Descript is a software that simplifies the process of editing audio and video, making it as straightforward as editing a text document. It allows users to record, transcribe, edit, and create content using its synthetic voice tool, Overdub. Users can refine their creations until they are satisfied, then easily download the content or export it directly to hosting platforms with a single click. Descript streamlines multimedia editing, making it accessible and efficient for all users.

  • 01Pros and cons from reviewers
  • 02Main features
  • 03What is Descript?
  • 04How Descript compare to similar software?
  • 05Who is Descript best for according to our reviewers?
  • 06Descript Reviews

What is Descript?

Descript is a comprehensive software tool that allows users to create videos and podcasts efficiently. It centralizes various functionalities such as video editing, screen recording, automatic transcription, and video hosting. The platform also offers professional transcribers for specialized work. It simplifies the process of creating and distributing video clips across different marketing channels. Descript is used by renowned companies like Stanford, Audible, Vice, the New York Times, and Radio Station WNYC. It offers a free plan for trial purposes, but for more advanced features, users need to upgrade to a paid plan.

Pros from reviewers

  • Streamlined collaboration and approval process: Descript allows users to preview episode scripts with clients, making the approval process more efficient. It also supports collaboration, allowing multiple users to work on the same project simultaneously

  • Cost-effective solution: Compared to other software like Adobe, Descript is considered more affordable while still offering a robust set of features. This makes it a cost-effective solution for audio and video editing.

  • Highly accurate transcription tool: Descript's transcription tool is noted for its accuracy, with users estimating it to be about 90% accurate for video content, making it a reliable tool for converting spoken words into written text

  • Time-saving audio editing: Descript's unique feature of editing audio by editing the transcribed text saves significant time and effort. Users can delete filler words, shorten pauses, and enhance sound quality directly from the transcribed text

  • User-friendly interface for non-tech savvy users: Descript's interface is designed to be intuitive and easy to use, even for those who are not technically inclined. This makes it an accessible tool for a wide range of users

Cons from reviewers

  • Poor user interface: Users have reported unintentionally deleting parts of a video while attempting to edit captions or subtitles, which could potentially result in loss of important content

  • Frequent changes in features: The constant alterations to the platform can be confusing for users, and the possible discontinuation of the classic version may lead some to consider other options

  • Lack of customer support: Users have reported poor customer service, with slow response times and unresolved issues, even for paid subscriptions.

  • Stability issues: Users have encountered problems that cause the software to freeze, crash, or break a project, requiring workarounds to keep things moving

  • Unreliable: There have been instances where Descript stopped working, resulting in the loss of days' worth of work on crucial projects, with no effective response from tech support

Main features

Starting Price

$19

/ user / month

Free Plan

Yes

Audio cleanup and enhancement

Editing

Screen recording

Synthetic voice

Interactive transcripts

Descript and Camtasia are prominent video editing tools, each catering to different needs and preferences within the video production space. Although both platforms offer robust video editing capabilities, they differ significantly in their features and user experience, which may influence your choice depending on your specific requirements.


Descript is distinguished by its innovative approach to video editing through transcription and text-based editing. Users can edit video content by manipulating text transcriptions, which simplifies the process of cutting, rearranging, and refining video clips. This feature is particularly beneficial for content creators who prioritize ease of use and efficiency. Descript also includes features like overdub (a voice-cloning tool) and screen recording, making it versatile for both video production and podcasting. Its collaborative tools are geared towards teams working on shared projects, providing a seamless experience for remote collaboration.


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Descript

Video and audio editing, as easy as a doc

2 months free on the Creator plan on Descript

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Capture, edit, and share your story

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Who is Descript best for according to our reviewers?

  • Podcast creators: They can use Descript for transcribing and editing their podcast episodes, and the software's collaboration feature allows for quick changes based on client feedback

  • Audio engineers: They can use Descript for editing audio tracks, with features like deleting filler words, shortening pauses, and enhancing sound quality

  • Businesses: They can use Descript for onboarding and training new team members, as well as for growing their client base and increasing revenue.

