Descript
AI video and audio editor where you cut recordings by editing the transcript, with an assistant called Underlord.
Descript is an AI editor for video and audio built around a transcript. Descript transcribes a recording or upload, and deleting or moving words in that text cuts or rearranges the underlying footage. An assistant named Underlord can perform edits from a prompt, and further tools clean audio, add captions, create clips and translate. A free plan exists.
Best for Podcasters, marketers and teams without a dedicated editor who want to record, cut and publish spoken-word video or audio in one tool.
- Platforms
- API, MCP
- Pricing model
- Freemium
- Free plan
- Yes
- API
- Yes
- Made by
- Descript
- Added
Last verified: . Information taken from descript.com.
What is Descript?
Descript is an editing application for video and podcasts in which the transcript acts as the editing surface. After a recording is made in the app or a file is dropped in, the software produces a transcript, and removing a word removes that moment from the media; a conventional timeline remains available for finer work. Its AI assistant, Underlord, can take a raw recording to a tighter cut on request. Other tools remove filler words and retakes, reduce background noise through Studio Sound, correct eye contact, replace backgrounds, generate captions, clips, show notes and thumbnails, and produce speech from text with stock or cloned voices. Recording options include a screen recorder and remote sessions. Translation and dubbing extend content to other languages. An API and an MCP server are offered, and business plans add SSO, SCIM and brand controls.
Key Features
Text-Based Editing
Cuts, moves and trims video or audio when the matching words in the transcript are edited.
Underlord Assistant
Carries out editing tasks from a written instruction, such as producing a shorter cut of a raw recording.
Studio Sound
Removes background noise and enhances voices on a recording with a single action.
Filler and Retake Removal
Detects filler words, repeated words and duplicate takes and deletes them together.
Clips and Captions
Creates short clips from long recordings and adds animated captions in adjustable styles.
AI Speech
Generates narration from text using stock voices or a custom clone of the user's own voice.
How Descript works
Record or import
Capture video in the app or drop in existing footage, and receive a transcript.
Edit the words
Delete, copy or move text to change the video, and strip filler words and retakes.
Refine
Clean the audio, correct eye contact and smooth jump cuts.
Share
Send a link for comments, add captions and export.
Multiply
Translate the video and reformat it as clips for different platforms.
Screenshots
Use Cases
- Editing a Podcast
- A host records remotely with a guest, removes filler words and exports the episode.
- Repurposing a Webinar
- A marketer turns an hour-long session into several short clips for social channels.
- Product Tutorials
- A support team records the screen and tidies the walkthrough by editing its transcript.
- Fixing a Flubbed Line
- A presenter regenerates a short phrase in their own voice instead of re-recording.
- Reaching Other Markets
- A company translates captions and dubs a training video into additional languages.
Things to know
- Usage is metered
- Plans include a set number of media hours and AI credits per editor each month; top-ups are offered from the Creator plan.
- Free plan is limited
- The comparison table shows the free tier with 60 media minutes a month and a one-time grant of 100 AI credits.
- Seats are billed per person
- Paid plans are priced per person, and extra team members on Creator and Business are charged separately.
FAQs
What is Descript?
Descript is an AI-powered editor for video and audio that transcribes recordings and lets users edit the media by editing the text.
Is Descript free?
Yes. Descript has a free plan that needs no credit card, with limits that paid plans raise.
How much does Descript cost?
Descript offers Free, Hobbyist, Creator, Business and Enterprise plans, with monthly media hours and AI credits on each. See the official pricing page for current prices.
What is Underlord in Descript?
Underlord is Descript's AI assistant, which edits video in response to instructions and can also draft scripts, social posts and show notes.
Does Descript have an API?
Yes. Descript lists an API and an MCP server for editing video through code or from inside an AI assistant.
Which languages does Descript transcribe?
Descript's plan comparison lists automatic transcription in 25 languages, caption translation in 61 and dubbing in 30.
Is Descript suitable for beginners?
Yes. Descript says new users are usually cutting footage a few minutes after starting because editing means deleting words in a transcript.
Is Descript secure enough for companies?
Descript states that it is SOC 2 Type II certified and GDPR compliant, and supports SAML SSO and SCIM provisioning.
Who it's for
- Podcasters
- Video creators
- Marketing teams
- Educators
- Enterprise teams
Used in these workflows
- What it takes to start a podcast, and where AI tools save the most timeStage 3: Recording the episode
- Producing an audiobook with AI narration, from manuscript to releaseStage 4: Proof-listening and pronunciation fixes
- How to build an online course with AI tools, from outline to enrollmentStage 5: Voiceover and narration
- Producing an audiobook with AI narration, from manuscript to releaseStage 5: Audio cleanup and mastering
- The AI toolkit for running a YouTube channel, one upload at a timeStage 5: Editing the video
- What it takes to start a podcast, and where AI tools save the most timeStage 5: Editing the episode
- Where AI tools fit in making a documentary, from research to subtitlesStage 7: Editing the film
- AI tools for making a film, stage by stageStage 7: Editing and finishing
- The slides come last: AI tools for researching, building and rehearsing a presentationStage 7: Recording and sharing
Each guide lists the stages of one job and the tools that help at each stage. All guides
Comments
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Alternatives to Descript
| Tool | Free plan | Starting price | API |
|---|---|---|---|
 PodsqueezeAI podcast tool that produces transcripts, show notes, clips, audiograms and cleaned-up audio from an episode. |
— | — | — |
 RiversideBrowser-based studio for recording, editing, live streaming and publishing podcasts and video with AI tools. |
Yes | — | Yes |
AudoBrowser-based AI audio and video tools for cleaning up, transcribing, cutting and converting recordings, also usable from AI assistants. |
Yes | $5 | Yes |
 ChoppityAI video editor that cuts podcasts and long videos into captioned short clips for TikTok, Reels and Shorts. |
Yes | — | Yes |
 Cleanvoice AIAI podcast editor that removes filler words, background noise and dead air from audio and video recordings. |
— | — | Yes |
Listed in the same categories as Descript. A starting price appears only where we checked it on the maker’s pricing page; a dash means not checked or not published. All Video Editing tools