{{Short description|American animated video creation platform}} {{pp-semi-indef|small=yes}} {{more citations needed|date=April 2023}} {{Use American English|date=December 2022}} {{Use mdy dates|date=December 2022}} {{Infobox company | name = GoAnimate, Inc. | image_caption = Headquarters in San Mateo, California | logo = Vyond 2018.svg | logo_size = | logo_caption = Logo used since May 6, 2018 | image = | traded_as = GoAnimate (2007–2018)<br>Vyond (2018–present) | type = Private | industry = Software | founded = {{Start date and age|2007}} <!-- Do not put the launch date of the product nor the release date of the website here; neither of those events mark the company's founding. --> | founder = Alvin Hung | hq_location = 2 East 3rd Avenue | hq_location_city = San Mateo, California | hq_location_country = United States | website = {{URL|https://www.vyond.com/}} | key_people = {{Ubl | Gary Lipkowitz (CEO)}} | services = Video production }}
'''GoAnimate, Inc.''', doing business as '''Vyond''' since 2018, is an American privately held software company based in San Mateo, California. Founded in 2007 by Alvin Hung, the company operates a cloud-based video creation platform oriented towards businesses and enterprises, including an animated video maker known as '''Vyond Studio''', the company's flagship and most-well-known product and an evolution of the company's original Flash-based video maker, and an AI-powered instant video maker known as '''Vyond Go'''.
==History== GoAnimate was founded as an animation software company in 2007 by Alvin Hung, and the first version of its then-namesake animation platform was launched in mid-2008.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/print-edition/2013/08/16/alvin-hung-founder-ceo-goanimate.html?page=all|title=Alvin Hung: Founder & CEO, GoAnimate - San Francisco Business Times|website=San Francisco Business Times|access-date=March 10, 2016}}</ref>
In May 2009, DomoAnimate was launched. This program allowed users to create GoAnimations based on the Domo shorts. On September 15, 2014, the DomoAnimate site closed down and was later redirected to the GoAnimate for Schools website.{{citation needed|date=June 2022}}
In March 2011, GoAnimate, along with Stupeflix Video Maker and Xtranormal Movie Maker, became the founding partners of YouTube Create, a suite of apps available to content creators within YouTube, resulting in an increase in popularity.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2011/03/23/youtube-now-helps-you-make-movies-without-a-camera/|title=YouTube Now Helps You Make Movies Without a Camera|website=TechCrunch|date=March 23, 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://mashable.com/2011/03/25/youtube-create/#SntYCBiil8qr|title=YouTube Adds Animation Tools for Easier Content Creation|website=Mashable|date=March 25, 2011 }}</ref> This suite added more apps later on but was eventually discontinued in early 2013.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/create |title=YouTube Create |via=YouTube |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130122161449/http://www.youtube.com/create |archive-date=January 22, 2013}}</ref><ref> {{cite web |url=http://apiblog.youtube.com/2011/07/introducing-youtubecomcreate.html |title=Introducing YouTube.com/create |via=YouTube API Blog |date=July 1, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130411195241/http://apiblog.youtube.com/2011/07/introducing-youtubecomcreate.html |archive-date=April 11, 2013}} </ref>
In 2011, GoAnimate opened an office in San Francisco.{{citation needed|date=July 2018}} In late August 2011, a school-safe version of GoAnimate featuring dedicated privacy, security, content moderation and group management features, known as GoAnimate for Schools, publicly launched. In October 2011, a custom set of characters based on candidates from the 2012 United States presidential election was released.