What is Luma AI?
Luma AI is an AI video and image generation platform that turns text and images into cinematic clips with its Ray models. It is made by Luma, a company founded in 2021 and based in California, and the consumer product was formerly called Dream Machine. Luma raised a $900M round in 2025 and its current video model is Ray3.2, alongside the UNI-1.1 image model.
Since March 2026 Luma has wrapped its models in Luma Agents, a creative workspace where an agent plans, generates and refines video, images, audio and text from a single brief. It can also call partner models such as Veo, Kling and Seedance. Creators use it for short films, music videos, storyboards and social clips, while agencies use it for campaign variants that keep a consistent brand style.
Main Features
- Generates video from text prompts or reference images with the Ray3.2 model.
- Creates and edits images with the UNI-1.1 multimodal model.
- Plans and iterates multi-step creative briefs with Luma Agents.
- Keeps characters and visual style consistent across shots with references.
- Offers access to partner models such as Veo, Kling and Seedance inside one workspace.
- Exports clips at higher resolutions on upper plans.
- Provides a developer API with credit-based billing.
How to Get Started with Luma AI
- Go to lumalabs.ai and sign in with a Google or Apple account.
- Choose a Plus, Pro or Ultra plan to get monthly credits.
- Type a prompt or upload a reference image and pick the Ray model.
- Refine the result with follow-up instructions, then download or extend the clip.
Luma AI Pricing
Luma does not list a free plan. Plus costs $30 per month ($25 billed yearly) with 10,000 credits, Pro costs $90 per month ($75 yearly) with 40,000 credits, and Ultra costs $300 per month ($250 yearly) with 150,000 credits. Team and Enterprise plans are priced through sales.
Who Should Use It?
- Filmmakers producing short films and previs shots.
- Music video and visual artists.
- Social media creators making short cinematic clips.
- Creative agencies producing campaign variants at scale.
- Developers adding video generation to apps through the API.
Luma AI Alternatives
- Runway AI: more editing tools around generation for filmmakers
- Kling AI: lower entry price with a free credit allowance
- Pika: quick, playful effects for social clips
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Luma AI free?
No, Luma AI does not offer a free plan on its pricing page. Plans start at Plus for $30 per month, or $25 per month billed yearly.
Is Dream Machine still available?
Dream Machine has been folded into Luma AI. Luma now presents its Ray video models and Luma Agents under the Luma brand, and older Dream Machine subscriptions may still run on legacy plans.
Luma AI vs Runway: which is better?
Luma AI is strong for cinematic text-to-video and agent-driven briefs, while Runway offers a wider set of editing tools. Both are paid for serious use, so the choice depends on whether you need generation or a full editing suite.
What is Luma AI used for?
Luma AI is used to generate short videos and images from text or reference images. Common uses include film previs, music videos, ads and social content.