What is Midjourney?

So you keep seeing Midjourney all of a sudden, but what exactly is it? Let's take a quick look at what Midjourney is, how to use Midjourney, and how much Midjourney costs.

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Wondering what Midjourney is? Before digging deeper, let's define Midjourney:

Midjourney is an AI system that uses artificial intelligence to generate pictures from text descriptions.

The service can create a variety of art styles, from realistic to abstract, and is highly regarded for its detailed and highly rendered images.

How Does Midjourney Work?

Midjourney, as of now, is closed-sourced and self-funded, so the exact mechanics are not public. However, like other popular AI tools, Midjourney uses different machine-learning technologies, including large language and diffusion models.

Like other AI tools, due to the way it collects and uses data to create new images, there are ethical debates and allegations of both art theft and copyright infringement.

How to Use Midjourney AI

How to Get Access to Midjourney

Step 1

First, navigate to the Midjourney landing page and choose Join the Beta.

Step 2

Currently, Midjourney web is accessed through a Discord account. So you'll be prompted either to sign in or to sign up to Discord.

Once you've signed in to Discord, you'll be sent an invite to join the Midjourney server. You'll accept the invite in Discord and have access to the server.

With access to this server, you can now use the Midjourney bot to generate images.

How to Generate Midjourney Images

Step 1

To generate images, first, find any of the Newbie channels and enter the channel. The number following "Newbie" does not matter; any Newbie channel will work.

Step 2

As a free member, you will get 25 free prompts. This means you can request images 25 times. However, if the bot is busy and there is heavy traffic, it might tell you to come back later.

With that in mind, to generate an image, just type /imagine and then insert your prompt. A prompt is a description of your image. It can be as specific or generic as you'd like.

Keep in mind that Midjourney is public, so you can see other people's prompts and images and vice versa. Other people can also download your images and use your prompts.

your prompt will be turned into an image

Step 3

To request a bigger version of one of the four generated images, choose one of the U options. The numbers correlate to one of the four generated images from left to right. So, for instance, if you want to upscale the third image, click the U3 button in the top row. The upscaled version will be generated in a new post.

upscale an image using the upcale buttons

Step 4

The second row of buttons is used for variations. You can choose the button corresponding to the image you want to create variations of. So if an image is close, but you want slight changes to be made, this is a good option.

Below, I wanted more versions of the third image from the original prompt. The images are similar but all slightly different.

create different variations the same image

How Much Does Midjourney Cost?

Now let's talk about how much it costs to use Midjourney. At the moment, Midjourney is not free, although you do get 25 free prompts to start. If you're wondering how much Midjourney costs once those 25 prompts are used, you'll have to sign up for a subscription. The different plans offer different numbers of prompts and perks.

Remember that all prompts and images made through Midjourney web are public on both Discord and the Midjourney website. The only way you can privately use and hide your prompts and images is by subscribing to the highest-paid Pro subscription tier.

Check out the Midjourney subscription plans available:

join the subscription plan for more prompts and privacy

Now you know how to join Midjourney and how much Midjourney costs. Maybe you can create a Midjourney GIF in Photoshop with the images you generate. The sky's the limit!

Do You Own Midjourney AI Art?

The copyright laws surrounding AI art are confusing, given how new the technology is and how fast it's growing.

As it stands with Midjourney, you own the image, but you do not own the copyright. However, it's best to read over the Midjourney terms and conditions to get a complete understanding of their policy.

That's It!

That's a fast rundown of what is Midjourney and how to try it out. AI is a fast-growing technology, and as with all new tech, there is both excitement and caution in the air. Even if you choose not to use AI tools, it's still best to know what they are and how they work.

If you're getting started with AI, we have tons of awesome photo editing tutorials to try: