Opens in a new tab

Descript · media-editor

Descript

Official documentation

Descript links a recording to its transcript, so deleting or moving words can edit the matching audio or video. That makes interviews, podcasts and recorded explainers easier to shape around what was said. Import or record the material, correct the transcript, make the content edits, then use scenes, captions and the timeline to finish the presentation. Studio Sound and the Underlord co-editor add cleanup and assisted editing; text-to-speech can supply narration when that is the job. Keep listening while you edit, because a shorter transcript can still create an awkward cut or change the speaker's meaning. Media minutes and AI credits measure different work and need separate budget checks.

Product profileDocumentation checked

VideoAudio

In this profile

When it fits

Useful for

  • Editing interviews, podcasts and recorded explainers through their transcript
  • Combining captions, scenes and optional synthetic narration in one media project

Limits to consider

  • Generating a wholly new cinematic shot as the primary task
  • Changing a recorded speaker’s meaning without factual and consent review

Capabilities and platforms

  • Transcript-linked word edits cut or rearrange the associated spoken media.
  • Scenes, timeline controls and captions organize a recorded explainer for export.
  • Text-to-speech supports ElevenLabs Multilingual v2, v3 and v4, with tone tags for v3/v4.

Where it runs

  • Web browser
  • macOS application
  • Windows application

Access and setup

Account with plan-dependent media minutes and AI credits. Underlord chat/reasoning and tool use can consume credits; current help says AI credits do not roll over.

Current access and pricing
  1. Open the official web or desktop editor and create a project; import an authorized recording or record a synthetic training script.
  2. Review speaker boundaries and correct names in the transcript before making editorial cuts.
  3. Check media-minute and AI-credit allowances; if generating speech, choose the model in App Settings > AI models and confirm the speaker permission.

Proposed exercise · not hands-on tested

A shorter synthetic onboarding explainer

Input

A self-recorded fictional training explanation with intentional pauses and a supplied correct script; it contains no customer records or other speaker’s voice.

  1. Import the fictional recording and compare its transcript with the supplied script. Correct names and speaker boundaries first, so later edits operate on an accurate account of what was said.
  2. Remove planned pauses or redundant words through the transcript. Listen at each cut, arrange the scenes and captions, and compare any audio cleanup with the original so clarity does not come at the expense of natural speech.
  3. Use the timeline to inspect awkward joins, then export a draft. Watch and listen to the exported file from beginning to end, retaining the editable project for corrections.

Artifact to inspect

A proposed edited explainer with captions and an editable project; no recording or edit was executed here.

What to verify

Check that the shorter explanation preserves the original meaning, captions match the audio and cuts leave natural consonants and breaths. Review the exported file for gaps, clipping and unintended scene changes, not just the editor preview.

Data handling and permissions

Descript treats projects as confidential under its terms, subject to stated processing and access exceptions. Optional project-improvement use can be disabled through Share Data with Descript; separate AI-Speaker provisions allow de-identified training data and sample-quality review. This is not a blanket promise of no training or human access. Section 8.4 treats generated inputs and outputs as user content, with ownership only to the extent legally protectable; third-party rights, service conditions and input permissions remain. Partner generative tools can process inputs/outputs under applicable agreements. Review project-sharing and voice settings before sensitive uploads, and obtain the necessary permission before synthesizing or replacing someone’s speech.

Other options

ElevenLabs
Compare speech synthesis when voice/model control is the main deliverable.
Runway
Use shot generation when the missing material must be newly created rather than transcript-edited.

Sources and scope

Documentation-based; not hands-on tested. Features and policies are vendor statements checked against primary documentation on October 2, 2026. Fit, alternatives and the synthetic workflow are editorial proposals, not measured outcomes, quality rankings or legal clearance. Model, plan, regional and account entitlements may differ.

Source review: . Product access and terms can change.

Suggest a correction