Realtime video API: generate, edit and control live AI video
Choose a realtime video API for continuous generation, webcam editing or interactive worlds. Compare controls, latency, session lifecycle and usage costs.
A realtime video API holds a model session open, streams generated or edited video to your application, and accepts supported controls while the session runs. Windflow provides this session contract for continuous video generation, live camera editing, video with sound and interactive world models.
The first decision is what a user can change while watching. A platform that returns a completed video file can serve a clip editor well; a product with live direction needs a controllable session. Both approaches generate video, but they create different application lifecycles.
Choose the interaction before the model
| Interaction | Input you already have | Windflow models to evaluate |
|---|---|---|
| Steer a continuous scene | Text and optionally a reference image | Helios |
| Direct a sequence of shots | Shot prompts and reference images | LongLive 2.0 |
| Edit a camera feed while it plays | Webcam frames and an edit instruction | SANA-Streaming, JoyAI-Video-Edit |
| Generate video with sound | Text and supported reference inputs | FastH3, LTX-2.5 |
| Navigate a generated environment | Seed image, movement and look | See the world model API guide |
Read the model's published inputs and controls. A common session API simplifies integration, but it does not make every model support every command. Video models also differ in chunk size, first-frame time and when a new prompt becomes visible.
What the integration contains
- Your server authenticates the user and exchanges its account credential for a scoped session token.
- Your client connects to the selected model and shows connecting or queued state.
- When the session becomes ready, attach the generated video track to your player.
- Send only the controls the model supports and display command failures.
- Release the owner session when the user finishes, including error and disconnect paths.
Windflow offers JavaScript, React and Python integrations. REST handles control-plane resources; WebRTC or WebSocket carries media according to the model's negotiated transport. Keep account API keys on your server. The application integration guide explains the lifecycle in more detail.
Evaluate what users actually see
Measure time to first visible frame, sustained delivered frames, freezes and control-to-visible delay. A fast generation benchmark does not include browser decoding, buffering or the network path. A model that generates windows may deliver smooth video while responding to a prompt only at the next window boundary.
Evaluate a representative session through your actual client and region. Include changing the prompt, tab backgrounding, a dropped connection and ending a session. See how to measure realtime video latency for the measurement checklist.
Budget by ready time and concurrency
Windflow bills each owner session by ready seconds. Queueing and startup are free; a ready session can remain billable when its video is paused or nobody watches it. Release it to stop the meter. Use the current price table, and estimate peak concurrent sessions as well as session duration.
Windflow is in private beta and capacity is brought up on demand. Request access or a live demo before planning production traffic. Catalog implementation status describes a runtime's maturity, while live capacity is reported separately.
FAQ
What is a realtime AI video generation API?
It is an API for a persistent model session that delivers live video and accepts supported controls during generation. Windflow exposes this pattern across continuous generation, editing and world models.
Can I change a prompt while video is streaming?
For models with live prompt control, yes. The model determines when the change applies: it may be the next chunk or window boundary. Check the model page before promising an immediate visual response.
Does streaming imply that a model is interactive?
No. A stream may carry progress updates or an output file without accepting new generation controls. Verify that the API supports the controls your product needs within the same running session.