  • Video content creators: They can use Descript for editing their video content, with the ability to edit a video based on visual transcription and transcribe while recording

  • Non-tech savvy users: They can use Descript for audio transcription and text-based video and audio editing, as the software is more suitable for those who are word-focused and need to make minor edits

  • Descript Reviews

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    Features

    24 Descript Reviews

    4.3 (24 reviews)
    Leave a review
    • Kayla R

      Visual Learning Project Editor: A Game-Changer for Creators

      Overall, I find Descript to be an innovative and cost-effective tool. It's not perfect, but it has significantly helped me with my projects. I value the ability to edit a video based on visual transcription and the feature of transcribing while recording. However, I would like to see some improvements such as a dark mode, a chroma key feature, and a pause function for screen and voice recording. I also hope they can address issues like lagging and glitches when working in multiple windows. I suggest integrating with Audacity, Davinci Resolve, and Anchor FM. Sometimes, it's difficult to place tracks on the timeline and retain certain filler words. The overdub function also doesn't always show up when needed. Despite these issues, I switched to Descript because it streamlined my needs, minimized background noise, and simplified my workflow. I occasionally go back to other products for fine-tuning, but that's rare.

      September 17, 2024

    • Heather Garcia

      Enhancing Audio Quality with Descript's Language Compression

      I am committed to sticking with Descript as it offers an ease of editing I haven't found elsewhere. My favorite feature is the ability to delete filler words, shorten pauses, and enhance my guests' sound. I value the ability to edit the audio file by removing parts from the transcribed text and switching between text and audio editing. The last episode I edited with Descript saved me 20 minutes. I then use this edited track in Garage Band to add intro/outro music. I know I should be able to do all this within Descript, but I haven't taken the time to learn. The software has difficulty transcribing non-native speakers and I'm unsure how to add an existing transcript and match it with the raw interview track before editing. I switched to Descript mainly for the ease of editing the main interview track.

      September 8, 2024

    • Joyce

      Descript: A Game-Changer for Journalists' Transcription Needs

      As a journalist, Descript has been invaluable for transcribing interviews. It's fast, accurate, and allows me to focus on crafting the story rather than typing out transcripts

      September 1, 2024

    • George Brown

      Best Audio Editing Experience in Two Decades

      I absolutely love using Descript for editing audio and video. It feels like I'm editing a Word Document, which is simply incredible. Once you try it, you won't want to go back to editing with just a waveform. This software introduces a completely new way to edit audio and video content. I appreciate the frequent updates and new features. However, it falls short in terms of audio processing, lacking a noise reduction feature. I initially chose Descript for its affordability, but after using the free version, I was so impressed that I upgraded to a paid version. I switched to Descript from Audition because the latter was becoming too costly as part of the CC Suite.

      August 24, 2024

    • Deborah Garcia

      Enhanced Collaboration: Boosting Productivity with Descript's Features

      The collaborative features of Descript are excellent. My team and I were able to work on projects simultaneously, increasing our productivity

      August 18, 2024

    • Edward F

      Effortlessly Scaled My Podcast Agency!

      We've been able to grow from one podcast client to over 20 in less than a year, successfully onboarding two editors. This has led to rapid business growth and a significant increase in revenue. I value the ability to collaborate with my editing team, allowing us to make swift changes based on client feedback. Training new team members on the workflow was also straightforward. Descript's transcripts make editing much quicker than other apps, halving our editing time. However, the click and drag feature could be improved, and I'm uncertain about the new toolbar. I wish I could use VSTs for easier denoising, as we currently start the workflow in Audition or Pro Tools for any processing before bringing it into Descript for editing. I chose Descript over Adobe for its ease of editing and collaboration, as Adobe is more expensive and doesn't offer the same level of collaboration. I switched to Descript because it's easier to edit with the transcript.

      August 12, 2024

    • Katherine Williams

      Game-Changing Screen Recording: Easy-to-Use and Superb Quality

      The screen recording feature is a game-changer for creating tutorials and presentations. It's easy to use and the quality is superb

      August 6, 2024

    • Olivia S

      Revolutionary Audio Editing with Text.