<ref name="u837">{{cite web | last=Franzen | first=Carl | title=The 2012 Election Is a Draw With New GoAnimate App | website=TPM – Talking Points Memo | date=2011-10-17 | url=https://talkingpointsmemo.com/idealab/the-2012-election-is-a-draw-with-new-goanimate-app | access-date=2024-07-13}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/comic-riffs/post/goanimate-goes-political-make-and-post-your-own-election-season-cartoons-here/2011/10/17/gIQAqptJrL_blog.html|title=GoAnimate goes political: You can make and post your own election-season cartoons|newspaper=Washington Post}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://searchenginewatch.com/sew/news/2118065/goanimate-unveils-political-characters-backgrounds|title=GoAnimate Unveils New Political Characters and Backgrounds|website=Search Engine Watch}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.webpronews.com/look-out-politicians-animated-videos-just-got-easier-to-make-2011-10/|title=Look Out Politicians - Animated Videos Just Got Easier To Make|website=WebPro News|date=October 18, 2011 }}</ref> thumb|right|People using GoAnimate in a computer library On {{Start date|2012|3|1}}, GoAnimate launched the Business Friendly theme, the first of the five "business themes" on the site. In April 2012, the first business-oriented subscription plans were publicly launched. These included 1080p download, watermark removal and replacement, and new business-oriented visual themes. These plans led to increased popularity and exposure for GoAnimate.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.learningsolutionsmag.com/articles/1142/go-and-animate-with-goanimate|title=Go and Animate with GoAnimate|website=Learning Solutions Magazine}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/service-simplifies-creation-of-marketing-and-product-animations/|title=Service Simplifies Creation of Marketing and Product Animations|website=ZDNet}}</ref>
By July 2013, over ten million videos had been created using the GoAnimate platform.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://press.goanimate.com/2013/07/08/goanimate-corporate-fact-sheet/|title=GoAnimate Corporate Fact Sheet|last=goanimateairfoil|website=GoAnimate Press Page|access-date=March 13, 2016}}</ref>
On {{start date|2013|9|16}}, GoAnimate slightly modified its logo, removing the exclamation mark. That same day, the site relaunched with a new user interface, along with the removal of GoBucks and GoPoints.<ref name="New Features: Unveiling The New GoAnimate">{{cite web |title=New Features: Unveiling The New GoAnimate |date=September 16, 2013 |url=https://www.vyond.com/blog/new-features-unveiling-the-new-goanimate/ |publisher=Vyond |access-date=September 16, 2013}}</ref> thumb|Logo for Go!Animate used from November 1, 2007, to September 15, 2013 thumb|right|Logo for GoAnimate used from September 16, 2013, to May 5, 2018
At the end of 2013, the "paper cutout" assets of explainer video pioneer Common Craft were integrated into GoAnimate as a new visual theme.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blog.goanimate.com/features/common-craft-partnership|title=GoAnimate Team Up With Common Craft For New Explainer Video Tool|website=blog.goanimate.com|date=September 2, 2014 |access-date=March 13, 2016}}</ref> In April 2014, multi-seat business subscription plans were launched, including full-featured administrative tools along with group collaboration and review. Around the same time, GoAnimate also released their next Business theme, that being Whiteboard Animation, and a publishing integration with e-learning courseware authoring platform Lectora.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.learningsolutionsmag.com/articles/1409/goanimate-launches-whiteboard-theme-and-lectora-online-integration|title=GoAnimate Launches Whiteboard Theme and Lectora Online Integration by News Editor: Learning Solutions Magazine|website=Learning Solutions Magazine|access-date=March 10, 2016|archive-date=August 27, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170827125314/https://www.learningsolutionsmag.com/articles/1409/goanimate-launches-whiteboard-theme-and-lectora-online-integration|url-status=dead}}</ref>
By the end of 2014, GoAnimate's library contained over 10,000 assets, including a new set of Supreme Court justices and settings.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/courts_law/2014/10/22/f5604e88-58a3-11e4-8264-deed989ae9a2_story.html|title=The Supreme Court's devotees go DIY|last=Barnes|first=Robert|date=October 22, 2014|newspaper=The Washington Post|language=en-US|issn=0190-8286|access-date=March 10, 2016}}</ref> In 2015, the company opened an office in Taiwan,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://en.acnnewswire.com/press-release/english/24425/goanimate-expands-to-taiwan|title=GoAnimate Expands to Taiwan|website=en.acnnewswire.com|access-date=March 13, 2016}}</ref> making it GoAnimate's third location (after Hong Kong and San Francisco).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www1.investhk.gov.hk/success-stories/go-animate-go/|title=GoAnimate|last=MW|first=Chloe|website=www1.investhk.gov.hk|access-date=March 10, 2016|archive-date=April 27, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180427070938/http://www1.investhk.gov.hk/success-stories/go-animate-go/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
