Sora monetisation arrives — OpenAI tightens free video limits

OpenAI has initiated a significant change to its Sora video generation application for iOS, transitioning from a free service to a monetized model. This new approach allows users who reach their daily video creation limits to purchase additional credits, as confirmed by the company on Thursday. Bill Peebles, the Head of Sora at OpenAI, shared the news on X, stating, "We are launching the ability to buy extra gens in Sora today." Users can buy bundles for $4 (approximately ₹350), each providing 10 additional video generations. There is no limit to the number of bundles a user can acquire, enabling unlimited paid usage. This update impacts all user tiers, including free, ChatGPT Plus, and Teams subscriptions, with a new cap of 30 free generations per day. Pro subscribers will enjoy a higher limit of up to 100 daily video generations before needing to purchase more. Once users exhaust their free allotment, they will be prompted to buy the $4 add-on to continue their video generation. Peebles emphasized that this shift is driven by sustainability concerns, explaining that offering unlimited free video generation has become impractical. He noted, "Letting users generate Sora videos for free is becoming unsustainable," adding that the change will help OpenAI manage growth while still supporting high-demand users. In addition to the new monetization strategy, OpenAI plans to limit daily generation capabilities further in the coming months and is exploring new monetization avenues for Sora’s "Cameo" feature. This feature enables users to create videos featuring real or fictional characters through text prompts. Peebles mentioned that the company intends to implement a system charging extra for videos that include copyrighted characters or likenesses, with a portion of this revenue potentially shared with creators and rights holders who embraced the platform early on.