Plain answers on what launch videos cost, how to write them and where to post them. Sources included, and no invented numbers.
A short product launch video costs anywhere from under $50, if you make it with a software tool, to $20,000 or more from a large production company. Most small software teams choose between a tool at $15 to $60 a month, a marketplace gig at about $80 to $210, a freelancer at about $1,000 to $3,000, or a studio at about $3,000 to $8,000.
To make a Product Hunt video, cut a short wide video that shows your product working, upload it to YouTube as public or unlisted, and paste the full YouTube link into your submission. Product Hunt says only YouTube links are supported, so a direct file upload will not work.
Use vertical 9:16 for TikTok, Reels and Shorts, wide 16:9 for YouTube and Product Hunt, and square 1:1 or vertical for LinkedIn and X feeds. MP4 with H.264 video and AAC audio is safe everywhere. A launch video of 15 to 60 seconds fits comfortably inside every limit below.
A good short launch video script has four parts: a hook that names the problem, the product doing its main job, two or three specifics, and one call to action. For a 25-second video, that is about 4 seconds of hook, 11 of product, 6 of specifics and 4 of call to action, using few words per screen.
A launch video gets attention for something new, a demo video shows how a product works, and an explainer teaches why the problem and the idea matter. Most small software teams should start with a short launch video and a simple recorded demo. Add an explainer only if people do not understand your category.
Before you publish a launch video, check five things: it shows the product in the first seconds, every claim is true today, it makes sense with the sound off, you have the right format for each channel, and you have the right to use everything on screen. The full checklist below is ordered by when to do each step.