In May 2015, GoAnimate announced future expansion plans including going public, but there had been no decision on the listing venue.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ejinsight.com/20150508-goanimate-eyes-listing-amid-expansion-plans/|title=GoAnimate eyes listing amid expansion plans|date=May 8, 2015|website=EJ Insight|language=en-US|access-date=May 5, 2016}}</ref> Around mid-2015, social network features such as favorites, comments and messages were removed as GoAnimate shifted its focus more on businesses and marketing.{{Citation needed|date=July 2018}}
{{Multiple image | image1 = GoAnimate Character Example.png | image2 = Current Vyond Character.png | footer = A comparison of an older GoAnimate character made in Comedy World (left) and a current Vyond character made in Contemporary (right) | width1 = 120 | width2 = 200 }}
On October 19, 2015, it was announced that GoAnimate would migrate from Adobe Flash to HTML5 animation, which allows mobile device compatibility. In that same announcement, it was also announced that the older, less technological-adaptable themes (or non-business themes) such as Lil' Peepz, Comedy World, Anime, Stick Figure, Cartoon Classics, and more would be retired on January 5, 2016, as they were incompatible with HTML5.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blog.goanimate.com/html5-animation|title=HTML5 Is Coming!|website=blog.goanimate.com|access-date=March 10, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160224010834/http://blog.goanimate.com/html5-animation|archive-date=February 24, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> GoAnimate for Schools, however, retained Adobe Flash and the non-business themes until July 26, 2016.{{citation needed|date=July 2018}}
On November 25, 2015, GoAnimate replaced their free plan with a trial plan that lasts 14 days. After the subscription expires, the ability to create or edit videos is locked until a paid plan is subscribed to.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vyond.com/blog/html5-is-coming/|title=HTML5 Updates {{!}} Vyond|website=www.vyond.com|language=en|access-date=2018-07-11}}</ref> By the end of 2015, the company had over 50 employees.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://press.goanimate.com/|title=GoAnimate Press Page|website=GoAnimate Press Page|language=en-US|access-date=2016-05-16}}</ref>
On March 31, 2016, VoiceForge voices were removed from GoAnimate and GoAnimate for Schools.
On May 6, 2018, the GoAnimate platform was renamed Vyond after the company had revealed its launching to occur at an exhibition in San Diego a day later. The developer of Vyond remains as "GoAnimate, Inc."<ref name="Announcing the Beta Launch of Vyond Studio">{{cite web |title=Announcing the Beta Launch of Vyond Studio |url=https://www.vyond.com/blog/announcing-the-beta-launch-of-vyond-studio/ |publisher=Vyond |access-date=May 4, 2018}}</ref>
On May 6, 2019, Vyond announced the retirement of the legacy video maker in December 2019, due to support for Adobe Flash ending on December 31, 2020. All user accounts defaulted to Vyond Studio on August 14, 2019.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vyond.com/blog/legacy-video-maker-retirement/|title=Legacy Video Maker Retirement|website=www.vyond.com |date=July 16, 2019 |access-date=July 20, 2019}}</ref>
On May 3, 2023, Vyond announced Vyond Go, an artificial intelligence-based feature in the video maker that generates videos based on user-provided prompts, similar to ChatGPT.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.vyond.com/blog/vyond-2023-spring-release/ | title=Vyond Spring 2023 Release: Introducing Vyond Go, Plus New Features and Content | date=May 3, 2023 }}</ref> The first public beta was released on June 28, 2023, and is accessible to all users. However, it can only be used 3 times every 24 hours.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://think.vyond.com/the-launch-of-vyond-go-webinar | title=The Launch of Vyond Go: Creating Videos in Seconds Webinar }}</ref>
In September 2023, Vyond announced that the Oddcast voices would be removed from its platform the following month.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://help.vyond.com/hc/en-us/articles/18546986238100-Retiring-Oddcast-Text-to-Speech-Voices | title= Retiring Oddcast Text To Speech Voices | date= October 23, 2023 }}</ref>
As of August 17, 2024, in the Free Trial version, users can only make 3 videos up to 3 minutes in duration.
