Turn a PDF into a narrated explainer video
Reports, guides, brochures and handouts often hold exactly what an audience needs, in a format few people finish. Upload the PDF and Storyvalo drafts a narrated script from its text. You decide which part of the document the video covers, review each scene against the source, and can even show a chosen PDF page itself as the visual instead of an AI image.
Opens the studio with an editable pdf to video brief. Sign in or create a free account first; nothing is generated or charged until you continue.
A good fit when
- The PDF is yours or you have permission to use it.
- Readers need the main idea, not every page.
- A diagram or page in the document is worth showing exactly as it is.
The closest real example
This export was made from an original training PDF (you can download it from the example page). It shows how a multi-page guide becomes a focused one-minute lesson.
Fictional demonstration: the brand, source and scenario were invented for this example. It is not a customer testimonial or evidence of business results. Watch it with its source and script.
PDF to video, step by step
Upload the PDF
Choose Upload and add the file. You can add up to five files (PDF, text, Markdown or images), 20 MB each and 25 MB in total, if supporting material belongs in the same video.
Narrow the brief
Say which section or question the video should cover and who will watch it. A one-minute video about one chapter is clearer than a summary of a 40-page report.
Keep an original page if it helps
Use the PDF page option to show a chosen page without AI recreation, or treat the PDF as script reference only and choose stock, original or AI visuals per scene.
Review and render
Check every scene’s narration against the document, adjust timing, then render a 1080p MP4 with subtitles.
Scanned PDFs need real text
Storyvalo reads the text a PDF contains. A scan that is only an image of a page may give the script writer little to work with. If your file is scanned, export a text version or paste the relevant passage as a text file.
Tables and charts deserve a check
Numbers inside tables and charts are easy to misread when they are summarised. Compare every figure in the draft with the document, or show the original page so viewers see the source directly.
The starter brief
“Use this starter” fills in this brief in the studio. Edit any of it before you generate a storyboard.
Turn the uploaded PDF into a short narrated video. Identify the one idea the reader most needs, explain it in the order the document presents it, and keep its terminology. Close with where to find the full document. Use only facts from my source. Do not invent statistics, prices, quotes, customer names or results.
Review before you publish
Storyvalo drafts the script and assembles the video; you decide what is accurate. Read every scene against its source, check names, numbers and claims, and only use material you have permission to use. Stock footage and AI illustrations are illustrative, and narration is AI-generated.
What it costs
One 60-second, watermarked 720p export per verified account each calendar month. It ends with a short “Made with Storyvalo” card over its last two seconds. Standard voices and still or stock media. No payment card, no automatic subscription. Paid exports stay 1080p without the Storyvalo watermark. A free account includes five minutes of AI script attempts each calendar month, an editable storyboard and an interactive preview, with no card. Rendering a narrated video uses video minutes: export one minute for $2.99 or three minutes for $7.99, plus applicable tax, without a subscription. Monthly plans suit regular production and longer videos. Compare plans and packs.
Questions
Is there a page limit?
Files can be up to 20 MB each. For showing a PDF page itself as the visual, documents of up to 20 pages are supported. Very long documents work best when you tell the brief which section to cover.
Can I turn a PDF into a video for free?
You can upload a PDF and draft and edit the storyboard on a free account, within the monthly AI script allowance. Rendering the narrated MP4 uses video minutes; see the pricing details on this page.
Does it read slides exported as PDF?
Yes. Exporting a deck to PDF is the easiest way to bring slides in. See the presentation-to-video guide for tips on slides with little text.