Seedance 2.5: ByteDance's New Video Model With Native Audio, and How to Use It

Video That Comes With Its Own Sound

ByteDance released Seedance 2.5 to developers in September 2026, and the headline feature is audio. The model generates the sound together with the picture: sound effects, ambient sound and lip synced speech. A door slams when it closes on screen. Rain sounds like the rain you see. If a character talks, their lips move with the words.

We added it to the video lineup, where it takes the spot Seedance 2.0 used to hold. Here is what changed, what it costs, and when it actually makes sense to pay for it.

What Changed

• Studio: Seedance 2.5 replaces Seedance 2.0 for both text to video and image to video.
• Agent: Seedance 2.5 replaces Seedance 2.0 here too, and you can ask for it by name.
• Fire Videos: Seedance 2.5 runs next to Veo 3.1 Fast, Kling 3.0 Pro and Seedance 2.0 Fast.
• Seedance 2.0 Fast stays. At 168 credits for 5 seconds it is still the cheaper Seedance option.
• Clips are rendered at 720p.

What It Costs

Seedance 2.5 is the most expensive video model we offer, so here are the numbers up front. A 5 second clip is 332 credits. Every extra second adds 67 credits. Studio gives you 5 or 10 seconds, which means a 10 second clip costs 667 credits.

For comparison, Veo 3.1 Fast is 70 credits for 5 seconds (without audio) and Kling 3.0 Pro is 118. One 5 second Seedance 2.5 clip costs almost as much as five Veo 3.1 Fast clips.

When Is It Worth It?

Honestly, not for every idea. Seedance 2.5 earns its price in three situations:

• Final shots, the clip you will actually publish.
• Scenes with dialogue, or where the sound really matters: a line spoken to camera, a busy street, a storm.
• Complex motion: several things moving at once, fast action, tricky camera work.

For everything before that, test the idea cheaply. I would draft with Veo 3.1 Fast at 70 credits or Kling 3.0 Pro at 118, fix the prompt until the scene reads, and only then render the keeper with Seedance 2.5. Two or three Veo drafts still cost less than one Seedance 2.5 clip you end up throwing away.

How to Use Seedance 2.5 in Studio

• Open Studio and switch to video mode.
• Pick Seedance 2.5 from the model menu.
• For text to video, write the prompt. For image to video, upload a still as the first frame and describe the motion and the sound.
• Choose the aspect ratio and the length, 5 or 10 seconds.
• Generate. A 5 second clip is 332 credits, a 10 second one is 667.

Image to video is where the audio gets fun. Take a product shot, a portrait or a landscape, use it as the first frame, then write what happens next and what we hear. The still sets the look, your prompt sets the motion and the sound.

Using It Through the Agent

If you would rather skip the menus, describe the scene in the Agent chat and say "use Seedance 2.5 for this". The Agent writes the prompt and shows you a plan with the credit cost before anything is generated, so a 667 credit clip never starts by surprise.

Prompt Tips for Video With Audio

A video prompt needs more than a description of a picture. Cover four things:

• The scene: where we are, who or what is in it.
• The motion: what moves, and how.
• The camera: slow push in, handheld follow, or static.
• The sound: what we should hear, like rain on a window, or a short line of dialogue in quotes.

And keep it to one clear action per clip. "A man opens his umbrella" works. "A man opens his umbrella, crosses the street, waves down a taxi and answers his phone" is asking for too much at once.

Here is a prompt that does all of that: A cyclist rides down a narrow cobblestone street after rain. Handheld follow from behind. We hear the bike chain ticking, water dripping from balconies and church bells in the distance.

Seedance 2.5 in Fire Videos

Fire Videos runs one prompt across several models at once. Seedance 2.5 now sits next to Veo 3.1 Fast, Kling 3.0 Pro and Seedance 2.0 Fast, all on the same prompt and all at 5 seconds. It is the quickest way to see whether the jump to 2.5 is worth it for your scene.

Plan the budget, though. Running all four models once costs 70 + 118 + 168 + 332 = 688 credits. If that is too much for a first look, leave Seedance 2.5 out, compare the other three, and add it once the prompt is right.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does Seedance 2.5 cost?

332 credits for a 5 second clip, plus 67 credits for each extra second. A 10 second clip in Studio is 667 credits. It is the most expensive video model we offer.

Can I turn a photo into a video with sound?

Yes. In Studio, choose image to video with Seedance 2.5, upload the still as the first frame, and describe both the motion and what we should hear.

Is Seedance 2.0 still available?

Seedance 2.5 replaces Seedance 2.0 in Studio, the Agent and Fire Videos. Seedance 2.0 Fast stays as the cheaper option at 168 credits for 5 seconds.

Do I pay for a clip that fails?

No. Failed generations are refunded automatically.