Sequels often disappoint, but this one aims to be a standout — think more "Godfather Part II" and less forgettable flop.

Following up on our article "Top 10 Tools For Content Creators" from 12 months ago, we're back with an updated list that reflects the rapid advancements in AI technology. Just as the cinematic landscape shifted from "The Godfather" to its acclaimed sequel, some tools from our original lineup have been replaced or updated to stay ahead in the fast-paced world of AI.

Last year's selections might now seem quaint by comparison, as we've sifted through the latest innovations to bring you a list of tools that are reshaping content creation today. Here are the top 10 tools poised to empower you like Michael Corleone, strategically positioning you to eliminate your competition.

Want a condensed list of these tools to go? Download our quick PDF cheatsheet.

10. Hugging Face

Technically Hugging Face isn’t a tool, but more a platform offering a comprehensive suite of open source AI tech. Consider it the digital equivalent of the Corleone family's influence—vast, powerful, and indispensable for those in the know. From experimentation to production, Hugging Face is the godfather of AI resources and is a goldmine for those looking to dive into the depths of AI content creation.

Among its gems is Magic Animate, which lets users animate images with ease, be it in the browser or (for the tech-savvy) running locally via its Github repo. Hugging Face serves as an invaluable ally for developers, researchers, and creators alike, democratising access to cutting-edge AI tools and fostering a community around innovation. It’s a prime example of how technology and content creation are fusing together, with the most powerful creators those who can run the newest models.

9. Character.ai

Character.ai emerges as a dynamic tool for writers and creators, streamlining the once time-intensive process of character development. This platform offers a swift and intuitive method for breathing life into fictional personas by allowing creators to engage directly with their characters in conversation. This platform promises is faster and more efficient than building custom GPTs of your personas. 

Unlike the traditional route of scripting detailed character biographies and hypothetical scenarios, Character.AI facilitates the interaction, allowing characters to be questioned, prodded, and developed in real-time based on the flow of dialogue. This interaction not only accelerates the development process but also unveils depths and nuances that might not have been discovered through conventional means. For storytellers looking to add layers of complexity and realism to their characters, Character.AI serves as an indispensable resource, akin to having a direct line to the psyche of their creations.

8. Relume & Webflow

Pairing Relume with Webflow akin to the strategic alliance of the Corleone family—powerful alone but unstoppable together. Combining the two through Figma allows content creators to transform plain text into fully functional websites with an efficiency that would make even the most seasoned contract killer blush.

This synergy is particularly evident in projects like the static website Enamoured Iris created for our AI influencer, Eleanor Luxe, which was brought to life and deployed to Github in just three hours. By leveraging Relume's intuitive design capabilities with Webflow's robust web development platform, users can rapidly prototype and build responsive, aesthetically pleasing web pages in minutes. This process allows content creators, regardless of their technical expertise, to craft and deploy websites that resonate with their audience and embody their brand identity. 

For a walkthrough on how to achieve a similar build, watch this Youtube tutorial.

7. Magnific

Magnific is another fresh face this year. Making waves amongst photographers, Magnific serves as the go-to tool for image upscaling that could make even the grainiest of photos look like they were shot in high definition. This tool is a win for content creators who find themselves with less-than-perfect image quality, or want to increase the quality of content generated in platforms like MidJourney.

With Magnific, a blurry background or a pixelated subject is no longer a death sentence for your content. Users simply upload their images to Magnific, choose their desired resolution and style, and watch as the platform works its magic, delivering results that can breathe new life into old or low-quality digital assets. While its prowess is undeniable, Magnific remains a single-use tool and risks becoming obsolete by more robust platforms such as MidJourney making it feature. Until then, it’s a great fast fix for photography f*** ups. 

6. RunwayML

Featured in last year’s list, RunwayML remains the top choice for turning text into videos and is particularly effective in converting images into video content. Notably, we used the platform in producing our AI festival aftermovie. The platform's motion brush feature allows for manual manipulation of movement in still images, giving creators significant control over their visual output. However, this capability is starting to show its age, especially when compared to newer technologies like Magic Animate, which offers more advanced motion mapping out of the box. This shows the relentless pace of innovation in this list, suggesting that even the leading tools can soon become outdated.

Will RunwayML remain on next year’s list after the much hyped release of Sora? Time will tell if RunwayML can adapt and stay the reigning champion or if it'll find itself sleeping with the fishes.

5. HeyGen

By seamlessly marrying lip simulation with translation, HeyGen ensures your content can transcend language barriers without losing the authenticity of the original performance. This technology addresses one of the most challenging aspects of dubbing: achieving lip-sync accuracy in multiple languages, thereby preserving the original emotional impact and cultural nuances.

