Quick Verdict
Koyal is a compelling AI filmmaking platform that delivers on its core promise of turning audio and scripts into cinematic video content. The audio-first approach, character consistency, and CHARCHA safety protocol set it apart from generic AI video generators—especially for music videos and ads.
Best For
Musicians, music labels, and marketers who need cinematic video from audio or scripts at a fraction of traditional costs
Skip If
You need frame-level precision, advanced VFX, or live-action authenticity for narrative filmmaking
What is Koyal?
Koyal is an agentic AI filmmaking platform that converts scripts and audio into personalized, visually compelling video content. Founded in 2025 by Mehul Agarwal (CEO, Carnegie Mellon CS & ML) and Gauri Agarwal (CTO, MIT Media Lab, former Meta Instagram Video) as part of Y Combinator's Fall 2025 batch, the platform is inspired by how Pixar builds stories—audio first, visuals second.
Users upload scripts or voiceovers, design characters, and auto-generate cinematic scenes with consistent characters and environments. The AI acts as a director, making higher-level decisions about camera angles, shot duration, and transitions—turning what would normally require a full production crew into a 5-minute automated process.
Koyal has already established key partnerships with Universal Music, T-Series, and Bollywood studios. The team has created music videos for Grammy and Oscar-winning artists including A.R. Rahman, Ricky Kej, and Shankar Mahadevan, each garnering over 1.5 million views. They've also partnered with 22 YC companies for launch videos.
How It Works
Upload Script/Audio
Design Characters
AI Generates Film
Review & Export
Key Features
Here's what Koyal offers and how each feature performs in real-world use:
Audio-to-Video Generation
Upload your audio or script and Koyal's agentic AI orchestrates the entire filmmaking pipeline—creating cinematic video with consistent characters, environments, and pacing. Inspired by Pixar's audio-first approach to storytelling.
Character Consistency
Characters maintain their appearance across every scene in your video, avoiding the model drift that plagues most AI video tools. This is Koyal's key technical differentiator and what makes multi-scene narratives actually work.
CHARCHA Safety Protocol
A patented captcha-like system that verifies consent before anyone's likeness can be used. Webcam verification ensures no unauthorized deepfakes. Avatars are limited to collarbone-up and nudity/gore content is banned.
Storyboard & Visual Editing
Adjust lighting, camera angles, and emotion with simple text directions. Fine-tune your scenes without needing to understand complex video editing software—describe what you want and the AI interprets your creative intent.
Multilingual Support
Generate videos in multiple languages for global audiences. The platform handles voice-to-visual translation regardless of language, making it easy to create content that reaches international markets.
Smart AI Directing
The AI makes higher-level creative decisions automatically: camera angles, shot duration, transitions, and pacing. Think of it as an AI director that understands cinematic language and applies it to your content.
Pros & Cons
After extensive testing, here's our honest assessment:
Pros
- ✓Audio-first approach creates genuinely cinematic results for music videos and ads
- ✓Character and environment consistency is best-in-class for AI video
- ✓CHARCHA protocol addresses deepfake/consent concerns proactively
- ✓90% cheaper than traditional music video production
- ✓Impressive pedigree (CMU, MIT, Meta team; NeurIPS research)
- ✓Quick generation—videos ready in under 5 minutes
- ✓No camera needed—democratizes filmmaking for anyone with a script
Cons
- ✗Early-stage product—feature set still maturing
- ✗Generated video can feel "too AI" with unnatural cuts
- ✗Limited creative micro-control compared to manual editing
- ✗Not suitable for narrative or artistic filmmaking yet
- ✗Limited export integrations (basic Premiere/FCP/DaVinci support)
Pricing
Koyal offers three tiers from free to pro. The platform is still in beta, so pricing may evolve.
Free
No credit card required
- 45-second videos
- Basic features
- Standard rendering
- Watermark on exports
- Community support
Creator
$29/mo billed monthly
- Longer videos
- No watermark
- Priority rendering
- Custom characters
- Email support
- Higher resolution exports
Pro
$79/mo billed monthly
- Everything in Creator
- Unlimited videos
- Custom characters
- API access
- Priority support
- Premiere/FCP/DaVinci export
- Early access to new features
Note: Koyal is still in beta, so pricing and feature tiers may evolve. The Free plan is a good way to test the platform with 45-second videos before committing to a paid tier. The Creator plan at $29/mo removes the watermark and is ideal for most independent creators.
What Users Say
We gathered early feedback from music industry forums, YC communities, and LinkedIn:
★★★★★"We produced a music video for a fraction of what our label usually spends. The character consistency across scenes was genuinely impressive—it didn't feel like disconnected AI clips stitched together."
★★★★★"Used Koyal to create our YC launch video in two days instead of two weeks. The audio-first workflow clicked immediately—upload the voiceover, design characters, and the AI handles the rest."
★★★★★"The CHARCHA consent system is a big deal. As a label, we need to know likeness usage is properly verified. No other AI video tool takes this as seriously."
★★★★★"Great for music videos and ads, but when I tried to create a short narrative film, the AI directing felt too formulaic. It's best when you lean into its strengths rather than fight against them."
