How to Make a Tiny Desk AI Video with Your Friends

Decide who gets the close-up first

Think of this as casting a band scene. The lead singer gets the solo close-ups, while the left singer, center keyboard player, and right singer occupy the group shot. The saxophone player has a separate instrumental moment. Left and right refer to what you see on screen, not the performers’ view from the stage.

For example, put the friend who sings every chorus in the lead slot, the friend who organizes everything at the keyboard, and your most theatrical friend on sax. You can fill just one slot or use all five. Empty slots use the reference performers, although AI can still change unassigned faces and background details.

Choose portraits for motion, not just a good thumbnail

A sharply lit, chest-up portrait gives the generator a clear face and some clothing detail. Keep the eyes visible and leave a little room around the head. A tiny face in a distant group photo or a heavy beauty filter gives it less reliable information to work with.

Use one person per uploaded image. If your best photo is a group selfie, make a separate crop for each person and check that each crop is still sharp. For the lead singer, choose a portrait with a readable face shape: the performance includes turns and close-ups, where a likeness can drift even if the opening frame looks convincing.

Match each upload to a named role

Open the Tiny Desk AI studio and choose People for a human cast. Add the portraits to their intended slots, then review the lineup before submitting. The three people in the group shot are separate roles from the lead singer; uploading someone on the left does not also assign them to the lead close-ups.

If you are making a pet band, switch the whole request to Cat or dog and use pet portraits throughout. This experimental mode does not support mixing people and pets in one request. Other reference musicians may remain human, and paws, instruments, and likeness can vary.

Know which performance and soundtrack you are choosing

This template uses a selected excerpt of Outstanding from Charlie Wilson’s Tiny Desk performance. It follows the reference’s band arrangement and camera sequence. It does not let you pick any concert, write a new song, or make your friends sing in their own voices.

The final video includes the selected performance audio. Listen to the reference before you generate so the soundtrack fits your idea. For a birthday message, put the greeting in the caption or accompanying message; the template will not change the lyrics to include someone’s name.

Check the format and credits before you generate

Each request creates a 15-second vertical 9:16 video in 720p and costs 450 credits. That price covers one video whether you fill one role or all five. Sign in, check the portraits and available credits, then submit. Service configuration is checked at submission before credits are deducted.

The public AI example is an existing clip reused with permission, with its own duration and resolution. It illustrates the casting idea; it is not a measured result from this site’s generation pipeline. Your clip can differ in likeness, motion, and detail. Generation uses paid credits, with no free generation trial.

Review the whole clip in three passes

First, watch for casting: does each friend appear in the intended part, and do identities stay recognizable across cuts? Next, watch motion: inspect the lead singer’s profile, hands near the keyboard, and the saxophone break. A good first frame does not tell you whether the full sequence works.

Finally, play the downloaded MP4 with sound. Check that the audio is present and that transitions feel coherent. You can download when the task is ready or return to History to find it later. If you choose to generate another version, improve the weakest portrait first and review the credit cost before submitting again.

Give your group chat enough context

A caption such as “Our group chat’s house band, made with AI” makes the joke easy to understand. Get permission from the adults whose portraits you use and agree on whether the clip stays in a private chat or goes on a public account. The people pictured did not actually record this performance.

This is an independent tool with no affiliation to NPR, NPR Music, Tiny Desk, Charlie Wilson, or The Gap Band. Creating a clip does not grant rights to the reference music or performance. Keep the context clear when sharing, and do not present the video as an official concert or endorsement.

Questions before your first band clip