AI Short Video Generator

AI short video generator: a short explainer from any source

Upload a PDF, notes, a slide deck, a link, or a YouTube video - or just type a topic - and Scholarly distills it into a fast, vertical, phone-friendly explainer with full-screen visuals and focused narration.

Free to start · No credit card required · Short video on every plan

Used by 200,000+ learners and professionals worldwide
Short video format

Why does the Krebs cycle need oxygen?

Synced captions follow the narration line by line.

Short · One focused thread
  1. Start

    The hook

    One question or claim pulled from your source, on screen while the narration opens.

  2. Middle

    The explanation

    Full-screen visuals carry the single idea the source supports best.

  3. Close

    The takeaway

    A focused closing line you can recall on the bus or in the hallway.

How it works

From source to short video in three steps

No editing timeline, no script writing. Pick a source, turn on Short video, and let the AI do the cutting.

  1. 01

    Add your source

    Upload a PDF, notes, or a deck, pick a file from your library, paste a link or a YouTube video, or type a topic in the Prompt tab.

  2. 02

    Turn on Short video

    In the customize step, pick any style and turn on Short video. It makes a focused 30-45 second portrait video, so there is no length to set.

  3. 03

    Watch, share, and study

    Play it on your phone, share a link, read the searchable transcript, turn captions on, or generate flashcards in one click.

Quick answer

What a short explainer video looks like in Scholarly

Updated November 2026

Upload up to 10 PDFs (20 on Laureate), notes, a deck, a link, a YouTube video, or a typed topic and turn on Short video in any style. Scholarly writes a focused script, pairs it with full-screen visuals and narration, and renders a vertical video of about 30-45 seconds, with no length setting. The Free plan includes one lifetime AI Creation Credit at 720p; Premium ($30/mo or $180/yr) includes 15 AI Creation Credits per week and Laureate ($99/mo) 80 per week, with 1080p, watermark removal, and MP4 download on paid plans.

Short video is a toggle that works with all six of Scholarly's styles: Standard, Standard Fast, Illustrated, Math Lecture, Doodles, and Freestyle. Where a style on its own produces a full-length landscape lecture, Short video distills your source to one compelling thread and keeps the narration tight, so the result is a recap you can watch between meetings or on the way to an exam.

Generation takes a few minutes and runs in the background; a completion email is on by default. Every short ships with a searchable transcript, synced captions, interactive question checkpoints, AI chat about the video, and one-click flashcard generation. The toggle changes the format, not the study tools.

What you get

Built for the phone, grounded in your source

A short video is only useful if it is accurate. Scholarly builds every frame from the material you gave it.

Short video format

Short always renders in its own focused format. No length slider, no trimming - the AI picks the single thread worth telling.

Vertical and phone-friendly

Full-screen visuals and large on-screen text are composed for a portrait screen, so the video reads cleanly on a phone.

Any source, or just a topic

PDFs, text files, images, slide decks, Google Drive files, links, YouTube videos, or a typed prompt all work as a starting point.

Transcript and synced captions

A searchable transcript and line-by-line captions come with every video, in the language you generated it in.

AI chat and question checkpoints

Ask follow-up questions grounded in the transcript and your original source, and answer the built-in checkpoint questions.

Share and download

Share a view link on any plan; viewers need a free account. Paid plans add 1080p rendering, watermark-free output, and MP4 download.

Why a short video

Why turn notes into a short video at all?

A twenty-page chapter and a short video serve different moments. The chapter is for learning; the short is for the spaced re-exposure that keeps the idea alive - before a standup, on a commute, or in the minutes before a certification exam. Asking the AI to commit to one thread forces a decision about what matters most, and that decision is itself a form of review.

Scholarly's Short video is different from generic AI short video generators because it starts from your source, not a stock-footage library. The script is written from the pages, notes, or link you provided, the visuals are composed to support that script, and the transcript lets you check every claim against the material. If the short does not land the way you hoped, switching to a different style and regenerating is often a bigger improvement than rewording the prompt.

For longer material, generate a full lecture in Standard or Illustrated mode first, then a Short from the same source as the recap. The two videos share the same grounding, so the short becomes a one-thread reminder of the lecture you already watched.

What you can do with the short

A Short video is generated from your source. It is not a clip cut out of a longer video.

