Veo 3.1 Lite (Preview) on Sume: what the preview label means

Sume lists the cheapest Veo row as veo-3.1-lite with the display name "Veo 3.1 Lite (Preview)"; it runs text-to-video at 720p for 4, 6 or 8 seconds, in 16:9 or 9:16, and bills $0.0625 per second with audio or $0.0375 without. The catalog code carries the Preview label in the name only; it does not add a different rule set.

Google's Gemini API pricing page lists Veo 3.1 Lite at $0.05 per second for 720p and $0.08 for 1080p (read 2026-10-10); Sume has the 720p tier only.

What the row accepts

The three Veo rows share one request builder, so Lite has the same envelope as Standard and Fast. The builder accepts a prompt, duration of 4, 6 or 8 (default 8), resolution 720p, aspect_ratio 16:9 (default) or 9:16, and a boolean generate_audio (default true). It refuses image, frame, reference and video inputs, bitrate_mode and model_params.

What Preview means for you

A preview label on the vendor side usually means limits can change. Sume's row name carries that warning, so do not hard-code assumptions: read supported_durations, supported_resolutions and pricing_skus from GET /v1/videos/models at run time, and expect the row to change or disappear if Google changes it.

Cost of ten drafts

Ten 4-second silent drafts on Lite cost 10 x 4 x $0.0375 = $1.50. With audio the same ten clips cost 10 x 4 x $0.0625 = $2.50. That is a cheap way to test a prompt in the Veo family before you spend on Standard, where the same ten silent 4-second clips cost 10 x 4 x $0.25 = $10.00.

When Lite is the wrong pick

Choose a different row when the job needs a start image, 1080p or more, or more than 8 seconds. Gemini Omni Flash 1.1 covers images and up to 4K at 3 to 10 seconds.