Review of Midjourney 2024 – Pros, Cons, and Features

Review of Midjourney 2024 – Pros, Cons, and Features

Midjourney is an AI image generation tool based on Discord, utilizing text commands to create images. You can input prompts for the type of image you’re looking for, and the system will generate the image for you. Whether it’s a dragon, an alien spaceship, a dancing puppy, or anything else, the Midjourney bot will assist you.

Key Points

  • Discord-Based: Midjourney operates on Discord, so familiarity with Discord chat is necessary.
  • High-Quality Images: It generates high-quality images based on text prompts.
  • Artistic Styles: Capable of creating images in various artistic styles from sketches to paintings to surreal photos.
  • Community Interaction: Engage with the community and participate in channels.
  • Image Editing: Allows you to edit your images and create multiple variations.
  • Upscaling: You can upscale your images to enlarge them.
  • Customization: Fine-tune images by specifying aspect ratio, quality, and chaos levels.
  • NLP Features: Excellent natural language processing features ensure accurate results.
  • Version 5: The latest version, released in March 2023, is accessible to users.
  • No Free Plan: Offers various paid plans according to user needs.

How We Tested the Product

I tested both simple and complex prompts, and Midjourney consistently provided accurate results. While I don’t consider myself an artist, it felt like engaging in artistic creation. You’re only limited by your imagination. It generates four images per prompt. You can select one of the four images and edit it. I tried various styles, and the results were perfect every time. Testing Midjourney felt more like fun than work.

Pros and Cons of Midjourney

Pros 👍

  • Extremely easy to use; just type text prompts to generate images.
  • Highly accurate results with high-quality images.
  • Version 4 was great, and version 5 offers even better results.
  • Provides fine-tuning features for artists.

Cons 👎

  • No free trial.
  • Images are public to other users, so you can’t create business designs.
  • Only available on Discord.
  • Limited customer support.

What is Midjourney?

Midjourney is a text-to-image generation tool powered by artificial intelligence. It uses Natural Language Processing (NLP) to interpret prompts provided by users and generates relevant images based on those prompts. Currently in version 5.2, Midjourney does not have a standalone application and operates on Discord chat. It boasts a large community where you can join channels to interact with other artists. While it can create stunning images, it is not recommended for business design purposes as all images are public.

How Does Midjourney Work?

Midjourney uses two machine learning techniques: Diffusion Model and Large Language Model. With the Large Language Model, Midjourney understands the meaning of user-entered prompts. Through diffusion, the system adds noise to the training dataset and then reverses the noise to restore the original image, training the AI to generate accurate results based on prompts.

In simpler terms, if you want to create an image of a “ladybug on a blade of grass,” AI starts with noise (like TV static) and gradually diffuses it to create an image matching your prompt, producing a clear image step by step.

Using Midjourney

Midjourney runs on Discord, a text and voice chat application. Here’s how to get started:

  1. Create a Discord Account: Download the Discord app or open it in your browser.
  2. Join Midjourney: Accept the invite to join Midjourney, available on their website.
  3. Enter Midjourney: Join any channel; a newbie channel is a good start. Use the search bar at the top right to find channels.
  4. Subscribe: You cannot create images without a subscription. Enter /subscribe in the text box to subscribe to their paid plan.
  5. Select a Plan: It will take you to their pricing page. Subscribe to a plan and start creating images.
  6. Generate Images: Enter /imagine to open the image prompt. Describe your image, and AI will create it.
  7. Choose and Edit: You will receive four images per prompt. Select one to upscale or edit. Save the image when satisfied.

How to Upscale Images

When you generate an image, you’ll see buttons labeled U1, U2, U3, U4, V1, V2, V3, and V4. The U buttons upscale the selected image, and the V buttons create four new variations of the selected image. Right-click and save the image when you’re happy with the result.

Special Commands in Midjourney

Similar to /imagine, there are other special commands to interact with the Midjourney bot:

  • /ask to ask a question.
  • /fast for faster results.
  • /stealth for stealth mode (your images won’t be visible to others).
  • /subscribe to subscribe to a paid plan.

A full list of commands is available here.

Parameters

There are special parameters you can set with each command:

  • --aspect: Change the aspect ratio, e.g., --ar 3:2 for a 3:2 aspect ratio.
  • --no: Negative prompts to exclude certain elements, e.g., --no flowers.
  • --tile: Create seamless images that match each other.

All Midjourney parameters can be found here.

Cost

Midjourney offers four plans:

  • Basic Plan: $8/month
  • Standard Plan: $24/month
  • Pro Plan: $48/month
  • Mega Plan: $96/month

These are annual fees, and monthly plans are slightly more expensive. The Basic Plan costs $10/month for a monthly subscription. No free trial is available. The Basic Plan allows for around 200 generations, and all your public images are visible to everyone. Stealth options are available in the Pro and Mega Plans.

