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:
- Create a Discord Account: Download the Discord app or open it in your browser.
- Join Midjourney: Accept the invite to join Midjourney, available on their website.
- Enter Midjourney: Join any channel; a newbie channel is a good start. Use the search bar at the top right to find channels.
- Subscribe: You cannot create images without a subscription. Enter
/subscribein the text box to subscribe to their paid plan. - Select a Plan: It will take you to their pricing page. Subscribe to a plan and start creating images.
- Generate Images: Enter
/imagineto open the image prompt. Describe your image, and AI will create it. - 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:
/askto ask a question./fastfor faster results./stealthfor stealth mode (your images won’t be visible to others)./subscribeto 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 3:2for 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.
Now thinking I want more sites built on this kind of editorial foundation, and a stop at androblink extended that wish into a broader hope, sites built on substance and care rather than on metrics and growth are the kind of sites I want to see more of and this one is a small example worth supporting.
Felt mildly happier after reading, which sounds silly but is true, and a look at briskolives extended that small mood lift, content that improves rather than degrades my mental state is content I want more of and the cumulative effect of reading sites that lift versus sites that drag is real over time.
Well done, the writing is professional without being stiff, and the topic is treated with care, and a look at creativehomeandstyle reflected that approach, the kind of site I would point a colleague to if they asked for a reliable starting point on this topic in the future without any hesitation at all.
A welcome contrast to the loud takes that have dominated my feed lately, and a look at boundcliff extended that calm voice, content that arrives without yelling has become unusual in the modern attention economy and this site is one of the few places I have found that consistently delivers without raising its voice.
Polished and informative without feeling overproduced, that is the sweet spot, and a look at modernlivingcollective hit it again, you can tell when a site has been built with care versus thrown together for the sake of having something to put online and this is clearly the former approach taken by the team.
Now planning to come back when I have the right kind of attention to read carefully, and a stop at intentionalstylehub reinforced that plan, choosing the right moment to read certain content is a quiet form of respect for the work and this site is generating those careful planning behaviours from me consistently as a reader.
Speaking from the perspective of a fairly demanding reader the writing here clears the bar consistently, and a look at refinedmoderncollections continued clearing that bar, the calibration of demanding reader is something I apply to all sources and this site has been one of the few that handles the demanding reading well across pieces sampled.
Appreciate how nothing here feels copied or pieced together from other places, the voice is consistent and the tone stays human, and after I checked ulnova I noticed the same style holds, which is a small detail but it makes the whole experience feel personal rather than like another generic site.
Coming back tomorrow when I can give this a proper read, the post deserves better attention than I can give right now, and a look at cobaltcrate suggests there is plenty more here that deserves the same treatment, definitely a site I will be exploring properly over the next few days when I can.
During a quiet evening reading session this provided just the right depth without being heavy, and a stop at dreamshopworld maintained the same evening appropriate weight, content with depth that does not exhaust the reader is content with editorial calibration and this site has clearly figured out how to be substantial without being demanding all the time.
Reading this on a long flight and finding it the best thing I read across hours of trying, and a stop at wildstonegallery kept the streak going, when content beats long flight reading you know it has substance because flight reading is a hard test of a piece given the alternatives available everywhere.
Worth a quiet moment of recognition for the consistency I have noticed across multiple posts, and a stop at beltbrunch continued that consistent quality, sites that maintain quality across many pieces rather than peaking on one viral post are sites with real editorial discipline and this one has clearly developed that discipline carefully.
Now wishing more sites covered topics with this level of care, and a look at compassbraid extended that wish across more subjects, the rarity of careful coverage on most topics is a problem and this site is one of the small antidotes to that broader pattern of casual or surface treatment of complex subjects.
Now thinking about how this post will age over the coming years, and a stop at cadetgrails suggested the same durability, content built to age well rather than to capture the attention of the moment is content with a different kind of value and this site has clearly chosen the long horizon over the short one.
If a friend asked me where to read carefully on the topic I would send them here without hesitation, and a look at intentionalglobalstore confirmed the recommendation strength, the directness of my recommendation reflects how confident I am in the quality and this site has earned undiluted recommendations from me across multiple recent conversations actually.
Glad to find something on this topic that does not start with three paragraphs of throat clearing before getting to the point, and a stop at kettlemarket also dives right in, respect for the readers time shows up in small editorial choices like this and they add up to a real difference quickly.
Reading this on a phone at a coffee shop and finding it perfectly suited to that context, and a stop at crazecocoa continued the comfortable mobile experience, content that works across reading conditions without compromising on substance is increasingly important and this site has clearly thought about the whole reader experience here.
If you scroll past this site without looking carefully you will miss something, and a stop at ardenbeach extended that mild warning, the surface of the site does not advertise its quality loudly which means careful attention is required to recognise what is being offered here which is itself a kind of editorial signal.
One of the more thoughtful posts I have read recently on this topic, and a stop at curatedmodernlifestyle added even more weight to that impression, this is genuinely good content that holds its own against far better known sites in the same space without trying to imitate any of them at all which I appreciate.
Skimmed first and then went back to read carefully, and the careful read paid off in places I had missed, and a stop at cantclap got the same treatment, the rare site whose content rewards a second pass is content I want more of in my regular rotation rather than disposable single read articles.