---
title: Introduction | Chamelaion
description: Chamelaion API documentation — AI-powered lip sync for video dubbing, content localization, and personalized video at scale.
---

Chamelaion is an AI lip sync API that takes any video and audio input and generates perfectly matched lip movements. Send a video of someone speaking English and an audio track in Japanese — Chamelaion produces a new video where the speaker’s lips move naturally to match the Japanese audio. This powers video dubbing, content localization, personalized video messaging, and more.

## At a glance

|                              |                                                     |
| :--------------------------- | :-------------------------------------------------- |
| **Base URL**                 | `https://api.chamelaion.com/api`                    |
| **Authentication**           | Bearer token or `x-api-key` header                  |
| **Input formats**            | MP4 video, WAV/MP3 audio — via URL or direct upload |
| **Max concurrent jobs**      | Depends on plan                                     |
| **Rate limit**               | 60 requests/min on generation endpoints             |
| **SDKs**                     | Python 3.8+ and TypeScript/Node.js 18+              |
| **Active speaker detection** | Automatic (can be disabled per request)             |

## Key capabilities

- **AI Lip Sync** — State-of-the-art lip sync model that preserves the speaker’s identity, head pose, and expressions while matching lip movements to new audio.
- **URL-based generation** — Pass publicly accessible URLs for your video and audio. No file uploads required.
- **Direct media upload** — Upload video and audio files directly via multipart form-data when URLs are not available.
- **Active speaker detection** — Automatically detects and syncs the active speaker in multi-person scenes. Can be disabled for single-speaker videos.
- **Request tracking** — Every generation returns a `request_id`. Poll for status, retrieve results, or filter by your own `reference_id`.
- **Pagination** — List and paginate through your generation history with `limit` and `offset` parameters.

## What can I build with Chamelaion?

Chamelaion fits anywhere you need lip movements to match new audio:

- **Video dubbing & localization** — Dub films, YouTube videos, and social content for global audiences with AI lip sync that looks native.
- **E-learning & training** — Localize course videos into dozens of languages while keeping the instructor’s face natural and in sync.
- **Marketing & personalized outreach** — Generate personalized video messages at scale. One recording becomes thousands of tailored videos.
- **Entertainment, media & gaming** — Power in-game characters, animated content, and post-production dubbing with lip sync technology that runs on API calls.

## How do I get started?

Get from zero to your first AI lip sync generation in three steps:

1. **Get your API key** — Create one from the [Dashboard](https://app.chamelaion.com/settings/api-keys).
2. **Authenticate** — Pass your key as a Bearer token or `x-api-key` header. See the [Authentication guide](/guides/authentication/index.md).
3. **Generate your first lip sync** — Follow the [Quickstart](/guides/quickstart/index.md) to generate a synced video in minutes.

Chamelaion processes generation requests asynchronously. After submitting a job, you’ll receive a `request_id` that you can use to [poll for the result](/guides/polling-status/index.md).

## API endpoints overview

Chamelaion exposes a focused set of endpoints:

| Endpoint                          | Method | Description                                     |
| :-------------------------------- | :----- | :---------------------------------------------- |
| `/v1/lipsync/generate`            | POST   | Start a lip sync job from video and audio URLs  |
| `/v1/lipsync/generate-with-media` | POST   | Start a lip sync job from uploaded files        |
| `/v1/lipsync/requests/{id}`       | GET    | Get the status and result of a specific request |
| `/v1/lipsync/requests`            | GET    | List all your lip sync requests with pagination |
| `/v1/users/me`                    | GET    | Verify your API token identity                  |
| `/health`                         | GET    | Service health check (no auth required)         |

## Frequently asked questions

What video and audio formats does Chamelaion support?

Chamelaion accepts common video formats like **MP4** for video input and **WAV** or **MP3** for audio input. You can provide media via publicly accessible URLs or upload files directly through the multipart form-data endpoint.

How long does a generation take?

Generation time depends on video length and current queue depth. Most videos under 60 seconds complete within 1–3 minutes. You can poll the status of your request using the [request status endpoint](/guides/polling-status/index.md).

Can Chamelaion handle multi-person videos?

Yes. Chamelaion includes **active speaker detection** that automatically identifies and syncs the speaking person in multi-face videos. For single-speaker videos, you can disable this feature by setting `disable_active_speaker_detection: true` for faster processing.

How does authentication work?

Chamelaion supports two authentication methods: a **Bearer token** in the `Authorization` header or an **API key** in the `x-api-key` header. Both use the same API token from your dashboard. See the [Authentication guide](/guides/authentication/index.md) for details.

What happens if my generation fails?

When a generation fails, the request status will show `failed` with an `error_message` field explaining what went wrong. Common causes include inaccessible URLs, unsupported formats, or quota limits. See the [Error Handling guide](/guides/error-handling/index.md) for troubleshooting.