Who Should Use Koyal?
Musicians & Music Labels
Create music videos at 90% less cost than traditional production. Koyal was built for this use case first—with partnerships with Universal Music, T-Series, and videos for Grammy/Oscar-winning artists like A.R. Rahman and Ricky Kej.
Marketers & Ad Teams
Generate ad content and product videos from scripts quickly. Upload your voiceover or script, design on-brand characters, and have polished video ads ready in minutes instead of weeks.
Podcasters & Educators
Convert audio content into engaging visual presentations. Turn podcast episodes, lectures, or educational audio into watchable video content with consistent characters and environments.
YC Startups & Tech Companies
Ship launch and explainer videos in days, not weeks. Koyal has already partnered with 22 YC companies for their launch videos, proving the workflow works for fast-moving startups.
Not Ideal For:
- •Professional filmmakers needing frame-level precision
- •Users requiring advanced VFX and compositing
- •Teams needing deep analytics and asset management
- •Projects requiring live-action authenticity
3 Alternatives to Koyal
Koyal isn't the only AI-powered video generation option. Here are three alternatives worth considering:
Magic Hour
Template-based AI video generation
AI video generation platform with more preset templates. Better for quick social content, less narrative-focused than Koyal's audio-first filmmaking approach.
Runway
AI-powered VFX and video editing
More advanced AI video editing with Gen-2 model. Better for VFX-heavy work but has a steeper learning curve and lacks Koyal's audio-first workflow and character consistency.
HeyGen
AI avatar talking-head videos
AI avatar video platform focused on talking-head content. Better for corporate presentations and training videos, but less cinematic than Koyal's filmmaking approach.
Different Problem? Try OutlierKit
Koyal helps you create video content from audio and scripts. But what if you're struggling with what to create in the first place?
OutlierKit solves a different problem: finding video ideas that are proven to perform. While Koyal handles production—turning scripts into cinematic video—OutlierKit handles pre-production research, discovering "outlier" videos that perform 3-10x above channel averages and understanding why they work.
Use OutlierKit when you need:
- • Video ideas backed by performance data
- • Competitor analysis and outlier detection
- • Trending topic discovery
- • Audience psychographic insights
Use Koyal when you need:
- • Audio-to-video filmmaking
- • Music video creation
- • Multilingual content
- • Ad and explainer videos
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Koyal worth it for music video production?
Yes, if you're an independent artist. Music videos are Koyal's strongest use case, creating results that rival $5K-$10K productions at a fraction of the cost. The platform was built audio-first specifically for this workflow, and partnerships with Universal Music and T-Series validate the quality.
How accurate is Koyal's character consistency?
Very good for AI video. Characters maintain their appearance across scenes, which is Koyal's key differentiator over other AI video tools. Occasional minor variations can occur in complex multi-character scenes, but it's the best-in-class solution for maintaining visual continuity.
Does Koyal work with any language?
Yes, Koyal supports multiple languages for both audio input and generated visuals. The platform handles voice-to-visual translation regardless of language, making it ideal for artists and creators targeting global audiences.
Is my likeness safe with Koyal?
Yes, Koyal's patented CHARCHA protocol requires webcam verification before anyone's likeness can be used, preventing unauthorized deepfakes. Avatars are limited to collarbone-up and nudity/gore content is banned. This is one of the most proactive consent systems in AI video.
Can Koyal replace a film crew?
For music videos, ads, and educational content—partially yes. Koyal can produce results that would normally require a small production team. For narrative films and projects requiring live-action authenticity, not yet. Think of it as democratizing access to video production rather than replacing professional filmmaking.
What file formats does Koyal support?
Koyal accepts MP3, WAV, MP4, and M4A audio files for input. It exports standard video files compatible with Adobe Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, and DaVinci Resolve for further editing if needed.
How long does it take to generate a video?
Typically under 5 minutes for a 45-second to 2-minute video. Longer or more complex videos with multiple characters may take slightly longer. The speed is one of Koyal's key advantages—traditional music video production takes weeks or months.
Who founded Koyal?
Koyal was founded by Mehul Agarwal (CEO) and Gauri Agarwal (CTO) as part of Y Combinator's Fall 2025 batch. Mehul holds degrees in CS and ML from Carnegie Mellon, while Gauri comes from MIT Media Lab and previously worked on Instagram Video at Meta. The team of 5 is based in San Francisco.
Final Verdict
Koyal delivers on its core promise: it turns audio and scripts into cinematic video content that would normally require a production crew and a budget to match. The audio-first approach works especially well for music videos, and character consistency is genuinely best-in-class.
As a YC Fall 2025 startup with a team of 5, it's still early—the feature set is maturing, and generated video can occasionally feel "too AI." But for musicians, marketers, and startups who need cinematic video without the traditional production overhead, Koyal is worth trying.
Bottom line: If you have audio or a script and need cinematic video fast, Koyal is the best audio-first AI filmmaking tool available. If you're struggling with what to create before you produce, check out OutlierKit for research and ideation instead.
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