How to Create AI Videos with HeyGen and Synthesia (Step-by-Step 2026)

AI presenter tools like HeyGen and Synthesia let you create professional videos of a person speaking your script, without a camera, a studio, an actor, or any filming. You type your script, choose an AI avatar, and the tool generates a realistic video of that avatar delivering your words, complete with natural lip-sync, in dozens of languages.

For Singapore businesses, educators, marketers, and creators, this is a game-changer. You can produce explainer videos, training content, marketing clips, and social media videos consistently and affordably. This guide shows you exactly how, step by step, for both leading tools.

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What These Tools Are Good For

AI presenter videos work especially well for:

• **Explainer and how-to videos:** Explaining a product, service, or concept
• **Training and onboarding:** Internal staff training, customer education
• **Marketing content:** Product showcases, announcements, promotions
• **Social media:** Talking-head content without filming yourself
• **Multilingual content:** The same video in English, Mandarin, Malay, and more, perfect for Singapore’s diverse audience
• **Personal branding:** Consistent video presence without daily filming

They are less suited to content where authentic human energy and spontaneity are the whole point, such as vlogs or emotional storytelling, where filming yourself still wins.

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HeyGen vs Synthesia: Which to Choose

HeyGen:

• Known for highly realistic avatars and the ability to create a custom avatar of yourself
• Strong for marketing and social content
• More flexible and creator-friendly
• Free trial available; paid from around USD $24/month

Synthesia:

• Polished and enterprise-focused, popular for corporate training
• Large library of stock avatars and templates
• Strong for professional, structured business content
• Paid plans (often with a limited free option to try)

Both are excellent. HeyGen is often favoured by creators and marketers; Synthesia by corporate training teams. This guide covers both.

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Part 1: Creating a Video with HeyGen

Step 1: Create Your Account

1. Go to **heygen.com**
2. Sign up for an account (a free trial lets you create a short video to test)
3. You will land in the HeyGen dashboard

Step 2: Start a New Video

1. Click **Create Video**
2. Choose a format: landscape (for YouTube), portrait (for TikTok and Reels), or square
3. Start from a template or a blank project. Templates are a fast way to get a professional look.

Step 3: Choose Your Avatar

1. Browse the avatar library and select a presenter that fits your brand
2. HeyGen offers a wide range of stock avatars in different styles and appearances
3. (Optional, paid feature) Create a custom avatar of yourself by following HeyGen’s instructions to record a short sample. This lets “you” present without filming each time.

Step 4: Write or Paste Your Script

1. In the script box for your avatar, type or paste what you want them to say
2. Keep sentences clear and natural, write the way people speak, not the way they write
3. Tip: Use ChatGPT or Claude to draft and polish your script first. For example: “Write a friendly 60-second video script introducing my Singapore cafe’s new loyalty programme.”

Step 5: Choose the Voice

1. Select a voice for your avatar from the voice library
2. HeyGen offers many voices in different languages and accents
3. Choose one that matches your brand and audience. For Singapore content, pick a voice that sounds natural to your viewers.
4. Preview the voice to check it sounds right

Step 6: Customise the Scene

1. Add a background (solid colour, image, or video)
2. Add text overlays, your logo, captions, and any images or B-roll
3. Adjust the avatar’s position and size
4. Add multiple scenes if your video has several sections

Step 7: Preview and Generate

1. Preview your video to check everything, script, voice, visuals, timing
2. Make any adjustments
3. Click **Submit** or **Generate**
4. HeyGen processes the video (this takes a few minutes)
5. Once ready, download it or share directly

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Part 2: Creating a Video with Synthesia

Step 1: Create Your Account

1. Go to **synthesia.io**
2. Sign up (check for a free or trial option to test)
3. Enter the Synthesia studio

Step 2: Choose a Template or Start Fresh

1. Click to create a new video
2. Browse Synthesia’s professional templates (great for training, presentations, and corporate content) or start blank

Step 3: Select Your Avatar

1. Choose from Synthesia’s library of stock avatars
2. Each avatar can present in many languages
3. (Paid feature) Create a personal avatar of yourself if your plan supports it

Step 4: Build Your Slides and Script

Synthesia works in a slide-based format, similar to PowerPoint:

1. For each slide, add your visuals (background, text, images, charts)
2. In the script box, type what the avatar should say for that slide
3. Add as many slides as your video needs

Step 5: Choose Voice and Language

1. Select the language and voice for your avatar
2. Synthesia supports a very wide range of languages, useful for creating the same training video in multiple languages
3. Preview to confirm it sounds right

Step 6: Customise the Design

1. Apply your brand colours, fonts, and logo
2. Add transitions, text animations, and media
3. Synthesia is strong on clean, professional, on-brand design, ideal for corporate content

Step 7: Generate and Download

1. Preview the full video
2. Click **Generate**
3. Wait for processing
4. Download or share your finished video

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Writing Scripts That Work for AI Video

The script is everything. A few tips for great AI presenter videos:

Write conversationally. Read your script aloud. If it sounds stiff or formal, rewrite it the way you would actually speak. AI voices sound best with natural, spoken-style language.

Keep it concise. Attention spans are short. Get to the point. For social media, aim for 30 to 60 seconds. For training, break content into digestible segments.

Use punctuation to control pacing. Commas and full stops affect how the AI voice paces and pauses. Use them deliberately.

Add a clear hook and call to action. Start with something that grabs attention, end by telling the viewer what to do next.

Use AI to help. Draft your script with ChatGPT or Claude, then refine it. For example: “Write a 45-second explainer video script about [topic] for a Singapore audience. Conversational and engaging tone.”

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Tips for More Professional Results

Match the avatar and voice to your brand and audience. A friendly, casual brand needs a different presenter than a formal corporate one.

Use captions. Most social media is watched on mute. Add captions (both tools support this) so your message lands even without sound.

Add visual variety. Do not just show a talking avatar for two minutes. Add text, images, B-roll, and scene changes to keep viewers engaged.

Keep branding consistent. Use your colours, logo, and fonts across all videos so they feel cohesive.

Be transparent where it matters. Using an AI presenter is perfectly fine, but do not deceive viewers into thinking it is a real person if that distinction matters in your context.

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What These Tools Cost

| Tool | Free Option | Paid Plans |

|——|————-|————|

| HeyGen | Free trial (short video) | From ~USD $24/month |

| Synthesia | Limited free/trial | From ~USD $18 to $30/month |

For businesses producing regular video content, the subscription cost is tiny compared to the cost of traditional video production.

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Getting Started Today

1. Sign up for HeyGen (for marketing and social) or Synthesia (for training and corporate content) and use the free trial.
2. Draft a short script with ChatGPT or Claude.
3. Choose an avatar and voice, paste your script, and customise the scene.
4. Generate your first video and review it.
5. Refine your approach based on what looks and sounds best.

Within an hour, you can produce a professional video that would once have taken a film crew and a budget. For Singapore businesses and creators who want to use video but lack the time, budget, or comfort with filming, AI presenter tools open up a whole new channel.

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Want a complete content and video system built for Singapore businesses? The AgentSetupSG playbook series gives you step-by-step setups and scripts to start fast.

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