Ideal for filmmakers, content distributors, and marketers operating on a global scale, HeyGen allows for stories to be universally accessible and engaging. This opens up new possibilities for international storytelling, allowing you to make an offer that can’t be refused in any language. Worth noting too is the recent release of Elevenlabs' Dubbing Studio which promises the same in addition to multi-voice support.

4. ElevenLabs

Since our last article, ElevenLabs has emerged as a game-changer in the text-to-speech generation arena, offering content creators a tool that breathes life into written words with uncanny realism. This platform stands out for its ability to produce voice overs that are not just crystal clear but imbued with nuances that closely mimic human emotion and intonation. 

Whether it's for narrating a documentary, enhancing an e-learning course, or giving a voice to characters in an animated series, ElevenLabs provides a versatile solution that can adapt to a wide range of vocal needs. Practical and with a simple interface, creators can input their text and select desired voice qualities, resulting in a voiceover that can elevate any project from mundane to mesmerising. Thankfully, robotic-sounding narrations are firmly in the rearview; ElevenLabs has ushered in a new age of digital storytelling where the line between human and machine-generated voice overs becomes ever more blurred.

For the technically gifted, ElevenLabs also have an API that can be queried to transcribe text directly into your application.

3. Suno

Picking the right soundtrack can take longer than picking a film on Netflix. And when you have a partner (or client) wanting to change the choice midway through a film (or edit), you’re in for a long night. Suno is a generative AI music tool that quite honestly feels like magic. Inputting a short text prompt in natural language is enough to produce a unique, high fidelity soundtrack complete with lyrics. 

With the ability to input the mood, genre, and even specific musical elements your content requires, Suno crafts a custom soundtrack that aligns with those parameters. This capability not only accelerates the production workflow for filmmakers, podcasters, and digital marketers but also democratises access to bespoke music, ensuring that even those without formal music training can achieve professional-grade audio in their projects. Practical application involves selecting desired attributes through a user-friendly interface, after which Suno generates a soundtrack that can be refined or accepted. 

Want the violin and acoustic guitar of the Godfather soundtrack paired with JLo spitting bars about growing up in The Bronx? No problem with Suno. It's worth noting that Udio has just come out of stealth mode to release a Suno competitor that offers arguably higher fidelity, commercial quality music on demand. Worth watching as the competition between the two heats up!

2. MidJourney

Featured in last year’s list, text-to-image generative AI platform Midjourney comes in second this year. In the past 12 months the platform has released both v6 of their model and their in-browser tool. These developments expand on the quality of its output, enhance its usability and increase the speed of producing content indistinguishable from human generated photography and artwork. Advances have also been made in making text prompting more responsive to standard human speech, rather than having to input a prompt where you need to cater to how the platform thinks.

To the uninitiated, Midjourney serves as an invaluable asset for experimenting with new visual concepts or refining existing ideas with unprecedented speed and intuition. Not just useful for photographers, designers, and artists, video producers can use the platform for everything from moodboards to storyboards. We used the platform to generate the images that we then went on to animate in our AI Festival Aftermovie.

To get started with Midjourney, check this video tutorial.

1. ChatGPT

This list wouldn’t be complete without the OG, ChatGPT. For copywriting, ChatGPT still offers an unparalleled AI companion that can generate compelling text across a variety of formats, from blog posts to social media content. Since our last article, the tool has become even more powerful with the introduction of the Assistants API, enhancing the ability to integrate more seamlessly into workflows and applications. Looking ahead, there's a buzz about the release of GPT-5 in the winter, rumoured to be paired with advancements from OpenAI's project Sora, hinting at even greater capabilities on the horizon. This potential leap forward promises to offer content creators unprecedented aid in producing generative video on par with big budget productions.

Despite the burgeoning rivalry from contenders like Gemini, Claude, and open-source challengers such as Meta’s Llama, ChatGPT still sits at the head of the generative AI family table, much like a certain Corleone in his prime. As the landscape of AI continues to evolve, it remains to be seen whether ChatGPT can maintain its stronghold or if an ambitious underboss will orchestrate a power shift in the digital underworld. For those who haven't been tuned into the AI saga for the past 18 months, you can make ChatGPT's acquaintance here.

Conclusion

So there you have it, the Top 10 tools for content creation in 2024 as used by the team at Enamoured Iris. Before you set out to create your own cinematic masterpiece, I have one small request, in true Corleone style on this most auspicious day - join our Weekly AI Video Tech newsletter for a front-row seat to the latest in video technology, delivered right to your inbox.