      The ability to edit audio by simply editing text is revolutionary. It has made my workflow much smoother and faster

      July 27, 2024

    • Shirley G

      Perfect for Streamlining Podcast Edits

      I absolutely love Descript and have even recommended it to several other podcast editors who now use it too. I mainly use it for a "story edit" of each episode, where I take the full audio, chop and rearrange it, and remove filler words. While Descript offers compression, EQ, music, bumpers, and more, I prefer to export to a full-blown DAW for that part. However, Descript would be perfect for those tasks if you're editing your own podcast and audio engineering isn't your main focus. The feature that allows me to edit text and have it automatically edit the audio is a fantastic time saver. I was initially skeptical about the quality of edits this would provide, but 95% of the time, the cross fades it adds are spot on. For the remaining 5% where it's not quite right, I can easily adjust things using the waveform editor. One downside is that the transcription service seems to have been primarily trained on white.

      July 21, 2024

    • Albert Miller

      Top Value Audio Transcription Software

      We utilize Descript for audio transcription and text-based video and audio editing, particularly for our less tech-savvy team members. It performs excellently for both tasks. However, the frequent changes in features and the possible discontinuation of the classic version may lead us to consider other options. We especially use the editing feature, which is more suitable for those who are word-focused and less tech-savvy employees needing to make minor edits. The constant alterations to the platform can be confusing for users.

      July 14, 2024

    • Judy Jones

      Absolutely Love the Concept!

      I really appreciate the concept, but the execution is lacking. The major downside is the absence of support when issues or uncertainties arise.

      July 6, 2024

    • Wayne

      SO GLITCHY, ONLY SUITABLE IF YOU'RE NOT INTO SERIOUS EDITING.

      I used Descript a few months ago to edit my podcast and initially loved it, despite its cost of $12 per month. However, the price has since increased to $15 per month and the software has become increasingly unintuitive and glitchy. It often takes 5-1 seconds to respond and frequently crashes. Despite being deep into my project, I cannot recommend this software for complex, multi-layer editing. I submitted a tech request two weeks ago and have yet to receive a response. I also had issues with their new addition, Squadcast, which separated my recording into three different feeds instead of one complete file. It took me two days to edit just 6 seconds of video. I wish I could recommend this product, but it's far from being genuinely useful, especially considering the continuous price increases and poor performance. I strongly suggest that the developers design the product with a better understanding of user needs in editing.

      June 29, 2024

    • Xena

      Podcasting's Future: Just Beyond the Reach with Descript

      Overall, my experience with Descript has been extremely positive. It enables us to preview episode scripts with clients, streamlining the approval process. Our scriptwriters can work directly with the audio and transcript at the same time, and once they're finished, we can export the raw project for cleanup and sound design in an external DAW - a thoughtful feature from Descript. Despite its limitations and bugs, I find it hard not to recommend Descript to anyone creating a podcast. It's a robust set of audio tools that weren't available when I began podcasting. The ability to organize, collaborate, and publish an audio project in the cloud with a user-friendly interface is fantastic. Editing audio with the transcript and waveform simultaneously allows you to bypass technicalities and focus on creativity. However, stability is a significant issue. I've encountered problems that cause it to freeze, crash, or break a project, requiring workarounds to keep things moving. Also, while Descript has many features, it lacks many tools.

      June 23, 2024

    • Jose Garcia

      Descript: Rapid and Accurate Transcription for Large Projects

      I used Descript for a large transcription project and was amazed at how quickly and accurately it transcribed hours of interviews

      June 15, 2024

    • Susan J

      Overdub Feature Saves Time and Resources for Video Projects

      I was particularly impressed with the Overdub feature. It allowed me to generate realistic voiceovers for my video projects, saving me time and resources

      June 10, 2024

    • Sarah D

      App is superb when functioning properly.