Writing Creative Midjourney Prompts

Writing a generic prompt is easy, but crafting a prompt that highlights the beauty of Midjourney’s AI takes experience. Here are some tips:

  • Detailed Descriptions: Provide detailed descriptions as AI might misinterpret vague terms.
  • Brevity: Keep prompts concise. Longer prompts risk being ignored.
  • Negative Prompts: Use negative prompts to exclude elements you don’t want, e.g., “a farm with no animals.”
  • Creative Tags: Use creative tags for unusual images, e.g., “a flying dinosaur – creative.”
  • Prompt Generator: Use a prompt generator to help create detailed prompts.

Is Midjourney Open Source?

Midjourney is not open source. It’s a self-funded project developed by a small team. Unlike Dall-E by OpenAI, which is open source, Midjourney’s software is not available for use, modification, or distribution. However, the images generated in public channels are “open source” in a sense, as they are publicly accessible.

Is Midjourney Safe?

Personal data provided to Midjourney is stored on their servers in the USA. The company ensures user data is safe and secure and does not sell any of your data. If you have used Midjourney, you can request data deletion by providing your email, Discord user ID, and Midjourney user ID. Publicly generated images on public channels are public and should not be used for business designs like logos.


5,990 Comments

  1. Reading this in the gap between work projects was a small but meaningful break, and a stop at opendealsmarket extended that gentle reset, content that provides genuine refreshment rather than just distraction during work breaks is content with a particular kind of utility and this site fits that role for me reliably during work days.

  2. Decided to read this site for a while before forming a verdict, and the verdict after several pages is positive, and a stop at growthacceleration continued that pattern, judging a site requires more than one post and giving sites a fair sample is something I try to do for promising candidates rather than rushing to dismiss.

  3. Came in expecting another generic take and got something with actual character instead, and a look at momentumflowlab carried that personality forward, finding a distinct voice on a saturated topic is impressive and worth pointing out when it happens because most sites end up sounding identical to their nearest competitors quickly.

  4. Speaking from the perspective of having read widely on the topic this site offers something distinct, and a look at clarityovernoise reinforced that distinctness, the rare site that contributes something genuinely original to a saturated topic is the rare site worth following carefully and this one has demonstrated that original contribution capability today.

  5. Useful reading material, the kind I can hand off to someone newer to the topic without worrying about confusing them, and a quick look at buildpurposefullynow confirmed the same beginner friendly tone runs throughout the site which is great for sharing with people just starting their learning journey on this particular topic.

  6. I usually skim posts like these but this one held my attention all the way through, and a stop at momentumvector did the same, that is a strong endorsement coming from me because I am usually quick to bounce when content gets repetitive or fails to deliver on its initial promise made in the headline.

  7. Genuine reaction is that I will probably think about this on and off for a few days, and a look at progresspathfinder added fuel to that, the best content lingers in your head after you close the tab rather than evaporating immediately and this site clearly knows how to write that kind of memorable content.

  8. Reading this in pieces over a coffee break and finding it consistently rewarding, and a stop at forwardprogression extended that into related material I will return to later, the kind of site that fits naturally into small reading windows without requiring a long uninterrupted block is genuinely useful for how I actually browse.

  9. Appreciate the thoughtful approach, the writer clearly took time to make this readable for someone who is not already an expert, and a look at ideasrequireaction kept that going nicely, easy on the eyes and easy on the brain which is always a winning combination when reading on a busy day.

  10. Now setting aside time on my next free afternoon to read more from the archives, and a stop at domemarina confirmed that time will be well spent, the rare site whose archive deserves a dedicated reading session rather than just casual sampling is the kind of resource worth scheduling around and this one qualifies clearly.

  11. Now appreciating that the post did not require me to agree with the writer to find it valuable, and a look at directioncrafting maintained the same useful regardless of agreement quality, content that informs even when it does not convince is content with broader utility and this site reads as useful even when I disagree.

  12. Going to come back when I have more time to read carefully, the post deserves more than a quick scan, and a stop at growthvector reinforced that, this is the kind of site that rewards a slower read which is hard to find in this fast paced corner of the internet but really worthwhile.

  13. Now feeling confident that this site will continue producing work I will want to read, and a look at startpurposefulgrowthpath extended that confidence into the future, projecting forward from current quality to expected future quality is something I do for sites I genuinely follow and this one has earned that forward looking trust clearly today.

  14. Worth pointing out the careful word choice in this post, no buzzwords and no jargon, and a look at coastharbormerchantgallery continued that disciplined vocabulary, sites that resist the pull of trendy language are sites that will read well in five years and this one is clearly built for that kind of long durability.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *