or two. Once it’s ready, you can preview the video to ensure it looks and sounds right. If you’re happy with the result, hit the "Download" button to save it to your device. There’s also a "Share" option if you want to post it directly to social media or send it to others.
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Here are the results of our tutorial.
And that’s it—your static photo is now a dynamic, talking creation! Experiment with different photos and recorded voices. You’ll be able to create a high-quality Instagram or TikTok post in minutes.
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