MiniMax H3 Lite API: Budget AI Video with Audio

Name: MiniMax H3 Lite API - AI Video Generation
Brand: MiniMax
Availability: InStock

Updated 4 Nov 2026

What is MiniMax H3 Lite?

MiniMax H3 Lite is the budget version of MiniMax H3. It renders 480p or 768p video at 24 fps with native audio, runs 4 to 15 seconds per generation, and takes the same inputs as H3: text alone, a start frame with an optional end frame, 1 to 9 reference images, or up to 3 reference videos. Per second of output it costs about half of H3, which makes it the model for drafts, prompt iteration and high-volume jobs where 2K output is not needed.

Key features of MiniMax H3 Lite

Same inputs as H3

Text-to-video, start frame with optional end frame, reference images and reference videos all work the same way as on H3. Only the resolution and the reference image limit differ, so a prompt tuned on H3 Lite moves to H3 unchanged.

480p or 768p output

Choose 480p for the cheapest drafts or 768p for publishable social clips. Resolution and aspect ratio are selected independently for text and reference generation; with a frame image, output follows the input frame shape.

Reference-to-video

Pass 1 to 9 reference images and name them in the prompt as @Image1 through @Image9. The model keeps the subject consistent across generations and can combine a character, a product and a location in one shot. Reference images cannot be combined with start/end frames in one request.

Reference videos

Up to 3 reference videos, 15 seconds in total, passed in video_urls. Each second of uploaded video is billed at the per-second rate of the output resolution.

Native audio in the same pass

Output arrives with an audio track generated alongside the picture, no separate audio step.

What MiniMax H3 Lite is best for

Drafts before an H3 render
Iterate on prompts and reference sets at 480p, then send the final version to H3 at 2K.
High-volume social clips
768p with sound at a per-second rate built for batches.
Character-locked series on a budget
Reference images keep the same character across every video in a campaign.
Reference-video tests
Check how a reference video steers the output before paying the 2K rate.

MiniMax H3 Lite use cases

Run a prompt through H3 Lite at 480p ten times to find the framing, then render the keeper on H3. Produce a week of 9:16 social clips with sound in one batch at 768p. Put a product into a new scene by passing the product and the location as two reference images. Pass a short reference video to carry its motion or style into a new shot.

MiniMax H3 Lite limitations

H3 Lite caps at 768p; for 2K output use MiniMax H3. Both take up to 9 reference images; H3 additionally accepts a seed and a prompt expansion level. The other 480p/768p H3 models are H3 Fast (about 30 seconds a job, reference audio, seed, no per-image charge), H3 Max (full control set, 5 to 15 seconds) and H3 Max Turbo (text or frames only). Reference images and frame images are mutually exclusive in one request, and an end frame needs a start frame. Duration is capped at 15 seconds per generation and reference videos at 15 seconds in total.

MiniMax H3 Lite API examples

Call MiniMax H3 Lite from any language by POSTing to /v1/tasks. Full parameter docs live at docs.unifically.com/models/video/minimax/hailuo.

curl -X POST https://api.unifically.com/v1/tasks \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -d '{
    "model": "hailuo/minimax-h3-lite",
    "input": {
      "prompt": "A slow dolly shot across a rain-soaked neon street, reflections rippling in the puddles",
      "aspect_ratio": "16:9",
      "resolution": "768p",
      "duration": 5
    }
  }'

Successful submission returns a task_id. Poll GET /v1/tasks/<task_id> or set a callback_url on the request to receive the finished result.

FAQs