Descript
Edit audio and video by editing text — plus AI voice cloning.
Description
Descript lets you edit podcasts and videos like a text document, with AI features like filler-word removal, Studio Sound cleanup, and Overdub voice cloning built in.
Pros
- Text-based editing is a genuine workflow shift
- Overdub voice cloning works well
- Good for podcasters and video editors alike
Cons
- Can feel heavy for very simple edits
- Media hours and AI credits both cap out fast on the entry-level paid plans
What it does & solves
Traditional audio/video editing means dragging clips on a timeline and scrubbing back and forth to find the right cut point. Descript transcribes your recording automatically and lets you edit the transcript instead — delete a sentence from the text and the matching audio/video is cut too. It also cleans up recordings automatically (removing 'um's, background noise, and dead air) and can clone your voice with Overdub so you can fix a flubbed line by typing the correction instead of re-recording. That combination turns editing into something closer to word processing, which is a real time-saver for anyone producing podcasts, video content, or voiceover-heavy work regularly.
Use cases
- Editing podcast episodes by deleting text instead of scrubbing a timeline
- Removing filler words, silences, and background noise automatically
- Fixing a misspoken line with Overdub instead of re-recording the whole take
- Transcribing interviews and meetings into clean, searchable text
- Repurposing long-form video into short clips for social media
- Adding AI voiceover, captions, and simple screen recordings for tutorials
- Translating and dubbing content into other languages
Who it's for
Built for podcasters, YouTubers, video editors, and marketing teams producing regular audio or video content who want to skip traditional timeline editing. No editing experience is required — if you can edit a text document, you can edit a recording. Teams get more value from the collaboration and Brand Studio features on higher tiers, but a solo creator can get productive on the free or Hobbyist plan within an hour.
Getting started
- 1Sign up free at descript.com — no credit card required for the Free plan.
- 2Upload or record audio/video; Descript transcribes it automatically.
- 3Edit the transcript to cut, reorder, or trim your recording — the media updates to match.
- 4Run Studio Sound and Remove Filler Words to clean up the take, and use Overdub if you need to fix a line.
- 5Export at the resolution/format you need, or publish a clip directly from the app.
Tips for using it well
- Use 'Remove Filler Words' and 'Studio Sound' as a first pass on every recording — they handle most of the cleanup before you touch anything manually.
- Set up Overdub early (it needs a voice sample to train on) so it's ready the next time you need to patch a line without re-recording.
- Media hours and AI credits are separate budgets — a short, credit-heavy AI edit can burn your monthly allowance faster than long but simple transcription.
- Use the underlying multitrack timeline for fine adjustments (music timing, volume ducking) — the text editor is faster for cuts but not for mixing.
- Export at the lowest resolution you actually need for a draft review; save full 4K exports for the final pass.
Plans & pricing
Free plan: 60 media minutes per month, 5GB of storage, and a one-time batch of 100 AI credits, with exports capped at 720p — enough to try the workflow, not for regular production.
Hobbyist
~$16–24/month
10 media hours/month, 400 AI credits/month, watermark-free 1080p export, custom voice clones.
Creator
~$24–35/month
30 media hours/month, 800 AI credits/month, 4K export, full AI toolset including video generation.
Business
~$50–65/month
40 media hours/month, 1,500 AI credits/month, translation/dubbing in 30+ languages, priority support.