  • Shape and length: portrait 9:16, about 30 to 45 seconds, in any of the six styles. There is no length setting and no extra credit for length.
  • Captions: captions are a track you switch on in the player. Only the Illustrated style draws paper-strip captions into the picture, so choose Illustrated if a downloaded MP4 needs visible captions. Paid plans also get .srt and .vtt caption files in the export pack.
  • Using it elsewhere: paid plans download the MP4 at up to 1080p and can turn the Scholarly logo off before generating. Videos you make are yours to use commercially, as long as you have the right to use the source.
  • On Free: one Short at 720p with the Scholarly logo, watched in Scholarly and shared by link.
  • What it does not do: it does not cut highlights from an uploaded video, add stock footage or an avatar, or post to social apps for you.

For a full lesson from the same source use the AI lecture generator. For other looks see the illustrated video generator and the Freestyle video generator. To turn a blog post into a clip, start at article to video.

For work and teams

Short videos are a natural fit for internal comms, product updates, and onboarding refreshers: turn a release note, a policy change, or a one-page SOP into a focused recap your team can watch on a phone. For full-length training content, see the AI training video generator. Need shared source libraries, seats, and one bill for the whole company? Explore Scholarly for Teams.

FAQ

Short video generator questions

How long is a short video?

Short video makes a focused clip of about 30-45 seconds and has no length control. If you want a longer video, turn Short video off, and the style you picked uses the lecture length setting instead.

What can I turn into a short video?

Up to 10 PDFs (20 on Laureate), text files (.txt, .md, .csv), images, slide decks, Google Drive files, a link to a website or online PDF, a YouTube video, or a topic typed into the Prompt tab. The AI reads the source and distills it to one thread.

Is the short video vertical?

Yes. Short is a vertical, phone-friendly explainer with full-screen visuals and focused narration, designed for quick review on a phone.

Does a short video include a transcript, captions, and chat?

Yes. Every video mode ships with a searchable transcript, synced captions, interactive question checkpoints, AI chat about the video, and one-click flashcard generation.

Is the short video mode free?

Short video works on every plan. The Free plan includes one lifetime AI Creation Credit and one upload (8 MB; PDFs are processed up to 32 pages) at 720p. Premium is $30/mo or $180/yr with 15 AI Creation Credits per week. Laureate is $99/mo with 80 AI Creation Credits per week. Most models use 1 credit per video, a few use 2, and Frontier models use 2, 3, or 4. A Short video carries no extra credit for length.

Can I download the short video as an MP4?

On a paid plan, open the completed video, click the three-dot menu, and choose Download video to get the rendered MP4. Paid plans also unlock 1080p rendering and watermark-free output. On every plan you can share a view link; viewers need a free Scholarly account to open it.

How long does generation take?

Short videos are quick to generate compared with a full lecture and run in the background. You can close the creator and come back. A completion email is on by default, and you can cancel or retry from the video page.

Are captions burned into the short video?

Only in the Illustrated style, which draws paper-strip captions into the picture. In the other styles captions are a track you turn on in the player, so a downloaded MP4 has no captions in the image. Paid plans get .srt and .vtt caption files in the export pack to add them elsewhere.

Can I post the short video on social media?

Yes, with a paid plan's download. You get a 9:16 MP4 you can upload wherever vertical video is accepted, and you can turn the Scholarly logo off before generating. Scholarly does not post for you. You may use the video commercially as long as you have the right to use the source.

Can I turn a long video into shorts?

Not by cutting it. Scholarly does not clip an uploaded video. It reads the video's transcript as a source and generates a new Short about one idea from it. To get several, generate one Short per idea and say in the instructions which idea to cover; each one uses an AI Creation Credit.

Pricing

Start free. Upgrade when you need more AI Creations.

One AI Creation Credit on Free, 15 per week on Premium, 80 per week on Laureate. Short video on every plan.

Sample lecture

What one video lecture gets

Free makes a lecture of about 2 minutes in 720p with the Scholarly logo, to watch in Scholarly. Premium and Laureate make lectures up to 45 minutes in 1080p that you can download as an MP4, with the logo off if you choose.

Pricing shown in USD by default. Local currency may be available in app or at checkout.

Compare plans

Image creation · Beta

Shared across Image Studio and chat. Separate from AI Creation Credits. Free images are lifetime and do not reset. Paid allowances reset weekly without rollover. Limits may change during beta.

Free
2 lifetime
Premium
40/week
Laureate
80/week

AI chat

Premium and Laureate include unlimited AI chat on Auto. Chat starts on Best, and premium models such as GPT 6.1 Sol, Claude Sonnet 5.5, and Claude Opus 5.5 draw on a weekly premium usage allowance; when it runs out, chat keeps going on Auto until it resets. Chat never spends AI Creation Credits.

