What is Seedream 4?
“Write the frame and get it back at up to 4K, six takes at a time — or attach up to 10 references and edit, combine and restyle what you already have.”
Source: Pika’s Seedream 4 page.
Seedream 4.0 was released by ByteDance’s Seed team on September 9, 2025. ByteDance describes “a unified architecture that enables both text-to-image generation and general-purpose editing, integrating commonsense knowledge and reasoning capabilities.”
Up to 4K
ByteDance: “The maximum resolution has been increased from 2K to 4K ultra-high definition.”
Faster
ByteDance reports “a reasoning speed more than 10 times faster than that of Seedream 3.0.”
Many references
Up to 10 references in Pika; ByteDance says the model itself accepts “up to a dozen.”
Consistent sequences
ByteDance: “image sequences with coherent characters and a unified style.”
Source: ByteDance Seed, Seedream 4.0 Officially Released.
Two ways to use Seedream 4
Write the frame
Describe the image and get six takes back at once, at up to 4K. Best for exploring an idea and picking the strongest version.
Edit, combine and restyle
Attach up to 10 references and change them: edit details, merge several images into one scene, or apply a new style.
Making the most of six takes
Six results per prompt is Seedream 4’s stand-out feature in Pika. Used well, it saves time and credits compared with regenerating one image at a time.
- Keep the prompt focused so all six are usable variations of one idea.
- Pick the best one, then refine it with an edit instead of rerolling.
- Mix and match: attach two favourites as references and ask Seedream 4 to combine their best parts.
- Use the set for A/B testing ads, thumbnails or social posts.
- Draft small, finish big: explore at a lower resolution, then generate the keeper at 4K.
Working with references
| Task | What to attach | Prompt pattern |
|---|---|---|
| Edit | The image to change | “Change [thing] to [new thing]. Keep everything else exactly the same.” |
| Combine | A subject, a setting, maybe a prop | “Place @subject in @setting with @prop. Keep @subject exactly as in the reference.” |
| Restyle | A photo, and optionally a style image | “Restyle @photo in the style of @style. Keep the composition the same.” |
| Sequence | A character reference | “Three panels of @character: 1)… 2)… 3)… Consistent character and style.” |
Use images you have the right to use, and only use photos of people with their permission. For reusable characters, see Character Studio.
How to use Seedream 4 in Pika
- Open Seedream 4 at create.pika.art/apps/seedream and sign in through Pika’s login page.
- Decide: write a new frame, or attach references to edit, combine or restyle.
- Attach up to 10 references if needed, and @mention them.
- Write the prompt: subject, setting, composition, light, style.
- Choose the resolution and shape the app offers.
- Check the credit cost, then generate your six takes.
- Pick, refine, then upscale or re-render the keeper at the size you need.
Pika’s page doesn’t list a price for Seedream 4; the app shows it. See Pika pricing.
Example prompts and results
Six prompts covering Seedream 4’s main uses. Each result slot shows the favourite from one set of six takes, plus what to check and one change to try. The prompts are our own.
Six takes on a logo concept
A minimal logo mark for a mountain coffee roastery: a coffee bean shaped like a mountain peak, single colour deep green on white, flat vector style, centred.
What to look for: Six different takes on the same idea, so you can pick the strongest.
Try one change: Change “deep green” to “burnt orange” and compare the new six.
Storyboard sequence
Three storyboard panels of the same girl in a yellow raincoat: 1) waiting at a bus stop in the rain, 2) the bus arriving with headlights on, 3) waving from the bus window. Consistent character and style, soft watercolour illustration.
What to look for: The girl looks the same in every panel; the style stays unified.
Try one change: Add a fourth panel: “the bus driving away down a wet street.”
Combine references
Place @sneaker on @rock in the setting of @beach at golden hour. Keep @sneaker’s colours and logo exactly as in the reference. Photographic, low angle.
What to look for: The shoe, rock and beach blend naturally with matching light.
Try one change: Replace @beach with a snowy mountain reference.
Restyle a photo
Restyle @photo as a 1960s screen-print poster with bold flat colours and visible halftone dots. Keep the composition and the people in the same positions.
What to look for: The style changes completely while the layout stays the same.
Try one change: Try “Japanese woodblock print” as the new style.
Edit an existing image
Change the café’s awning from red to navy blue stripes and add a small potted olive tree beside the door. Keep everything else exactly the same.
What to look for: Only the awning and the new plant change.
Try one change: Make just one of the two changes to test precision.
4K landscape
A wide panoramic view of terraced rice fields at sunrise, mist in the valleys, a small farmhouse in the middle distance, soft golden light. Highly detailed, photographic, 16:9.
What to look for: Fine detail in the terraces and mist holds up when zoomed in.
Try one change: Generate at a lower resolution first, then only the favourite at 4K.
From Seedream 4 images to video
High-resolution stills and consistent sequences make strong starting points for video in Pika.
Storyboard to animated sequence
Smooth transitions between the three panels: rain falls, the bus pulls in, the girl waves. Keep the watercolour style throughout.
Rice terraces at sunrise
Animate @terraces. Mist drifts through the valleys and the sunlight slowly spreads. Very slow drone push-in. Keep the terraces unchanged.
Sneaker on the beach, ad
Brief: trail sneakers for coastal runners. Waves roll in behind, golden light, slow low-angle orbit. Keep the shoe’s colours and logo exactly.
Screen-print poster, living
Animate @poster. The people move naturally, halftone texture stays visible. Camera static. Keep the flat 1960s colours.
Motion prompts are our own. Techniques: Pikaframes, image-to-video and product ads.
Seedream 4 or Seedream 5?
| If you need… | Use |
|---|---|
| Several options at once to choose from | Seedream 4 (six takes) |
| Up to 4K output, stated on Pika’s page | Seedream 4 |
| Infographics and dense text layouts | Seedream 5 |
| Text in several languages | Seedream 5 |
| Editable layers with transparency | Seedream 5 |
Other options: Nano Banana for photo-real edits and GPT Image 2.5 for transparent PNGs. Full comparison: Pika image models.
Common problems and fixes
| Problem | Fix |
|---|---|
| Six takes are too similar | Loosen the prompt: remove fixed details you don’t care about |
| Six takes are too different | Add specifics: composition, light direction, colour palette |
| Combined image looks pasted together | Ask for matching light and shadows; use references with similar lighting |
| Character changes across a sequence | Attach a character reference and number each panel |
| Restyle loses the layout | Add “keep the composition and positions the same” |
Seedream 4 FAQs
How many images does Seedream 4 make per prompt?
Pika’s page says “six takes at a time.”
What’s the maximum resolution?
Up to 4K, according to both Pika and ByteDance.
How many reference images can I use?
Up to 10 in Pika. ByteDance says the model can accept “up to a dozen,” but Pika’s app lists 10.
Is Seedream 4 older than Seedream 5?
Yes. Seedream 4.0 was released in September 2025; Seedream 5.0 Lite followed in February 2026. Seedream 4 remains useful for its six takes and 4K output.
Is this the official Pika or ByteDance website?
No. pikaais.com is an independent informational guide, not affiliated with Pika or ByteDance.
Get six takes on one idea
Copy prompt 01, generate six takes, pick your favourite, then refine it with a single edit.
Open Seedream 4 ↗Next: Seedream 5 · Image models · AI image hub
Sources: Pika Seedream 4, ByteDance Seed’s Seedream 4.0 announcement and Pika pricing, checked September 24, 2026. Images: Pika. Prompts and tips are our own. Not affiliated with ByteDance.