AutoShort

Language-learning shorts: narration and second caption lines

A phrase-a-day short needs the target language spoken and the translation shown. AutoShort supports exactly that and nothing more: a narration language, a translated second caption line and a choice of voices. It is not a language course.

Who it is for

  • Tutors and teachers who want a spoken phrase with a translated caption for their students.
  • Learners who want to practise by listening to a short with the translation underneath.
  • Channel owners who publish the same idea in several narration languages.

What AutoShort does for this

  • autoshort_list_options with a language code lists the voices available for it, with a flag for premium voices and what they cost extra.
  • Narration language: autoshort_draft_video takes a BCP-47 narration language, and the product can voice 31 listed languages. autoshort_generate_chat_video accepts 9 narration languages (en, es, pt, fr, de, it, id, tr, vi).
  • Second caption line: autoshort_generate_chat_video has captionSecondaryLanguage, a translated line shown under the narration captions (for example Spanish narration with English underneath). It costs nothing extra.
  • autoshort_draft_video does not take captionSecondaryLanguage; it keeps your script word for word in the narration language. Use it when you want to control the exact words.
  • autoshort_estimate_cost prices the render first, and autoshort_render_draft or the chat video charges once after your yes.

Not connected yet? Follow the steps for Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor or Gemini CLI on the MCP page.

Worked example

Worked example

Not run: costs credits

Three phrases for ordering coffee, narrated in Spanish

Paste this into Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor or Gemini CLI once AutoShort is connected. It is the library prompt Three phrases in the target language with the bracketed parts filled in.

Use the AutoShort tools to make a 25-second lesson: three useful phrases for ordering coffee in Spanish.
First call autoshort_list_options with language es and tell me which voices exist for that language. Do not pick a premium voice unless I ask.
Write 5 scenes yourself, narration entirely in Spanish, simple words: scene 1 is the first phrase spoken in a situation already happening (at most 9 words), scenes 2 and 3 the other phrases, scene 4 all three again slowly, scene 5 one closing line. Visuals show the situation, with no text in the picture.
Call autoshort_draft_video with scenes[] and language es (free). Then call autoshort_get_draft and check that the draft's language is es. The language is detected from the narration and can come out as English for a short script. If it is not es, call autoshort_update_draft with draftId and language es and show me autoshort_get_draft again. Show me the draft and warnings, then autoshort_estimate_cost. Show me the price first and wait for my yes before any paid step.
After my yes: autoshort_render_draft once, then autoshort_get_video until COMPLETED or FAILED.
Tools it triggers
  • autoshort_list_options
  • autoshort_draft_video
  • autoshort_get_draft
  • autoshort_update_draft
  • autoshort_estimate_cost
  • autoshort_render_draft
  • autoshort_get_video
Estimated cost
40 credits (about $0.63 on the Starter plan, $0.80 at the $0.02-per-credit list rate). Ask for the price first: autoshort_estimate_cost quotes it for free.
What you get
  • The live voice list for Spanish first, then a five-scene draft narrated in Spanish and a rendered lesson of about 25 seconds.
  • The phrases are the ones the assistant wrote and you approved. Have a Spanish speaker check them before you pay for the render.
Test status
Draft + price quote run on 2026-10-29 (QA account, free tools only): 5-scene Spanish draft, 19.1 s estimated, language es, no warnings, estimate_cost 40 credits; list_options es shows 8 voices, 2 premium (+25 credits). The draft language can come back en for short scripts: fix with autoshort_update_draft. Render not run: costs credits.

What the output looks like

No public example yet. We have not posted a language-learning short, so there is nothing to link and no number to show.

What it costs

40 credits (about $0.63 on the Starter plan, $0.80 at the $0.02-per-credit list rate). Ask for the price first: autoshort_estimate_cost quotes it for free.

One short is 40 credits with the default voice. A premium ElevenLabs voice adds 25 credits where the voice list marks it as premium; autoshort_list_options shows that per language.

See what things cost, pricing and the refund policy. Want to see a script first? The free script preview needs no account.

Limits, stated plainly

  • The second caption line is a machine translation. It can be wrong or unidiomatic, so a native speaker should check any lesson content before you teach with it.
  • Synthetic voices can mispronounce words or stress the wrong syllable. Listen before you post. Only English and Vietnamese get the included ElevenLabs Flash voice on paid plans; other languages use a Google voice.
  • A short is a phrase demonstration, not a lesson plan: there are no quizzes, no pronunciation scoring and no progress tracking.
  • autoshort_generate_chat_video writes the script from your brief, so the phrases may differ from the ones you asked for. To fix the words exactly, use autoshort_draft_video in the narration language (no second caption line).
  • The chat video accepts only the narration languages listed above; the draft tool takes any language code the product can voice.

Frequently asked questions

Which languages can the narration be in?

autoshort_draft_video takes a BCP-47 code and the product can voice 31 listed languages. autoshort_generate_chat_video accepts 9: en, es, pt, fr, de, it, id, tr, vi. autoshort_list_options returns the live list and the voices for each, so ask it instead of guessing.

Can I show two languages in the captions?

Yes, with autoshort_generate_chat_video and captionSecondaryLanguage: a translated second caption line under the narration captions, at no extra credits. The draft tool does not have that setting.

Is the translation reliable?

Treat it as a draft. It is machine-translated, and the voice is synthetic. If you teach with the video, have a speaker of the language check the script and listen to the audio.

How much does one phrase short cost?

A standard short of up to 90 seconds is 40 credits with the default voice. Drafting the script is free, and autoshort_estimate_cost quotes the exact price before anything is charged. The credits are taken when you approve the render, and refunded automatically if the render fails for good.

Do you have a language-learning channel I can look at?

No. We have not posted one, so we have nothing to show. The features on this page come from the tool descriptions and the code, not from a channel of our own.

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