OpenAI updates Sora with credit system and prepares Cameo economy

OpenAI’s recent changes to Sora highlight a new direction focused on both monetization and creative control for its user base. The newly introduced credit system targets professional creators, allowing them to purchase additional credits for generating more videos, removing previous restrictions on usage and catering to those needing higher production volumes. This move benefits creators, agencies, and brands aiming to scale their output and maintain consistent content flows.

Alongside this, OpenAI revealed plans for a broader “Sora economy,” which aims to reward early platform adopters and right holders. In the upcoming model, individuals and companies can set extra credit charges for their cameos (unique, AI-generated characters). There’s also talk of piloting monetization schemes, meaning that creators who built a presence early could get prioritized access or revenue opportunities as the platform matures.

For free users, these changes mean a reduction in complimentary generations to accommodate platform scaling, aligning Sora’s strategy closer to other pro-focused creative tools.

A noteworthy addition is the character creation feature, currently available only on iOS but likely heading to the web soon. This function allows users to craft character cameos, not replicas of real people, but non-human personalities generated from sample videos. While early testing suggests this feature doesn’t always match the accuracy of cameo integrations, it gives users greater flexibility to define their AI-driven personas. Each published video that uses a character is now linked to that character’s profile as well.

OpenAI’s push here fits into its larger product strategy, which involves gradually opening up Sora for commercial use, experimenting with revenue-sharing models, and providing creators with granular controls over their generated assets. As these tools evolve, TestingCatalog is already experimenting with its own branded character, “TestingCameo,” inviting its community to engage directly and try out the new capabilities for themselves.