# How to make a product launch video

Canonical URL: https://getvidiyo.app/blog/make-a-product-launch-video
Last updated: 2026-10-08
Author: Ajay Pawriya (https://getvidiyo.app/about)
Published: 2026-10-08
Category: Launch videos

> TL;DR: Write a one-minute script in six beats (hook, problem, product, proof, how to get it, call to action), record a few face takes and a clean screen recording of each feature, then cut it with titles, music and captions. Export a 16:9 version for YouTube and launch pages, and 9:16 and 1:1 cuts for social.

Image: Vidiyo's editor with a vertical talking-head clip, an animated 160 GB counter above the speaker, and motion scenes on the timeline

A product launch video has one job: make someone who has never heard of your product understand what it does and want to try it, in about a minute. Most launch videos fail by explaining too much and showing too little. The fix is a tight structure, real product footage, and a clear last line. Here's the structure, a sample script, what to record, and how to cut it.

## What should a product launch video include?

A launch video needs six beats: a hook, the problem, the product in use, proof, how to get it, and a call to action. Each beat answers one question a new viewer has, in the order they have it. Skip one and viewers either leave early or reach the end not knowing what to do.

| Beat | Question it answers | Time in a 60 s film |
|---|---|---|
| Hook | Why should I keep watching? | 0 to 4 s |
| Problem | Is this for me? | 4 to 12 s |
| Product | What does it actually do? | 12 to 38 s |
| Proof | Why should I believe it? | 38 to 48 s |
| How to get it | Where, when, for whom? | 48 to 54 s |
| Call to action | What do I do now? | 54 to 60 s |

The product beat gets the most time, and it should be real UI, not mockups. People trust what they can see working.

## What does a launch video script look like?

A launch script is short: about 150 spoken words for a minute, written as two columns, what's on screen and what's said. Here's a sample for a fictional invoicing app, so you can see the beats in practice.

| Time | On screen | Voice |
|---|---|---|
| 0 to 4 s | Founder to camera, title "Invoices in 10 seconds" | "I used to spend Friday afternoons chasing invoices." |
| 4 to 12 s | Spreadsheet chaos, overdue emails | "Copying hours from one app, totals into another, then reminding clients by hand." |
| 12 to 22 s | Screen: timesheet → invoice in one click, in a rounded card | "Now your tracked hours turn into an invoice in one click." |
| 22 to 30 s | Screen: reminder settings, callout on the toggle | "It reminds clients for you, politely, until they pay." |
| 30 to 38 s | Screen: dashboard, counter animates to the paid total | "And you see exactly who owes what, at a glance." |
| 38 to 48 s | Customer quote card | "Our beta users stopped doing their Friday chase." (use only a quote you have) |
| 48 to 54 s | Title card: "Free for solo freelancers. Live today." | "It's live today, and free if you work alone." |
| 54 to 60 s | Logo reveal, URL | "Try it free. The link is below." |

Notes on the script:

- **The hook is a personal line, not a logo.** Open on the problem or the result. Logo intros cost you the first seconds.
- **One feature per beat.** Three features is plenty for a minute. The rest goes on your launch page.
- **Proof is honest.** A real quote, a real number you can stand behind, or a before and after. Don't invent any of them.

There's more on scripting in [how to write a video script for a product demo](https://getvidiyo.app/blog/write-a-video-script-for-a-product-demo).

## What do I need to record?

Record your face lines, one clean screen recording per feature, and gather your brand files before you edit. Recording everything first means you edit once instead of re-shooting halfway through.

**Shot list for the sample script:**

1. Opening line to camera, 3 or 4 takes, varied energy.
2. Closing line to camera, 2 or 3 takes (optional if the logo closes it).
3. Screen recording: timesheet to invoice, start to finish, no cuts.
4. Screen recording: reminder settings, with the toggle switched on.
5. Screen recording: the dashboard with realistic sample data.
6. Logo as SVG or a transparent PNG, plus your brand colours and fonts.
7. One customer quote, with permission to use it.

**Screen recording tips.** On a Mac, press Shift-Command-5 to open the [Screenshot app](https://support.apple.com/en-us/102618) and record the whole screen or a window; turn on **Show Mouse Clicks** in Options so clicks are visible. Use a clean demo account with believable data, hide notifications, and zoom the app's UI up a step so text is readable on a phone.

## How do I make a launch video in Vidiyo?

Import your face takes and screen recordings, describe the video, approve the assistant's plan, then review and adjust. The assistant watches the actual frames, so it can match each screen recording to the line that describes it and check that titles don't cover the UI.

