LaunchReel AI / Use cases / Product Hunt launch video
A Product Hunt launch video, made from your own site
Product Hunt's gallery takes video only as a YouTube link. Paste your product URL: LaunchReel AI reads your real site, writes the brief and a storyboard you correct, and renders a 16:9 MP4 with burned-in captions. Upload it to YouTube (public or unlisted, not private), then add the full YouTube URL to your launch gallery.
No email and no card to start. You see the brief and the storyboard first; we ask for an email only when you want the preview rendered.
What is free, what costs credits
- Free, no email: the brief and the storyboard, written from what you paste. One storyboard rewrite is free too.
- Free once per verified email: a watermarked 720p preview of the film (and a few per network per day).
- Credits from one-time packs, from $9: 1 to change a shot, 10 for a clean 1080p export, 20 for 4K, 5 to start another product. See pricing.
What the film is today
- 16:9 only, 1920×1080 or 4K. A 9:16 vertical cut is not available yet.
- Silent: captions are burned in and you also get an .srt file. No voiceover or music yet.
- MP4 files. No GIF export.
Product Hunt's rules for the video
From Product Hunt's launch preparation guide (checked 27 September 2026): only YouTube links are supported, the video must not be private, and you need the full URL because shortened links will not load. A video is optional; the same guide notes that about half of the products that reached Product of the Day since 2021 had one.
What goes in 30 seconds
The film opens on the problem in your own words, shows three to six things the product does using your real screens, and ends on your name and URL. Captions are burned in, so it reads with the sound off.
- Put your one-line pitch in the brief exactly as it appears on the launch page
- Order the selling points by what a first-time visitor should see first
- Check every number: we only quote numbers that are on your site
How this compares with other launch video makers
Fliki has a Product Hunt launch video maker that also starts from your URL and shows a storyboard before rendering (checked 27 September 2026). It records an AI voiceover and offers 16:9, 9:16 and 1:1 formats; if you want narration or a vertical cut today, it does more than we do. LaunchReel AI's films are silent and 16:9 only. What we do differently: every shot is drawn as motion design from your own words and screens, so text stays exact, and after the preview you can change one shot for 1 credit without redoing the film.
Related
Launching a web app? See SaaS launch videos. Running a crowdfunding campaign next? See the Kickstarter video maker.
Questions
What format does Product Hunt want?
A YouTube link, not an upload. Our 16:9 MP4 uploads to YouTube as it is; set it to public or unlisted and paste the full URL into the gallery.
How long should the video be?
Short enough to finish. Our storyboards are 30 seconds by default, with a 60-second option when you rewrite the storyboard.
Can I change a shot the night before launch?
Yes. Changing one shot costs 1 credit and only that shot re-renders; a clean 1080p export is 10 credits. Re-export and replace the YouTube video before the launch goes live.
Try it on your own project
Paste your link. The brief and the storyboard come back in a few minutes, for you to correct before anything renders. See pricing.