New Ways to Make Money in the AI Short Video Era: Use Video API to Create Content for Clients and Do Reselling Yourself
In 2026, short videos remain the king of traffic. Douyin, Kuaishou, Xiaohongshu, TikTok, with billions of views every day.
A new trend is emerging: AI Video Generation. Previously, creating a product advertisement video would cost thousands to hire a professional team, but now with AI Video API, you can produce a video in 30 seconds for less than ¥10.
There are two money-making opportunities here, and you can take both at the same time:
- Create AI videos for clients and charge a service fee
- Clients use the API themselves, and you earn a commission
Today, I will teach you how to do both simultaneously.
¶ Why is AI Video the Biggest Opportunity Right Now?
Market Demand: Small and medium-sized businesses are the most eager for short video content—restaurants want to shoot store exploration videos, e-commerce needs product showcases, educational institutions want to create course previews, real estate agents need to film property introductions... They have the demand but cannot afford professional teams.
AI Revolution: Ace Data Cloud offers the most comprehensive AI video generation API on the market:
| Model | Specialty | Applicable Scenarios |
|---|---|---|
| Sora | Produced by OpenAI, cinematic quality | Brand promotional videos, creative ads |
| Veo | Produced by Google, natural and realistic | Product showcases, life scenes |
| Luma | Strong 3D effect, smooth motion | Tech products, dynamic effects |
| Seedance | Produced by Byte, strong in dance/characters | Character showcases, fashion content |
| Hailuo | Produced by MiniMax, good for Chinese contexts | Marketing videos in Chinese contexts |
| Kling | Produced by Kuaishou, high cost-performance ratio | Daily business videos |
| Pika | Strong stylization | Creative short videos |
| Pixverse | Emphasizes animation/special effects | ACG, special effects content |
In addition to AI image generation (Midjourney, Flux, NanoBanana, Seedream), you can simultaneously output video covers, product posters, and social media images.
In summary: You can create video content that previously required a professional team at an extremely low cost.
¶ First Income: Video Production Service Fee
¶ Target Clients
- Local restaurants, milk tea shops, beauty salons
- E-commerce sellers (Taobao, Pinduoduo, Douyin stores)
- Educational training institutions
- Real estate agents, renovation companies
- Self-media bloggers, MCN organizations
¶ Pricing Reference
| Service Package | Content | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Basic Package | 5 short videos of 15 seconds + 5 cover images | ¥500 |
| Standard Package | 10 short videos + 10 images + copy | ¥1,200 |
| Premium Package | 20 short videos + full set of visual materials | ¥2,500 |
| Monthly Package | 30 videos produced monthly | ¥3,000/month |
Your actual cost? Using Ace Data Cloud API to generate 10 videos, the API cost is about $5-$15 (approximately ¥35-105). Even at the most conservative basic package, your profit margin exceeds 90%.
¶ Practical Case
Helping a milk tea shop create Douyin content:
- Use Sora API to generate an AI video of the "milk tea making process" (from pouring tea to latte art, with beautiful visuals)
- Use Midjourney to generate menu posters and new product images
- Use AI Chat to help them write Douyin captions and hashtags
- Deliver 10 publishable pieces of content in a week
Charge ¥1,200, API cost ¥80. You net ¥1,120.
If you serve 5 such clients each month, monthly income = ¥5,600 pure profit.
¶ How to Find Clients?
Offline Street Scanning: Walk around the commercial street near your home, and ask as soon as you enter, "Boss, do you need to shoot Douyin short videos? I can help you do it with AI, good results, low price." Bring a phone to showcase your work samples.
WeChat Orders: First, help 2-3 friends' stores create a few videos for free, let them post on their WeChat Moments to promote you. Word-of-mouth is the fastest way to acquire customers.
Xiaohongshu/Douyin Showcase: Post your AI-generated business video cases on social platforms, with titles like "Using AI to Help Restaurant Owners Create Professional-Level Ads in 30 Seconds." Peers and businesses will come to you.
Xianyu/Taobao Service Listing: "AI Short Video Production | Douyin/Xiaohongshu Content Creation | 30 Seconds to Produce"—there is a high demand for such services on Xianyu.
¶ Second Income: Reselling Commission
This is the long-term strategy.
After helping clients create videos for a few months, some clients will say, "Can you teach me how to do it myself?" or "We want our team to generate videos internally."
At this point, you guide them to register on Ace Data Cloud through your exclusive referral link.
After clients register themselves:
- They learn to use the API to generate videos themselves
- You earn a 10%-20% commission on every purchase they make
- Permanently bound, once registered, they are your users
¶ Two Income Streams Running Parallel
| Stage | Income Source | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Initial | Mainly service fees | Help clients create videos, build trust |
| Mid-term | Service fees + commissions | Some clients convert to self-service users |
| Later | Mainly commissions | A large number of clients use self-service, you earn passively |
¶ Commission Income Calculation
Assuming you convert 20 clients to Ace Data Cloud self-service users within 6 months, with an average monthly spend of $80 per person:
| Level | Commission Rate | Monthly Commission | Annual Commission |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | 10% | $160 | $1,920 |
| Level 2 | 15% | $240 | $2,880 |
| Level 3 | 20% | $320 | $3,840 |
| Moreover, if these 20 clients also recommend others, you can earn secondary commissions from Ace Data Cloud's two-level distribution. |
With service fees and commissions combined, a conservative estimate of monthly income of ¥8,000-15,000 is completely achievable.
¶ Advanced Play: AI Video Studio
Once you have accumulated a certain number of clients and experience, you can upgrade to the "AI Video Studio" model:
1. Standardized Service Process
Establish a template library—video templates, prompt templates, and copy templates for different industries (catering, e-commerce, education). When new clients come, just replace the key information and produce videos in bulk.
2. Recruit a Team
Train 1-2 assistants and teach them how to operate using the Ace Data Cloud API. They handle execution while you manage client relationships and business.
3. Sign Monthly/Annual Contracts
Convert clients from one-time purchases to monthly fee clients. A ¥3,000/month annual client = ¥36,000 annual income. 10 such clients = ¥360,000/year.
4. Industry Solutions
Package for specific industries—"Complete AI Catering Marketing Solution," "AI E-commerce Content Solution," increasing the average transaction value to ¥5,000-10,000/month.
¶ Why Choose Ace Data Cloud?
Full Model Coverage: All mainstream AI video generation models on the market are integrated into one platform. You don’t need to register various accounts for Sora, Luma, and Kling separately.
API Standardization: A unified API format means that learning one allows you to use all models. Switching models only requires changing one parameter.
Transparent Pricing: Pay-per-use, no monthly fees, no minimum consumption. You pay for what you use.
Mature Distribution System: Promotion links can be generated with one click, commissions are calculated automatically, and you can view in real-time in the backend.
¶ Take Action Now
- Register at Ace Data Cloud and familiarize yourself with various video AI models.
- Use APIs like Sora/Luma/Hailuo to create sample videos for different industries.
- Take the samples to find your first client.
- Enter the distribution backend to obtain promotion links.
- While helping clients create videos, guide them to register and use the service.
The dividends of the short video era are still present. AI video generation has lowered the production threshold to the floor. By entering now, you are both a content service provider and an API distributor. Two sources of income, one effort.
Top promoters of Ace Data Cloud have contributed over ¥900,000 in order value and received ¥168,000+ in commission rewards. In the trillion-dollar arena of AI short videos, your growth potential will only increase.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact Ace Data Cloud Customer Service.