🌊 Seedance 2.0

ByteDance's multimodal flagship and our top recommendation for high-quality, controllable content, including mature work. It's the first model to fuse text + image + video + audio in a single pass, with a director-grade @reference system that gives you shot-by-shot control. As of mid-2026 it is also the most capable permissive option for adult creators leaving Grok Imagine.

Developer: ByteDance (Seed Lab) Launched Feb 2026 T2V I2V R2V V2V / edit Permissive

Why it's the Grok Imagine alternative we recommend

Real-face references are allowed on the official platform with active consent and identity verification. This is the consent-first model Grok abandoned. (See Consent & Responsible Use.)
Mature/suggestive content is achievable. It sits in the permissive "gray zone" rather than Grok's hard wall. Third-party API access (BytePlus/ModelArk, fal, Atlas Cloud) opens up more still.
Unmatched control for intimate or character-driven scenes via the reference system. You decide the subject, motion, pacing, and lighting instead of rolling the dice.

Specs at a glance

Max resolution

2K native

Duration

4–15 s

Reference files

up to 12

Inputs

9 img · 3 vid · 3 audio

Native audio

Yes · lip-sync 8+ langs

Aspect ratios

16:9 · 9:16 · 4:3 · 3:4 · 1:1

Watch: Seedance on Venice

How to Use Seedance 2.0 on Venice Studio (Full Guide)

Seedance is Blocking Realistic Faces. Here's How to Fix it

Seedance 2.0 is Finally Here

More walkthroughs on the Video Guides page.

The @reference system (the whole point)

Upload assets and they're auto-tagged @Image1, @Video1, @Audio1, etc. Then you direct the model in plain language about what to pull from each. This is the difference between "prompt and pray" and directing.

Command	What it does	Example
Character ref	Use a person/character from an image	`@Image1 as the main character`
First/last frame	Set start & end frame	`@Image1 as first frame, @Image2 as last`
Motion transfer	Copy movement/camera from a clip	`use the camera movement from @Video1`
Style transfer	Apply an image's visual style	`apply the art style of @Image3`
Audio sync	Sync to a track / clone a voice	`sync to the music in @Audio1`
Multi-character	Multiple distinct refs	`@Image1 is A, @Image2 is B`

The core prompt formula

Straight from ByteDance's official Dreamina prompt guide:

Subject + Motion + Environment (optional) + Camera Movement / Cut (optional) + Aesthetic Description (optional) + Audio (optional)

Subject + Motion is the logical foundation: who does what.
Environment + Aesthetics set tone: background, lighting, visual style.
Audio adds ambient sound / dialogue for synchronized output.

No negative prompts. Seedance does not support "no X." State what you want ("clear sunny sky"), never what you don't ("no rain").

Optimal prompt patterns

I2V: faithful character animation

@Image1 is a young woman in a red dress. She walks through a sunlit garden, the camera slowly tracking behind her. She turns to face the camera and smiles. Cinematic lighting, shallow depth of field, 24fps look.

R2V: motion transfer + character swap

Take the dance movement from @Video1 but replace the dancer with the character from @Image1. Keep the same camera angle and tempo. Warm stage lighting, subtle flare.

Edit & Extend

Strictly edit @Video1, changing the season to autumn (golden leaves, warmer light) while keeping the subject, motion, and camera unchanged.

Extend @Video1, generate 8 more seconds: she finishes turning, picks up the coffee cup, and looks out the window as rain begins. Match lighting and pacing.

Text rendering (slogans / on-screen text)

Seedance renders text well. Formula: [Text] + [Timing] + [Position] + [Entrance style] + [Color/Font]. Use common words; avoid rare vocabulary and special symbols.

Two friends laugh around a table enjoying the roast chicken in @Image1. The frame gradually blurs and the words "Bite", "Laugh", "Dreamina" appear one after another in the center, clean white sans-serif, fading in.

What Seedance 2.0 is best for

R2V

Character consistency & motion transfer. The strongest reference system available; ideal for series, multi-character scenes, and "do this move, but with my character."

I2V

Mature/intimate content with control. Anchor appearance and pose with a start frame, direct pacing + lighting in text. See the NSFW guide.

T2V

Talking-head & e-commerce. Native lip-sync in 8+ languages and beat-synced editing make it superb for presenters, ads, and product showcases.

Common issues & fixes

Distilled from ByteDance's internal R2V troubleshooting guide and field testing:

Problem	Fix
ID drift (face changes mid-clip)	Use a clean single-view reference; avoid three-view / multi-view sheets as a character ref. Add beats to the prompt.
"Twin" artifacts / duplicate subject	Don't feed multi-pose collages; one clear subject per character reference.
Unwanted subtitles / logos / watermarks	Use a clean reference; describe a plain background.
Periodic flicker / quality dips	Raise reference resolution; generate in 2–3s chunks for complex motion.
Extension quality degrades	Re-anchor with a fresh high-res frame at the junction; keep style/pacing language identical.
Blurry output	Input quality caps output. Use 2K/4K source images; upscale low-res refs first.
>4 reference characters	Known weak spot. Split into multiple generations and stitch.

The 80/20 rule: spend most of your prep time on reference quality. The biggest single-clip quality gains come from better inputs, not longer prompts. Structure complex scenes in 2–3 second chunks.

Content policy & access reality

Official Dreamina app: blocks fully explicit acts, sexualized minors (zero tolerance, always), non-consensual scenarios, and named real public figures. Suggestive/sensual content generally passes.
Real faces: permitted as references only with identity verification / prior legal authorization. This is the consent gate. Respect it.
API / third-party (BytePlus, fal, Atlas Cloud): more permissive on faces and mature content, but you remain responsible for rights, consent, and local law.

← BackKling 3 Next →Grok Imagine