Your keys

The first time you open pod it asks for up to three keys — here is what each one is, where it comes from, and which ones you actually need.

Think of keys as the ID cards of your little studio. One proves you're allowed to use pod at all, one pays for the actual filming, and one (optional) unlocks a voice-over booth. You'll be asked for them exactly once, by a friendly step-by-step wizard, the first time you run pod. Answer the questions, press Enter after each one, and you never have to think about them again.

Key 1 — your pod license key (required)

This is a short code that starts with pod_sk_. It's your membership card: it tells pod that this copy belongs to you.

• Where it comes from: whoever gave you pod. You don't sign up for it anywhere — it arrives with your invitation.
• What it pays for: nothing. It's identity, not money. Filming costs are handled by the next key.

When the wizard asks, paste the key (Cmd-V on Mac, Ctrl-V on Windows) and press Enter.

Key 2 — your KIE key (required, unless managed)

This is the important one to understand: this is the account that pays for the actual generation — every character portrait, every keyframe, every clip of your telugu vertical or your two-minute teaser is rendered in the cloud, and the KIE key is what pays for it. It's your own account, with your own balance, that only you control.

1. Go to kie.ai/api-key in your web browser and create an account.
2. Top up around $5 to start — that's plenty to make your first film and get a feel for costs.
3. Copy the key the page gives you, paste it into pod's wizard, press Enter.

Because the balance is yours, you can check it any time without leaving the studio:

❯ credits
  (pod shows your current KIE balance)

And before any film shoots, pod always shows you an exact cost estimate at the cost gate and waits for your yes — see Money & credits. Nothing renders, and nothing is spent, without your say-so. If you'd like a preview before you even start, estimate --runtime 120 shows what a two-minute film would roughly cost.

Key 3 — your ElevenLabs key (optional)

This one is for voice-over. If your films will have a narrator or spoken voice-over lines, an ElevenLabs key unlocks that. If you're not sure yet — or your characters will simply speak on camera — just press Enter to skip it. You can add it later at any time.

Managed studio accounts: one key, that's it

Some studios arrange a managed account for their creatives. If that's you:

• You enter only the pod license key. The wizard won't ask for anything else.
• Generation is included — no KIE account, no topping up, no separate balance to manage.
• There's a monthly credit cap. Pod warns you as you approach it, and your studio contact handles top-ups.

Everything else about pod works identically — the gates, the modes, the series canon. You just never think about a generation bill.

Changing keys later: pod login

Got a new key? Decided to add ElevenLabs after all? Moving from a shared setup to your own KIE account? Run the wizard again any time:

❯ pod login
  (the same friendly wizard, ready to update any key)

Inside the studio you can just type login — no pod prefix needed.

Where your keys live

Keys are saved to a private file in your home folder on your own computer. There's nothing else to configure, no account page to maintain, and nothing to re-enter next time — pod reads the file quietly on every launch. If you ever move to a new machine, install pod there (see Mac or Windows) and run the wizard once more.

Quick reference

If money runs out mid-shoot

Nothing is lost. Top up (at kie.ai if you use your own key; via your studio contact if you're managed), then type resume — pod continues from the exact checkpoint, and it never pays twice for a take that already finished. More rescue moves live in Troubleshooting.

Keys sorted? Time to make something — head to Your first film, or read how the money works first if you like knowing the bill before the shoot.