Free
100 total
Premium
Unlimited
Laureate
Unlimited

Premium chat models (Best)

Chat answers on Best, the strongest model, by default. Premium models draw on a weekly allowance that resets every Monday at 00:00 UTC; long threads, large files, background tasks, and Claude Opus 5.5 use it faster. When it runs out, chat keeps going on Auto until the reset.

Free
Not included
Premium
Weekly usage
Laureate
4× weekly usage

AI Creation Credits

AI Creation Credits cover videos, slides, documents, and other AI creations. Most models use 1 credit, a few use 2, and Frontier models use 2, 3, or 4. Image Studio and chat images have a separate weekly allowance.

Free
1 total
Premium
15/week
Laureate
80/week

Podcast length

Free episodes are about 2 minutes. Paid plans can set a target length up to 60 minutes.

Free
About 2 minutes
Premium
Up to 60 minutes
Laureate
Up to 60 minutes

Video lecture length

Free lectures with a length control are about 2 minutes. Paid plans can set a target up to 45 minutes. Short uses its own short video format.

Free
About 2 minutes
Premium
Up to 45 minutes
Laureate
Up to 45 minutes

Video lecture resolution

Free
720p
Premium
1080p
Laureate
1080p

Download lectures as MP4

Free
-
Premium
Included
Laureate
Included

Scholarly logo on lectures

Free
Always on
Premium
Your choice
Laureate
Your choice

File uploads

Free
1 total (8MB)
Premium
Unlimited (300MB)
Laureate
Unlimited (1 GB each)

PDF to flashcards

Free
32 pages
Premium
1000 pages
Laureate
3000 pages

Sources per creation

Free
Up to 1
Premium
Up to 10
Laureate
Up to 20

Practice questions

Free
5 total
Premium
Unlimited
Laureate
Unlimited

Practice exams

Free
1 total
Premium
Unlimited
Laureate
Unlimited

Voice mode

Free
5 min total
Premium
2 hr/day
Laureate
12 hr/day

Autocomplete

Free
500 words total
Premium
Unlimited
Laureate
Unlimited

Export to Anki

Free
-
Premium
Included
Laureate
Included

Support

Free
Standard
Premium
Priority
Laureate
Priority

What customers say

Scholarly has enhanced the quality of notes and questions I administer to my tutees. Insightful, to the point.

TD Georgas

TD Georgas

Tutor

I have very good experience with Scholarly it summarize me scientific text in hovel academic level with citation. I use this for any therapeutic area . It is great and useful tool.

Diana

Diana

Scholarly user

Scholarly has been a valuable tool for my studies. The AI-generated flashcards and intuitive features make organizing and retaining information much easier.

Briana

Briana

Scholarly user

This app is great for studying for big test. Drop your PDF's in the system and it'll do the trick. You can organize it specifically for your needs.

Kelvin

Kelvin

Scholarly user

Your questions, answered

Is Scholarly free to use?

Yes! The free plan includes core study tools with lifetime allowances: 100 AI Chat messages, 500 autocomplete words, 5 quiz questions, 5 voice minutes, 1 practice exam, one free AI Creation Credit total, and 1 file upload. These allowances do not reset. Image Studio and chat also share 2 lifetime images during beta; this separate Free allowance does not reset and may change. Upgrade to Premium for 15 AI Creation Credits per week and unlimited uploads.

What uses my free AI Creation Credits?

AI Creation Credits are shared across flashcards, podcasts, videos, slides, AI Documents, Deep Research, and the Transcribe tool. The selected model determines the credit cost. Recording a meeting does not use an AI Creation Credit. Transcript and notes are included, up to 10 hours on paid plans.

Can I cancel anytime?

Absolutely. There are no contracts or commitments. You can cancel your subscription at any time from your account settings, and you'll keep access until the end of your billing period.

What payment methods do you accept?

We accept all major credit and debit cards through Stripe. Pricing is displayed in USD by default, but local currency is available in the app.

Can I use Scholarly with a class or school?

Yes. For a school or organization-wide rollout, contact us at hello@scholarly.so and we'll help you find the right setup.

What happens when I hit a free plan limit?

You'll see a prompt to upgrade. Your existing work is never lost - limits only apply to new actions. Most Free allowances are lifetime limits. The separate beta image allowance includes 2 lifetime images on Free with no reset, 40 per week on Premium, and 80 per week on Laureate. Limits may change during beta. Premium includes 15 AI Creation Credits per week, podcasts up to 60 minutes, video lectures up to 45 minutes, unlimited uploads, chat, autocomplete, quizzes, and exams, plus more daily voice time.