---
title: "Tiny Desk AI photo requirements — what actually works | Tiny Desk AI"
description: "Which photos hold up in a Tiny Desk AI render: framing, light, resolution and the mistakes that make a face drop out during the close-up."
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> Index of every page on this site: [llms.txt](https://tiny-desk-video.com/llms.txt)

**Short answer**

Use one clear, front-facing, evenly lit portrait per person, with the whole head visible and at least 512 pixels on the short side. Avoid group photos, sunglasses, heavy filters and side profiles. JPG, PNG and WebP are accepted up to 10 MB.

[**Make my band video**](https://tiny-desk-video.com/#create)

# Tiny Desk AI photo requirements

The model holds a face across a head turn and a laugh. Give it something to hold on to.

Updated 2026-10-29

Every render is an identity replacement, not a two-frame face swap. Each shot is regenerated while the model tracks the person through movement, so the photo has to describe a face well enough to survive a head turn, a laugh and three different camera angles.

## The short checklist

- One person in the photo. No group shots, no screenshots of a video call.
- Front-facing, both eyes open and visible.
- Whole head in frame, including the hairline, with a little space above.
- Even light — daylight from a window or a ring light. No hard side shadows.
- No sunglasses, no masks, no hats pulled over the eyes.
- At least 512 px on the short side. Bigger is better; 10 MB is the upload ceiling.
- JPG, PNG or WebP.

## What usually goes wrong

| **Photo problem** | **What you see in the render** | **Fix** |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Side profile** | Face drifts or turns into a different person | Use a front-facing photo |
| **Low light or backlight** | Muddy skin tone, lost detail in the close-up | Retake near a window |
| **Very small crop** | Identity barely changes | Use a photo with more head room |
| **Person at the frame edge in a wide shot** | Seat stays partly original | Move that person to the lead seat |
| **Sunglasses** | Eyes not replaced, face reads as someone else | Remove the sunglasses |

## Which seat is most forgiving

The lead singer seat is the most rewarding: it owns the opening shot and the close-up, so a good portrait has the most screen time to work with. The two backing vocal seats are the hardest, because the people are smaller and partly behind the band in the wide shots.

- ![Lead singer](https://tiny-desk-video.com/media/seats/lead.webp)

  1\.**Lead singer**

  Shots 1 and 3
- ![Keyboard](https://tiny-desk-video.com/media/seats/keys.webp)

  2\.**Keyboard**

  Shots 2, 4 and 5
- ![Backing vocal · left](https://tiny-desk-video.com/media/seats/vocal-left.webp)

  3\.**Backing vocal · left**

  Shots 2 and 5
- ![Backing vocal · right](https://tiny-desk-video.com/media/seats/vocal-right.webp)

  4\.**Backing vocal · right**

  Shots 2 and 5
- ![Saxophone](https://tiny-desk-video.com/media/seats/sax.webp)

  5\.**Saxophone**

  Shot 4

## Consent and age

You must be 18 or older and have permission from everyone in the photos. Do not upload public figures, minors, or anyone who has not agreed. Photos are used to render one video and are deleted with it after 14 days.

Next: [**who you can replace**](https://tiny-desk-video.com/tiny-desk-ai-1-to-5-people) or [**the full walkthrough**](https://tiny-desk-video.com/how-to-make-tiny-desk-ai-video).

## Frequently asked questions

**Make a video**

## Ready to hear your band?

Credits first, then the photos. Pick one seat or all five — the price is the same.

[**Create**](https://tiny-desk-video.com/#create)

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## Sitemap

See the full [sitemap](https://tiny-desk-video.com/sitemap.md) for all pages.