# Article to Video (AI explainer video maker) (`startuphub/article-to-video`) Actor

Turn any article URL or pasted text into a narrated, on-brand explainer video. Returns a downloadable mp4. Powered by StartupHub.ai.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/startuphub/article-to-video.md
- **Developed by:** [StartupHub](https://apify.com/startuphub) (community)
- **Categories:** Videos, Marketing, AI
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

Pay per usage

This Actor is paid per platform usage. The Actor is free to use, and you only pay for the Apify platform usage, which gets cheaper the higher subscription plan you have.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/platform/actors/running/actors-in-store#pay-per-usage

## What's an Apify Actor?

Actors are web data automations that power AI and operations. They run on the Apify platform to scrape websites, process data, connect APIs, and automate workflows.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.
Actors are written with capital "A".

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.
The best way to integrate Actors is as follows.

- **AI agents and MCP clients** — the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/integrations/mcp.md) at `https://mcp.apify.com` (remote, streamable HTTP, OAuth on first use).
- **Agentic workflows and local Actor development** — [Agent Skills](https://apify.com/.well-known/agent-skills/index.json) with the [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): `npm install -g apify-cli`, then `apify login`.
- **JavaScript/TypeScript projects** — the official [JS/TS client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md): `npm install apify-client`.
- **Python projects** — the official [Python client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md): `pip install apify-client`.
- **Any other language** — the [REST API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2.md).

For usage examples, see the [API](#api) section below.

For more details, see Apify documentation as [Markdown index](https://docs.apify.com/llms.txt) and [Markdown full-text](https://docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt).

# README

## Article to Video — AI explainer video maker

Turn any **article URL or pasted text** into a narrated, on-brand **explainer video** (mp4). Kinetic headlines, word-synced captions, motion-graphics b-roll, and a neutral AI narrator voice. Vertical (9:16, for Shorts/Reels/TikTok) or landscape (16:9).

Powered by [StartupHub.ai](https://www.startuphub.ai/video-maker) — the same engine behind its faceless news-explainer videos.

### What it does

For each article URL (or one block of pasted text), the actor:

1. Sends it to StartupHub's video API.
2. Waits while it scripts the narration (AI), records the voiceover, and renders the video on StartupHub's servers (usually 2 to 4 minutes each).
3. Outputs a row with the finished **`mp4_url`** you can download or pipe into a publish step (e.g. an n8n/Make YouTube node).

### Input

| Field | Type | Notes |
|-------|------|-------|
| `articleUrls` | array of URLs | Each URL becomes its own video. |
| `text` | string | Paste article text instead of a URL (>= 200 chars). One video. |
| `title` | string | Optional title override (auto-generated if blank). |
| `voice` | enum | Ava (default), Andrew, Emma, Brian, Jenny. |
| `format` | enum | `9:16` vertical (default) or `16:9` landscape. |

### Output (dataset)

```json
{
  "source_url": "https://example.com/post",
  "status": "done",
  "mp4_url": "https://cdn.startuphub.ai/storage/v1/object/public/videos/…",
  "format": "9:16",
  "voice": "en-US-AvaNeural",
  "powered_by": "StartupHub.ai",
  "web_tool": "https://www.startuphub.ai/video-maker"
}
```

### Setup

Set **`STARTUPHUB_API_KEY`** under Settings → Environment variables (as a Secret). Get a key at <https://www.startuphub.ai/my-account?tab=api>. Each rendered video uses one `video` credit on your plan.

### Use it without Apify

- Free web tool: <https://www.startuphub.ai/video-maker>
- API + MCP: <https://www.startuphub.ai/my-account?tab=api> (cheaper at volume, plus a directory of 65M+ business profiles)

***

Keywords: article to video, AI video generator, text to video, explainer video maker, blog to video, URL to video, faceless video, YouTube Shorts maker, automate video creation.

# Actor input Schema

## `articleUrls` (type: `array`):

One or more article URLs. Each becomes its own narrated video.

## `text` (type: `string`):

Paste article text instead of (or in addition to) a URL. At least 200 characters. Produces one video.

## `title` (type: `string`):

Override the video title. Auto-generated if blank.

## `voice` (type: `string`):

edge-tts neural voice.

## `format` (type: `string`):

Vertical 9:16 (Shorts) or landscape 16:9.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "articleUrls": [
    "https://www.startuphub.ai/ai-news"
  ],
  "voice": "en-US-AvaNeural",
  "format": "9:16"
}
```

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "articleUrls": [
        "https://www.startuphub.ai/ai-news"
    ]
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("startuphub/article-to-video").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = { "articleUrls": ["https://www.startuphub.ai/ai-news"] }

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("startuphub/article-to-video").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print("💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/" + run["defaultDatasetId"])
for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "articleUrls": [
    "https://www.startuphub.ai/ai-news"
  ]
}' |
apify call startuphub/article-to-video --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "command": "npx",
            "args": [
                "mcp-remote",
                "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=startuphub/article-to-video",
                "--header",
                "Authorization: Bearer <YOUR_API_TOKEN>"
            ]
        }
    }
}

```

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/D6DiaAB9tdyfEDfjq/builds/EzqeTzBVGKHYeAXTn/openapi.json