What Is Still Image to Video?
Still Image to Video takes a single image and an audio file and combines them into a video. The image displays for the entire duration of the audio track. This is the simplest way to turn audio content into video format for platforms that require video uploads.
Why Create Videos from Still Images?
Publish audio on video platforms. YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram require video. If your content is audio-only (podcasts, music, narration), pair it with a cover image to create an uploadable video.
Music distribution. Create “visualizer” style videos for music tracks using album art, artist photos, or branded graphics. Required by many music distribution services for video streaming platforms.
Podcast episodes on YouTube. Turn podcast episodes into YouTube videos using your podcast cover art. No editing required — just select the image and audio.
Quick social media content. Create simple video posts from quotes, announcements, or promotional graphics paired with background music or voiceover.
How It Works
Step 1: Select an image. Choose a custom image (JPG, PNG, WebP, BMP, etc.) or use the default SoundWorks branding image.
Step 2: Select an audio file. Load any supported audio format. The video duration matches the audio length.
Step 3: Configure output.
- Audio codec: Choose AAC encoding or keep the original codec
- Quality: Select between standard and low-quality (smaller file) presets
- Bitrate: Choose the video bitrate for the output
- Mono/stereo: Convert audio to mono if needed
Step 4: Generate. SoundWorks creates the video with H.264 encoding optimized for still-image content (using the stillimage tuning preset for minimal file size) and saves it to your chosen location.
Output Optimization
SoundWorks uses FFmpeg’s stillimage tuning preset, which optimizes H.264 encoding for content where the visual frame does not change. This produces significantly smaller files than standard video encoding, since the encoder only needs to store one keyframe and reference it throughout.
Frequently Asked Questions
What image formats are supported? JPG, JPEG, PNG, WebP, GIF, BMP, TIFF, and other common image formats.
Can I use a transparent PNG? The video output will render the image on a black background. Transparent areas will appear black in the final video.
What resolution will the video be? The video resolution matches the input image resolution. Use a 1920x1080 image for standard HD video, or 3840x2160 for 4K.
Is the output suitable for YouTube? Yes. The H.264 codec with AAC audio is the recommended format for YouTube uploads. The output plays on all major platforms without transcoding issues.
How does this differ from the Slide-to-Video feature? Slide-to-Video creates videos from multiple images with per-slide timing and optional rolling camera effects. Still Image to Video is simpler — one image, one audio track, one video.