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

1 free hour of transcription per month on Descript

Get 1 free hour of transcription per month on Descript and up to $240 savings with Secret.

Main features

Starting Price

$19

/ user / month

Free Plan

Yes

Audio cleanup and enhancement

Synthetic voice

Screen recording

Interactive transcripts

Transcription

1 free hour of transcription per month on Descript

Get 1 free hour of transcription per month on Descript and up to $240 savings with Secret.

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.


On...

logo descript

Descript

Video and audio editing, as easy as a doc

1 free hour of transcription per month on Descript

Save up to $240

camtasia logo

Camtasia

Capture, edit, and share your story

45% off an annual subscription for 1 year on Camtasia

Save up to $81

Get Camtasia deal

Both Descript and Loom are robust video software solutions, each offering a comprehensive set of features that empower content creators to produce, edit, and share videos effectively.


Descript is known for its powerful audio and video editing capabilities. It allows users to edit video content by directly editing the transcript, making it easy to cut, rearrange, or delete portions of the video simply by editing the text. This unique approach to editing makes Descript particularly user-friendly and accessible to those who may not have extensive video editing experience. Additionally, Descript offers features like background noise removal and the ability to replace words in the transcript with just a few clicks.


On the other hand, Loom is popular for its screen recording and sharing capabilities. It allows users to easily record their screen and webcam simultaneously, making it an excellent tool for creating tutorials, demos, and presentations. Loom also provides a range of sharing...

logo descript

Descript

Video and audio editing, as easy as a doc

1 free hour of transcription per month on Descript

Save up to $240

Loom

Loom

The video communication platform for async work

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

  • 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

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

  • 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

  • 1 free hour of transcription per month on Descript

    Get 1 free hour of transcription per month on Descript and up to $240 savings with Secret.

    Descript Reviews

    4.3

    Descript rating

    4.5

    Ease of use

    4.5

    Customer service

    4.7

    Value for money

    4.8

    Likelihood to recommend

    4.6

    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

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