In March 2026, Vyond introduced Storybook as its fourth major animation style, joining the existing Business Friendly, Whiteboard Animation, and Contemporary themes. The Storybook theme features a hand-drawn, illustrated aesthetic designed for creative storytelling in corporate and educational settings. Simultaneously, the style was fully integrated into the Vyond Character Creator, allowing users to customize characters with specific Storybook-styled clothing, facial features, and body types.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://product.vyond.com/storybook-added-to-the-character-creator/|title=Storybook Added to the Character Creator|date=March 26, 2026}}</ref>
==Product== Vyond's flagship product, '''Vyond Studio''', encompasses a library containing tens of thousands of pre-animated assets, which can be controlled through a drag and drop interface. Asset types include characters, actions, templates, props, text boxes, music tracks, and sound effects. Users can also upload their own assets, such as audio files, image files, or video files. There is also a drag and drop composition tool, which users can employ to create pans and zooms. Spoken dialogue and narration can be recorded directly into the platform or imported as an audio file. Characters can automatically lip-sync the dialogue that is assigned to them. Alternatively, audio can be set as voiceover narration. Users can download their finished videos as MP4 files, GIFs, or video presentations.
Another version of Vyond was also available, called GoAnimate for Schools. On April 10, 2018, Vyond announced that GoAnimate for Schools would be shutting down on June 30, 2019. On that same day, the 14-day free trial was removed from the schools site. Subscription purchases and renewals on GoAnimate for Schools were removed on May 6, 2018, with product support and service officially terminating on June 30, 2019.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://blog.goanimate4schools.com/2018/04/10/goanimate-for-schools-is-shutting-down/|title=GoAnimate for Schools is Shutting Down|date=April 10, 2018|access-date=April 11, 2018|archive-date=June 12, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612142616/https://blog.goanimate4schools.com/2018/04/10/goanimate-for-schools-is-shutting-down/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vyond.com/company/press/|title=Press {{!}} Vyond|website=www.vyond.com |access-date=June 7, 2018}}</ref>
Vyond also provides Vyond Go, an artificial intelligence based feature that automatically generates videos from prompts by users.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.vyond.com/platform/vyond-go/ | title=Vyond Go | Generative AI Script and Video Creator }}</ref>
In 2024, the Android app was launched.{{cn|date=March 2025}}
==Usage== <!--Please don't add any information regarding Vyond-generated videos involving child discipline in this section. For more information, see the talk page.--> A 2014 ''Journal of Management Education'' article described GoAnimate as "the leading software for individuals, organizations and educational users to develop and disseminate animated video".<ref name="s695">{{cite journal | last1=Stratton | first1=Micheal T. | last2=Julien | first2=Mark | last3=Schaffer | first3=Bryan | title=GoAnimate | journal=Journal of Management Education | volume=38 | issue=2 | date=2014 | issn=1052-5629 | doi=10.1177/1052562914524693 | pages=282–289 | url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/286183545}}</ref> As of March 2024, Vyond has over 20,000 customers, including 65% of Fortune 500 companies.<ref name="p477">{{cite web | title=Silicon Valley AI video startup Vyond doubles Chicago footprint | first=Alex | last=Zorn | website=Chicago Business Journal | date=2024-03-22 | url=https://www.bizjournals.com/chicago/news/2024/03/21/vyond-silicon-valley-startup-video-chicago-office.html | archive-url=https://archive.today/20240412091152/https://www.bizjournals.com/chicago/news/2024/03/21/vyond-silicon-valley-startup-video-chicago-office.html | url-status=live|archive-date=2024-04-12| access-date=2024-07-13}}</ref>
