ShortFactory AI
Automated YouTube Shorts Pipeline
What it does
You type a headline. It researches the topic, writes a fact-checked script, generates cinematic visuals, records a voiceover, adds word-by-word captions, and uploads the finished Short to your YouTube channel. ~$0.11 per video. $29+ one-time.
- 15 Python modules — complete source code
- 78 automated tests (pytest)
- AI Setup Guide — no coding experience needed
- Windows, macOS & Linux installers
- Royalty-free background music bundled
- MIT license — free lifetime updates
People also ask — SEO, GEO, and answer engines
Questions this product page answers (for Google and AI search)
- Automate YouTube Shorts from idea to upload
- Low cost AI short form video pipeline
- YouTube Shorts script and voiceover automation
Short answer (AEO snippet)
Headline in → script, visuals, voiceover, captions, and publish flow with documented per-video cost. Shortfactory AI — Gumroad (from $29).
How it works
One Command → One Published Short
Seven automated stages. You provide the headline — the pipeline does everything else.
$ python main.py --headline "NASA discovers water on Mars"
▸ Researching topic via live web search...
▸ Claude writing fact-checked script...
▸ Gemini generating 3 scene images + thumbnail...
▸ ElevenLabs recording voiceover...
▸ Whisper generating word-by-word captions...
▸ ffmpeg assembling final video...
▸ Uploading to YouTube as Private...
✓ Done in 4m 12s — review at youtube.com/...
Headline → Topic
Provide a news headline or let the system discover trending topics automatically.
Live Research
Claude searches the web for real facts. Anti-hallucination protection — only verified information makes it into the script.
Script Writing
Claude writes a tight, fact-checked script optimized for YouTube Shorts format and retention.
Visual Generation
Google Gemini generates 3 cinematic scene images + 1 custom thumbnail. All from the script.
Professional Voiceover
ElevenLabs records a natural-sounding voiceover. Or use your computer's built-in voice for free.
Captions + Assembly
Whisper transcribes the audio. ffmpeg burns word-by-word captions and assembles the final video locally — free.
Upload to YouTube
Uploads as Private. You review the video before making it public. Full control, always.
What makes it different
Built for Reliability, Not Just Speed
Anti-hallucination protection
Claude only uses facts from live web research. No made-up names, dates, or statistics ever make it into your video.
Resume capability
If the pipeline crashes halfway, re-running it picks up exactly where it left off. You never lose work or duplicate API costs.
AI Setup Guide included
Paste AI_SETUP_PROMPT.md into Claude, ChatGPT, or Gemini and let AI set up the entire system for you. No coding experience required.
Full cost transparency
~$0.11 per video in API costs. That's the actual number. No hidden fees, no monthly subscription, no surprise bills.
Private-first uploads
Every video goes up as Private. You review it before anyone sees it. One-click to publish when you're satisfied.
78 automated tests
Production-grade code with pytest test suite. Every module tested. You're not getting an amateur script — this is engineered software.
Full cost transparency
~$0.11 Per Video, Total
No hidden fees. No subscriptions. These are the actual API costs per video.
Anthropic Claude
Free tier availableScript writing + research
~$0.02
Google Gemini
Free tier available3 images + 1 thumbnail
~$0.04
ElevenLabs
Professional voiceover
~$0.05
Whisper / ffmpeg
Free tier availableCaptions + video assembly
Free
YouTube API
Free tier availableUpload
Free
Skip ElevenLabs → use your computer's built-in voice → cost drops to ~$0.06
What's in the download
Everything You Need to Ship Day One
Complete Python source code (15 modules)
README.md — full setup guide with step-by-step instructions
AI_SETUP_PROMPT.md — paste into any AI for guided setup
install.bat — Windows one-click installer
install.sh — Mac/Linux one-click installer
78 automated tests (pytest)
Royalty-free background music tracks (bundled)
Troubleshooting guide and YouTube OAuth walkthrough
System requirements
This is for you if…
- You run a faceless YouTube channel and want to scale output
- You're building a YouTube presence on a tight budget
- You run a news or commentary channel needing daily output
- You produce content for multiple clients at an agency
- You want to test YouTube Shorts without hours of production work
This is not for you if…
- You want a drag-and-drop GUI tool (this runs from a terminal)
- You need absolute zero technical steps — you'll need to install Python and run commands
AI Setup Guide: If you're new to Python, paste AI_SETUP_PROMPT.md into Claude or ChatGPT and let AI guide you through setup step by step.
FAQ
Common Questions
Do I need to know how to code?
No coding knowledge required. Paste the AI_SETUP_PROMPT.md into Claude, ChatGPT, or Gemini and let AI walk you through every installation step, including getting API keys and setting up YouTube access.
What does it actually cost per video?
About $0.11 per video (Claude: $0.02 + Gemini: $0.04 + ElevenLabs: $0.05). Anthropic and Gemini offer free tiers, so your first several videos may cost nothing. Skipping ElevenLabs drops the cost to ~$0.06 using your computer's built-in voice.
Will my YouTube channel get penalized or banned?
Videos upload as Private by default — you review each one before making it public. Content is original, AI-generated, and fact-checked using live web research. Always review your videos and comply with YouTube's Terms of Service for automated content.
Is there a dry-run mode to test without spending money?
Yes. The --dry-run flag generates the script only — no images, no audio, no video assembly, no upload. Free to run as many times as you want.
What if setup goes wrong?
Open AI_SETUP_PROMPT.md, copy everything, paste into any AI assistant, and describe your error. The troubleshooting guide covers 95% of common issues.
Does it work on Windows, Mac, and Linux?
Yes. All three platforms are fully supported. install.bat for Windows, install.sh for Mac/Linux.
Can I sell or monetize the videos I create?
Yes. The software is MIT licensed. The videos you produce are your own content. You are responsible for YouTube policy compliance and applicable laws in your country.
Does it support languages other than English?
English and Hindi are built in. The --lang hi flag switches voiceover and captions to Hindi. Adding other languages requires modifying the voiceover.py module — ElevenLabs supports 30+ languages.
One headline. One command.
A finished YouTube Short waiting for your approval.
15 modules. 78 tests. ~$0.11/video. MIT license. Start publishing today.
Get ShortFactory AI — $29+Instant download · MIT license · Free updates