Budget management and cost tracking for HeyGen video production. Maintains a cost ledger, provides forecasts, and enforces monthly budget caps. Use when: checking HeyGen spend, forecasting batch costs, or reviewing production history.
heygen_settings.py)HEYGEN_MONTHLY_BUDGET_USD, default 50)data/heygen/cost-ledger.json
{
"video_id": "abc123def456",
"module": "products",
"video_type": "walkthrough",
"avatar_id": "josh_lite3_20230714",
"voice_id": "2d5b0e6cf36f460aa7fc47e3eee4ba54",
"duration_seconds": 118,
"cost_usd": 0.14,
"quality_verdict": "PASS",
"youtube_id": null,
"timestamp": "2026-03-31T22:15:00Z"
}
Calculate estimated cost for a production run:
cost = modules × (avg_duration / 60) × $0.07 × 1.1
Full suite estimates:
| Tier | Videos | Duration | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 — Core | 14 | ~23.5 min | ~$1.65 |
| 2 — Secondary | 6 | ~6.0 min | ~$0.42 |
| 3 — Overview | 4 | ~8.5 min | ~$0.60 |
| All | 24 | ~38 min | ~$2.94 |
Append an entry to the cost ledger after each video completion.
Aggregate cost data:
Compare cumulative month-to-date spend against cap:
UNDER_BUDGET — proceed normallyAPPROACHING — >80% of cap used, warn before continuingOVER_BUDGET — halt all production, require manual overrideapps/backend/src/config/heygen_settings.py — cost_per_minute_usd = 0.07data/heygen/cost-ledger.json — the ledger file.claude/skills/heygen-production-orchestrator/SKILL.md — reads budget status