MiniMax H3 Lite API

About MiniMax H3 Lite

MiniMax H3 Lite creates 4–15-second videos with sound from text, a starting image or image, video and audio references. Choose 480p or 768p, with 768p as the default. Image-to-video also accepts an optional closing frame.

Call it with the model name minimax/h3-lite/reference-to-video on POST /jobs/createTask, from $0.125.

Introduction

MiniMax H3 Lite Reference to video builds a new scene from the material you send: up to 9 images, 3 video clips and 3 audio clips, named in the prompt as Image 1, Video 1, Audio 1. It returns a 4 to 15 second clip at 480p or 768p with sound.

Choose a mode by starting material

Key features

Up to 15 references

MiniMax H3 Lite accepts up to 9 images, 3 video clips (15 seconds in total) and 3 audio clips in one request. People, outfits, rooms, motion and voices can each come from a different file.

Name them in the prompt

Write "the woman from Image 1", "the motion of Video 1" or "the voice of Audio 1". The order of the lists is the order of the numbers.

Request parameters

Pricing

Prices are in USD. The API uses a separate USD balance. Website credits cannot be used or transferred to it, and API funds cannot be transferred to website credits. When a task is accepted, we reserve the maximum quoted amount from your API balance. On completion, we charge for actual usage, never more than the hold, and release the remainder. If the task fails, the hold is released.

Send the same request body to POST /jobs/quote to see the estimated and maximum USD charge before running. A quote does not run the task or charge your balance.

Use cases

Scenes assembled from separate files

A portrait, an outfit photo and a picture of a room can be sent as three images, and MiniMax H3 Lite puts that person in those clothes in that place, with a voice clip as Audio 1 if the character speaks.

The same character across clips

Send the same portrait as Image 1 in every request and MiniMax H3 Lite keeps the face and outfit while the scene changes around it, which is how a recurring character or a virtual presenter stays recognisable across a series of clips.

Copying a motion

Send a short clip as Video 1 and ask MiniMax H3 Lite to recreate its motion with the person from Image 1, for dance, gesture or camera moves.

Prompt guide & pro tips

One job per reference

Give each file a clear role: a face, an outfit, a room, a motion or a voice, and say that role in the prompt. Mixing several roles in one picture makes the result less predictable, so a cropped face works better than a group photo.

Audio needs a picture

Audio clips cannot be the only reference; send at least one image or video, and keep the spoken words in the prompt in double quotes. The audio sets how the voice sounds, while the prompt decides what is said and who says it.

API quick start

Call the MiniMax H3 Lite API in three steps

1. Create an API key. Sign in to PopNow and create a key in the API console. Keys start with sk-popnow-. API calls use your separate USD balance.
2. Send the request. POST /jobs/createTask with model minimax/h3-lite/reference-to-video and an input object that follows the parameter table. The response returns a task ID straight away.
3. Get the result. Poll GET /jobs/recordInfo with the task ID, or pass a callBackUrl and we post the result to it. Download the output links when the task succeeds.

# 1. Create the task. Keep the Idempotency-Key if you retry after a network error.
export IDEMPOTENCY_KEY="$(uuidgen)"
curl -X POST https://api.popnow.ai/api/v1/jobs/createTask \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $POPNOW_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Idempotency-Key: $IDEMPOTENCY_KEY" \
  -d '{
  "model": "minimax/h3-lite/reference-to-video",
  "input": {
    "prompt": "A slow aerial shot drifting over a misty pine forest at sunrise",
    "reference_image_urls": [
      "https://media.popnow.ai/influencer/examples/ava.webp"
    ],
    "aspect_ratio": "16:9",
    "resolution": "768p",
    "duration_seconds": 5
  }
}'

# 2. Copy data.taskId from the response, then poll until state is succeeded, failed, canceled or expired.
TASK_ID="TASK_ID_FROM_RESPONSE"
curl "https://api.popnow.ai/api/v1/jobs/recordInfo?taskId=$TASK_ID" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $POPNOW_API_KEY"

Replace the prompt and any links with your own. The API tab has the response, polling and callback reference.

MiniMax H3 Lite API questions

More about MiniMax H3 Lite

Try it

MiniMax H3 Lite AI Video Generator onlineCreate videos with MiniMax H3 Lite in PopNow

Endpoints

MiniMax H3 Lite · Create VideoMiniMax H3 Lite · Image to Video

Docs

MiniMax H3 Lite model ID and input schema in the API docsPopNow API quickstart: send your first requestImage to video guide for the PopNow APIWebhooks: get MiniMax H3 Lite results without polling