1. **Import.** Drag the takes, recordings, logo and screenshots into a project. Set the project to 16:9 for the main film.
2. **Ask for the cut.** "Make a 60-second launch film from this script. Use the best take of my opening, show each screen recording when I describe it, and end on the logo." Attach the script as a text file if you have one. For bigger requests the assistant proposes a plan first; approve or change it.
3. **Add motion.** The assistant has starter scenes for titles, a wordmark reveal, number counters, charts, hand-drawn arrows and boxes that point at the UI, logos popping in as chips, and calls to action. It can also put the screen recording above you or put you in a small bubble over it. Every scene's copy, colours and timing are editable in the inspector.
4. **Add sound.** Ask for music under the voice and a few sound effects on the cuts. Music is ducked under speech. Stock media is included.
5. **Caption it.** Captions are word-timed and transcribed on your Mac. For a launch film, a calm style like Subtitle or Word highlight works.
6. **Review with comments.** Press **C**, click the frame where something's off, write the note, and click **Fix with AI**. It's faster than describing timecodes in chat.
7. **Export each shape.** Export the 16:9 film, then switch the project to 9:16 and 1:1, check the framing and caption placement, and export again.

We're planning our own launch film the same way: cut in Vidiyo, from screen recordings and a few face takes.

## How do I make a launch video without Vidiyo?

Write the same six-beat script, record with the Screenshot app, and assemble it in a traditional editor with title, music and caption tracks. The structure matters more than the tool.

1. Lay the voice or face takes on the timeline first and cut them to the script.
2. Drop each screen recording under the line that describes it. Trim idle cursor time and loading screens.
3. Add titles at the hook and the availability beat, and a logo at the end.
4. Add music low under the voice, and lower it further under speech.
5. Caption it, then export a 16:9 master and reframe copies for vertical and square.

It works; it just takes longer, because every reframe and every caption fix is manual.

## What formats should I export?

Export one master and a cut for each place you'll post it. The 16:9 film goes on YouTube, your website and your launch listing; vertical and square cuts go in feeds.

| Where | Shape | Note |
|---|---|---|
| YouTube, website, launch listings | 16:9 | Product Hunt accepts only [YouTube links](https://help.producthunt.com/en/articles/479557-how-to-post-a-product), public or unlisted |
| Reels, Shorts, vertical feeds | 9:16 | Reframe the UI so text stays readable; keep captions clear of the app buttons |
| X, LinkedIn feeds | 1:1 or 16:9 | Square takes more of the feed on a phone |

Vidiyo's [content calendar](https://getvidiyo.app/features/content-calendar-and-scheduling) can schedule each cut through Buffer once you've approved it.

## What makes a launch video feel cheap?

A few things give amateur launch videos away, and most come from editing, not budget:

- **A logo intro.** Start on the hook.
- **Unreadable UI.** If the text is tiny on a phone, punch in or crop.
- **Music louder than the voice.** Viewers forgive cheap music, not a buried line.
- **Fake proof.** Invented numbers or stock testimonials undo the rest of the video.
- **No ending.** The last frame should say exactly where to go.

Get those right and a simple minute of real product beats a polished minute of mockups.

## Honest limits

- Vidiyo exports 1080p at 30 fps, and timelines max out at 5 minutes.
- No speed ramps or speed control; build a fast-forward from jump cuts.
- No cursor-follow zoom; zooms into screen recordings are keyframed punch-ins.
- AI thumbnails need your own OpenAI or Gemini key.

## Frequently asked questions

### How long should a product launch video be?

Around 45 to 90 seconds for the main film. That's long enough to show the problem, the product and a reason to believe, and short enough to watch to the end on a launch page or in a feed.

### Do I need to be on camera in a launch video?

No, but a few seconds of the founder at the start or end helps. A face makes a small product feel like it's made by people, and it's quick to record compared with the screen work.

### What do I need to record before editing?

Three or four takes of your opening and closing lines, a clean screen recording of each feature you'll show, your logo as an SVG or PNG, and any screenshots or numbers you plan to use.

### Can Vidiyo make a launch video from a screen recording?

Yes. Import the recording and your face takes, describe the video, and the assistant cuts it, adds titles, screen layouts, music, sound effects and captions. You review and adjust every layer on the timeline.

### Where do I upload a launch video for Product Hunt?

Product Hunt only supports YouTube links for gallery videos, so upload the 16:9 version to YouTube first, as public or unlisted, and paste the full URL.

## Related

- [Vidiyo for founders: launch and feature videos without hiring an editor](https://getvidiyo.app/for/founders)
- [How to write a video script for a product demo](https://getvidiyo.app/blog/write-a-video-script-for-a-product-demo)
- [How to turn a screen recording into a polished demo](https://getvidiyo.app/blog/screen-recording-to-polished-demo)
- [How to make a feature announcement video](https://getvidiyo.app/blog/feature-announcement-video)
- [Motion graphics without After Effects](https://getvidiyo.app/features/motion-graphics)
- [Cold open](https://getvidiyo.app/glossary/cold-open)

## Sources

- [Product Hunt Help: How to post a product](https://help.producthunt.com/en/articles/479557-how-to-post-a-product) (accessed 2026-10-08)
- [Apple Support: How to record the screen on your Mac](https://support.apple.com/en-us/102618) (accessed 2026-10-08)

Download Vidiyo for Mac (free during the beta): https://getvidiyo.app/download