How to Use Midjourney (Beginner's Guide)

To use Midjourney, open midjourney.com, type a description of the image you want, and generate — it returns a set of four variations you can upscale or refine. Midjourney is paid (plans start around $10/month); there’s no permanent free tier.

What you need to start

1. A Midjourney account — sign up at midjourney.com. Plans start around $10/month; there’s no free trial on midjourney.com, so assume you’ll pay.
2. A prompt — a plain-English description of the image.
3. Nothing else. It runs in the browser; the old Discord-only workflow is optional now.

Step by step

1. Go to midjourney.com and sign in.
2. Open the Create page (or type /imagine in Discord).
3. Type your prompt, e.g. “a lighthouse on a rocky cliff at sunset, dramatic clouds, cinematic photo”.
4. Press Enter and wait ~30 seconds.
5. You get four variations. From there:

• On an image you like: Upscale (Subtle or Creative) to enlarge it, or Vary (Subtle or Strong) for four new takes on it. Rerun is under the More menu and starts fresh from the prompt.
  • V buttons = variation (new takes on that one)
  • Rerun = four fresh ideas

Small changes compound fast: upscale the closest one, then vary it.

Writing a Midjourney prompt

The formula is subject + setting + style + lighting:

→ “a red fox in tall grass, wildlife photograph, soft sunrise light”

Add photographers, art styles, or film names for a specific look (“shot on 35mm, Kodak Portra”). If you want text inside the image, keep it short — image models still struggle with long strings.

This is the same principle as any AI prompt — see how to write a good AI prompt.

Parameters worth knowing

Add these to the end of a prompt:

--ar is the one you’ll use most — vertical for phone wallpapers, 16:9 for a YouTube thumbnail.

Midjourney vs. free alternatives

If you only need the occasional image, the free options may be enough — see how to generate images with AI for that route, or best AI tools for the wider picture.

FAQ

Is Midjourney free?

No — there’s no permanent free tier. Plans start around $10/month, and the entry plan gives a limited number of fast generations per month.

How do I start using Midjourney?

Sign up at midjourney.com, open the Create page, and type a prompt describing the image you want. It returns four variations.

Do I need Discord for Midjourney?

No longer — the web app at midjourney.com covers the full workflow. Discord still works if you prefer it.

How do I write a good Midjourney prompt?

Use subject + setting + style + lighting, and be specific. “a fox” is weak; “a red fox in tall grass, soft sunrise light, wildlife photograph” is strong.

Is Midjourney better than free AI image tools?

For artistic quality, usually yes. For everyday one-off images, free tools like Bing Image Creator are often good enough.