Make a launch video

Why this step matters

A short video often explains a product faster than any amount of text. Launch platforms, social networks and landing pages all give video prominent space, and many visitors decide whether to try a product after watching a minute of it. You do not need a studio. A clear script, a clean screen recording and decent audio beat an expensive animated explainer that never shows the real product.

How to do it

1. Decide the job of the video. Usually: show who it is for, the problem, the product solving it, and what to do

next. Aim for 60 to 120 seconds for the main version and 15 to 45 seconds for social cut-downs.

1. Write a script. Use a simple structure: hook (the problem in one line), demo (the core workflow, step by step),

result (what the user gets), call to action (where to sign up). Read it out loud and cut every sentence that does not help. AI writing tools can tighten a draft; keep your own voice.

1. Prepare the product. Use a clean demo account with realistic sample data, hide personal or customer

information, close notifications and set your screen to a common resolution with a larger font size.

1. Record the screen. Screen recording tools range from free built-in operating system recorders to dedicated apps

that add cursor highlights, zooms and webcam bubbles. Record in short takes, one step at a time, so mistakes are easy to cut.

1. Record the voice. A USB or headset microphone in a quiet room with soft furnishings is enough. Record voice

separately from the screen if you can; it is easier to edit. AI audio cleanup tools can reduce background noise. If you use an AI-generated voice, use a stock voice or your own with the tool's consent checks, and say so where your platform's rules require it.

1. Edit. Cut pauses, add zooms on the important clicks, a simple title card and your logo at the end. AI video

editors can remove filler words, generate captions and resize for different formats. Keep the first ten seconds strong: many viewers decide then.

1. Add captions and music. Burn captions into social versions and upload a caption file where the platform

supports it. Use only music and footage with a licence that covers commercial use, and keep the licence details.

1. Export versions. Landscape (16:9) for your website and launch platforms, vertical (9:16) for short-form social,

and square if you post on feeds that favour it. Add a thumbnail with a few clear words.

1. Publish and measure. Embed the video near the top of your landing page, attach it to launch posts and track

play rate and sign-ups from the page.

What it costs and how long it takes

With free recording tools and a free or low-cost editor, a founder-made demo costs almost nothing beyond time. A reasonable microphone and a paid month of a video editing or AI video tool usually keeps you under a few hundred dollars. A freelance editor or motion designer costs more, from a few hundred dollars upwards. Expect three to seven days including script, recording and two rounds of edits.

Free credits, perks and services that help

Video, design and stock media tools turn up in startup perk bundles; check the perks directory before paying for a plan. If you host video yourself, cloud credits can cover storage and delivery, and AI credits can cover API-based generation or transcription. Freelance editors and motion designers are listed under services.

Common mistakes

• Talking about the vision instead of showing the product. People want to see it working.
• Too long. If the core flow needs five minutes to show, the product or the script needs simplifying.
• Poor audio. Echo and noise make viewers leave faster than a plain picture does.
• No captions. Many people watch on mute, especially on social platforms.
• Unlicensed assets. Using popular music or stock clips without a licence can get videos muted or removed.
• Deceptive AI. Fake customer testimonials, cloned voices or avatars of real people without consent damage trust

and may break platform rules or the law.

Go deeper

Compare AI video, voice and editing tools, with their watermark and commercial-use terms, on VibeContent.