Vyond is commonly used by businesses for marketing and corporate education.<ref name="x033">{{cite web | first=Brian | last=Rinker | title=This company scored $50M to bring animated video content creation to the enterprise. But what does that mean? | website=San Francisco Business Times | date=2021-04-16 | url=https://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/news/2021/04/16/what-vyond-animated-video-startup-funding.html | archive-url=https://archive.today/20210602092422/https://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/news/2021/04/16/what-vyond-animated-video-startup-funding.html | archive-date=2021-06-02 | access-date=2024-07-13}}</ref><ref name="v505">{{cite web | title=Bringing your business to life with world-class videos | website=South China Morning Post | date=2018-03-12 | url=https://www.scmp.com/presented/news/hong-kong/topics/creative-hk-marketing/article/2135762/bringing-your-business-life | access-date=2024-07-13}}</ref> GoAnimate for Schools was previously promoted as a way to make lessons more interesting through animation and for students to bring their stories to life.<ref name="m966">{{cite web | last=Gamerman | first=Ellen | title=From Xtranormal to Next Media, the New Stars of Animation | website=online.wsj.com | date=2011-09-02 | url=http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704858404576134203647487090.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110903021240/http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704858404576134203647487090.html | archive-date=2011-09-03 | url-status=dead | access-date=2024-07-13}}</ref> Vyond has also been used to create online fan-made parodies of cartoon shows.<ref name="u540">{{cite magazine | last=Hart | first=Hugh | title=GoAnimate Leashes Underdog for D.I.Y. Site | magazine=WIRED | date=2008-07-25 | url=https://www.wired.com/2008/07/goanimate-leash/ | archive-url=https://archive.today/20240713132423/https://www.wired.com/2008/07/goanimate-leash/| archive-date=2024-07-13 | access-date=2024-07-13 | quote=GoAnimate announced Friday at Comic-Con that it's roping in a posse of old-school cartoon characters for laptop animators to have their way with.}}</ref><ref name="Alper 2023 p. 81">{{cite book | last=Alper | first=Meryl | title=Kids Across the Spectrums: Growing Up Autistic in the Digital Age | publisher=MIT Press | year=2023 | isbn=978-0-262-54536-5 | url=https://direct.mit.edu/books/book-pdf/2154017/book_9780262374002.pdf | access-date=2024-03-08 | page=81 | quote=Nour repeatedly complained about Karim watching fan-produced Caillou and Baldi videos on YouTube that were animated by using the software program GoAnimate.}}</ref><ref name="r874">{{cite web | last=Bernama | first=Oleh | title=Remaja istimewa mampu hasilkan video dengan 'Goanimate' | trans-title=Special teenagers can produce videos with 'Goanimate' | website=Sinar Harian | date=2020-02-02 | url=https://www.sinarharian.com.my/article/68386/BERITA/Nasional/Remaja-istimewa-mampu-hasilkan-video-dengan-Goanimate | language=ms | access-date=2024-07-21}}</ref> Researchers of children's media have noted that young viewers encounter fan-produced ''Caillou'' videos animated with GoAnimate, illustrating the software's circulation in youth media consumption alongside official children's content.<ref name="Alper 2023 p. 81" />
In community areas, Vyond's terms of service prohibit harassment and abusive behavior toward others.<ref name="VyondToS">{{cite web |title=Terms of Service |url=https://www.vyond.com/terms/ |website=Vyond |date=September 27, 2023 |access-date=September 27, 2025}}</ref>
In 2022, Vyond temporarily became unavailable for users from Russia and Russian-occupied territories.{{cn|date=March 2025}}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{Official website|https://vyond.com/}} {{Spoken Wikipedia|En-Vyond-article.ogg|date=March 21, 2026}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:2D animation software Category:Marketing companies established in 2007 Category:2007 establishments in California Category:Websites about animation Category:Internet properties established in 2007 Category:American companies established in 2007 Category:Software companies based in the San Francisco Bay Area Category:Software companies of the United States Category:Privately held companies based in San Mateo, California