In this guide · 8 sections
- 01AI video generators compared for commercial use
- 02What a short AI video ad actually costs
- 03Copyright: who owns an AI-generated video in Singapore
- 04Likeness, music and brand risks in AI video
- 05Platform rules: AI labels on Meta, TikTok and YouTube
- 06A safe workflow for your first AI video ad
- 07Do it yourself or get help?
- 08Frequently asked questions
Short answer
Yes, most AI video tools allow commercial use; Runway and Google both say they do not claim ownership of what you generate. The risks are real people's likeness, copyrighted music or characters, and platform labels: Meta, TikTok and YouTube label or require disclosure of realistic AI content.
AI video generators compared for commercial use
Terms and prices below come from each vendor's own pages as of October 2026. They are approximate and change often; check the current page before a campaign.
| Tool | Commercial use and ownership | Cost (approx., Oct 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Google Veo 3.1 (Gemini API) | Google's terms: it won't claim ownership of content you generate | US$0.05/s (Lite 720p) to US$0.40/s (Standard 1080p), US$0.60/s at 4K |
| Runway | You retain ownership; no non-commercial restriction | Free 125 one-time credits; Standard US$12/mo billed annually (625 credits, about 52s of Gen-4.5) |
| OpenAI Sora | Discontinued: app April 2026, API September 2026 | No longer available |
Sources: Gemini API pricing, Google Terms of Service, Runway pricing, Runway commercial use FAQ and OpenAI's Sora discontinuation notice. If you made clips in Sora, export them now; OpenAI says it will delete Sora data after any final export window.
For still images rather than video, see our guide to using AI-generated images commercially in Singapore, which covers Canva, ChatGPT, Firefly and Midjourney.
What a short AI video ad actually costs
Generation is cheap per second, but you rarely keep the first attempt. Budget for several tries per usable clip.
- Veo 3.1 Fast, 1080p, 8-second clipUS$0.12 per secondabout US$0.96
- Veo 3.1 Standard, 1080p, 8-second clipUS$0.40 per secondabout US$3.20
- Five attempts to get one usable Standard clipRound illustration, not a measured rateabout US$16
- Runway Standard plan, one monthAnnual vs monthly billingUS$12 to US$15
Typical 15 to 30 second ad, tools onlyUS$15 to US$60
Approximate, as of October 2026, from Gemini API pricing and Runway pricing. Excludes editing, voice-over, music licences and ad spend.
The real cost is time: writing prompts, picking the best takes, editing them together, adding captions and checking every frame for problems such as extra fingers, garbled text on packaging or a logo that is slightly wrong.
Copyright: who owns an AI-generated video in Singapore
Vendor terms decide what the tool company claims. Whether you have copyright is a separate legal question.
Singapore's Copyright Act 2021 protects works with a human author. IPOS explains the basics on its copyright page. A clip generated entirely by a prompt may therefore have weak or no copyright, which means a competitor could reuse it. Your edit, script, voice-over and the way you combine clips are more likely to be protected than the raw output.
MinLaw and IPOS opened a public consultation on AI and intellectual property that runs until 22 October 2026, so this area may change. This is general information, not legal advice.
Likeness, music and brand risks in AI video
Most problems with AI ads come from what is in the clip, not the tool's terms.
Generally safe to generate
- Your own product, from your own photos
- Generic scenes: a kitchen, a street, an office
- Fictional people who resemble no one in particular
- Music you licensed, or audio the tool generates for you under its terms
Get permission or avoid
- A real person's face or voice, including staff, without written consent
- Celebrities, influencers or anyone who looks like them
- Other brands' logos, packaging or characters
- Popular songs, or prompts asking for "in the style of" a named artist
A staff member's face and voice are personal data under the PDPA, so get their written consent, say how long the ad will run, and stop using it if they leave and ask. Making a clip look like a real customer's review is a separate problem: an invented endorsement can mislead consumers.
Platform rules: AI labels on Meta, TikTok and YouTube
Each platform handles AI content differently. None bans AI-made ads outright, but all expect transparency for realistic content.
- Meta (Facebook, Instagram): Meta says it automatically adds an AI info label to ads created or significantly edited with its own generative tools or with third-party AI tools it can detect. The label appears under About this ad.
- TikTok: its AI-generated content guidance says you must disclose AI content showing realistic scenes, and TikTok may remove unlabelled content.
- YouTube: creators must disclose realistic altered or synthetic content that viewers could mistake for a real person, place or event. Clearly animated or unrealistic content does not need the label.
If a fake ad impersonating your business shows up using AI video, see our guide to fake social media ads impersonating your business.
A safe workflow for your first AI video ad
This keeps cost and legal risk low for a small business.
Write the script and shot list first
Decide the message, the 3 to 5 shots you need and the call to action before opening any tool. It cuts wasted generations.
Start from your own product photos
Image-to-video from your real product keeps colours and packaging accurate. Avoid generating the product from text alone.
Use a business account and keep records
Save the prompt, date, tool and plan used for each clip, in case a platform or partner asks how it was made.
Check every frame
Look for distorted hands, wrong text, other brands' logos and anything that resembles a real person.
Add licensed music and your own voice-over
Use music from a licensed library or the platform's commercial library. A human voice-over also strengthens your copyright claim in the edit.
Disclose where the platform asks
Tick the AI disclosure box on TikTok and YouTube for realistic content, and do not remove Meta's label.
Do it yourself or get help?
For social posts and simple product clips, a Runway plan or pay-as-you-go Veo access plus a phone editing app is enough to start. Follow the workflow above and keep the ad honest.
Where we help is the website side: landing pages that load fast with video, product pages with short clips that do not slow the site down, and clear consent and privacy wording when staff appear on camera. Our Business Website package (S$1,490) includes pages built for video content. We do not produce ad films.
Frequently asked questions
Generally yes. Runway says you own your generations and may use them commercially, and Google says it will not claim ownership of content you generate. You still need permission for any real person's likeness, licensed music, and no other brands' logos or characters. Platforms may label realistic AI content in your ad.
No. OpenAI discontinued the Sora web and app experiences on 26 April 2026 and the Sora API on 24 September 2026. If you created content in Sora, OpenAI recommends exporting it as soon as possible because data is deleted after any final export window. Alternatives include Google Veo and Runway.
As of October 2026, Google's Veo 3.1 API ranges from US$0.05 to US$0.60 per second of video, and Runway's Standard plan is US$12 per month billed annually. Allowing for several attempts per usable clip, a short ad often costs US$15 to US$60 in tool fees, excluding editing, music and ad spend.
It depends on the platform. TikTok requires disclosure of AI content showing realistic scenes. YouTube requires disclosure of realistic altered or synthetic content. Meta automatically adds an AI info label to ads made with its own AI tools or detected third-party tools. Clearly animated content usually does not need a label.
Only with their consent. A person's face and voice are personal data under the PDPA. Get written consent that explains where and how long the ad will run, and agree what happens when they leave. Never present an AI-generated person as a real customer recommending you.