The cost of staying on air
How Much Does a 24/7 AI TV Channel Cost?
Broadcast all day. Pay for what you generate. Use the h3max calculator to budget MiniMax H3 Max and H3 video, from a few fresh clips to an entire day of new footage.
Build your generation budget
USD / 30-day monthMiniMax H3 base model. Billed per generated second; output generation only.
Advertised for the first 14 days for eligible new accounts. This switch holds the selected rate constant to compare scenarios; it does not predict your actual promotional invoice. Offer source · 2026-09-03
For entirely fresh footage around the clock, enter 1,440 minutes.
Adjust the comparison scenario
The comparison uses the same provider, resolution, and discount. It compares generation volume, not equivalent content freshness.
Fresh generation vs. library loop
Library loop costs $576.00 less per month.
Fresh: $720.00/month (5 min/day) · Library refill: $144.00/month (1 min/day).
Excludes one-time library construction. MiniMax official API pricing · 2026-09-03
fal free allowance: up to 75 seconds/day. 5 × 15-second sandbox generations for signed-in users. Shown separately; never deducted from these API estimates. Source · 2026-09-03
Monthly = daily generation × 30. Annual = monthly × 12. Add storage, bandwidth, streaming hardware, electricity, editing, paid retries, and any input charges to plan a complete channel budget.
For the formulas, source dates, and pricing assumptions, see our data sources and methodology.
Same channel. Different production pace.
What does that look like in practice?
Illustrative workloads, not customer bills. A loop repeats existing footage; it does not generate every broadcast second again.
| Production plan | Per 5 sec | Monthly | Build library once | Source / checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A little new, every dayOfficial · 768P · 5 new min/day | $0.40 | $720.00 | Not applicable | MiniMax official 2026-09-03 |
| An hour of fresh videoOfficial · 768P · 60 new min/day | $0.40 | $8,640.00 | Not applicable | MiniMax official 2026-09-03 |
| A repeating four-hour libraryOfficial · 768P · 4-hour library + 5 min/day refill | $0.40 | $720.00 | $1,152.00 | MiniMax official 2026-09-03 |
| Every second is newOfficial · 768P · 1,440 new min/day | $0.40 | $207,360.00 | Not applicable | MiniMax official 2026-09-03 |
| fal launch-rate scenariofal · 480P · launch rate · 5 new min/day | $0.125 | $225.00 | Not applicable | fal / third-party 2026-09-03 |
| fal regular-rate scenariofal · 768P · regular rate · 5 new min/day | $0.40 | $720.00 | Not applicable | fal / third-party 2026-09-03 |
The launch-rate row is a constant-rate comparison, not a prediction that the offer lasts a full month. Taxes, paid retries, input fees, and stream delivery are not included.
Before you go on air
A few good questions.
To check the numbers behind these answers, see our data sources and methodology.
How much does a MiniMax API subscription cost?
This calculator uses pay-as-you-go H3 video output rates, not a fixed monthly video subscription: $0.08 per second at 768P and $0.13 per second at 2K. Your generation bill depends on usage. A subscription for a different MiniMax product should not be assumed to include this video usage.
Is there a free API key for MiniMax?
An API key is an access credential, not a promise of free generation. No recurring free official MiniMax API allowance is included in this pricing snapshot. Separately, fal advertises 5 signed-in sandbox generations of up to 15 seconds each per day: up to 75 seconds. This is not treated as an API credit in the calculator. Check current account eligibility.
How much does MiniMax cost?
For H3 video output, the official snapshot is $0.08 per second at 768P and $0.13 at 2K. At 768P, generating five new minutes a day costs $720.00 per 30-day month. That covers generation, with streaming, storage, editing, retries, and any input charges budgeted separately.
How can I create a free live TV channel online?
Start with footage you have permission to use, arrange it in a repeating playlist, and send it through an encoder to a platform where your account has live access. fal's advertised sandbox allowance can contribute up to 75 new AI-generated seconds a day. Keeping a channel online still needs hardware, electricity, and connectivity; a free generation allowance does not make the whole operation free.
Can you make an AI TV show?
Yes. Write a format and episode plan, generate and review short scenes, edit them into episodes, then schedule a library for playback. MiniMax H3 Max can be part of the generation workflow. A 24/7 channel can repeat approved episodes while you make new ones; it does not require 24 hours of newly generated video every day. Budget for continuity work, editing, and rejected takes.
From estimate to on air
Plan the rest of your channel.
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