      The app is excellent when it works. However, when issues arise, there's no customer support to rely on. I experienced a problem and even after ten days, it was only partially resolved by an update. Now, I'm facing other issues. The online community can be helpful, but I didn't expect such poor customer service for such a high-quality product.

      June 3, 2024

    • Brian Johnson

      Descript: The Ultimate Podcast Editing Tool

      As a podcast producer, I've found Descript's editing features to be top-notch. It's like having a professional audio engineer in my computer

      May 28, 2024

    • Margaret J

      Essential Tool for Every Video Content Creator

      I've been using Descript for a while now and have seen a variety of new features being introduced. However, the transcription tool stands out for me, which has been a fundamental part of the platform for some time. I'm particularly impressed by the AI's accuracy in the transcription tool, which I estimate to be about 90% accurate for my video content. However, I believe the user interface could be better. I've unintentionally deleted parts of a video a few times while attempting to edit captions or subtitles generated by the automated transcription feature. Luckily, I've always noticed in time, but it could easily result in parts of a video being lost.

      May 18, 2024

    • Quentin

      Intuitive User Interface of Descript

      I found the user interface of Descript to be incredibly intuitive and user-friendly

      May 12, 2024

    • Blythe G

      Exploring Descript: A Unique Voice Synthesis Software Experience

      I've had the opportunity to use Descript, and I must say, it's quite an interesting software. One of the features I appreciate is the synthesized voices they provide, one of which is free. It's a unique touch that sets them apart from their competitors. They also offer a subscription service, which I find to be a great way to access more advanced features. When I tried to create an audio file of my voice reading a text, the result was quite different from what I expected. It was a unique experience that made me realize the complexity of voice synthesis. Interestingly, they inserted words like 'gibberish' and 'yabba' into my audio file, which I found to be a quirky and fun feature. I must say, Descript has a unique approach to their services, and it's worth giving a shot. However, if you're looking for something different, their competitors like Elevenlabs also offer great services. It's all about finding what works best for you!

      May 4, 2024

    • Christina J

      Efficient Audio Editing with Remarkably Accurate Transcription Feature.

      it made my audio editing tasks much more efficient. The transcription feature is remarkably accurate, saving me countless hours of manual transcription

      April 29, 2024

    • Roy Garcia

      Thrilling Adventures with Descript Software: A UX Designer's Perspective

      I'm absolutely thrilled with Descript software! It's like it's constantly keeping me on my toes. As a UX Designer, I appreciate the unique user experience it offers. One day, all the features are functioning, and the next day, it's like a whole new adventure figuring out the new updates. When I try to create a project, I get this exciting popup telling me I'm not connected to the internet, even when I am. It's like a fun little reminder to check my connection and ensure everything is running smoothly. Another feature that I find fascinating is the automatic overdub of a caption with the stock voice. It was working flawlessly yesterday, and today, it's like a whole new challenge figuring out the permissions. It's like a fun puzzle, keeping me engaged and interested. And let's not forget about the older version of the software. It was stable and usable, but this new version? It's like a roller coaster ride, full of surprises and unexpected turns. It's a thrilling experience that keeps me coming back for more!

      April 23, 2024

    • Jordan Davis

      Exceptional Customer Service at Descript

      The customer service at Descript is exceptional. They were responsive and helpful when I had questions about the software, making my experience even better.

      April 13, 2024

    • Edward C

      Still Lacking Stability for Professional Use

      As a user, I believe Descript could be a game changer as it merges transcription and audio editing into one platform, even allowing for cloud collaboration similar to Google Docs. However, I've found it to be unreliable. I've experienced two instances in the past few months where Descript stopped working, resulting in the loss of days' worth of work on crucial projects. The first time, an entire project wouldn't open, rendering my work for a podcast episode inaccessible. Despite reaching out to tech support and tweeting them, I received no response. A month later, another document I was working on stopped functioning. The error message advised me to reload, but this was ineffective. Being cloud-based, I had no backup on my hard drive. I lost at least 8 hours of work and despite reaching out to tech support and their discord server, I received no assistance.

      April 13, 2024