Descript Review: Edit Videos Like Docs (It’s That Easy)

Have you ever wished editing videos felt as easy as fixing a typo in a Word doc? Traditional timeline-based editing is time-consuming, which can be overwhelming for creators.

It wasn’t until I first tried Descript that I realized how much time I’d spent fighting with traditional video editors for no good reason. Descript flips everything: just edit the transcript, and your audio and video change with it. There’s no timeline scrubbing, no guessing where to cut.

In this Descript review, I’ll discuss the pros and cons, what it is, who it’s best for, and its key features. Then, I’ll show you how I used it to edit a YouTube video like a Word document.

I’ll finish the article by comparing Descript with my top three alternatives (Otter.ai, CapCut, and Riverside.fm). By the end, you’ll know if Descript is right for you!

If you’ve ever dreaded editing, this tool might change everything for you.

Verdict

Descript makes video and audio editing feel as simple as editing a text document. While it isn’t suitable for complex visual work, it’s great for producing clear audio and making quick edits.

What is Descript?

Descript is an AI video and audio editing platform that lets you edit content by editing its text transcript.

When you upload or record audio or video, Descript instantly creates a transcript. From there, you can cut, trim, and rearrange your media by editing the text.

Instead of dragging clips around on a timeline like you would in Final Cut or Premiere, you edit by changing the actual words in a transcript. Delete a sentence, and that portion of your audio or video disappears.

The Story Behind Descript

Descript was founded by Andrew Mason (also the Founder of Groupon) in 2017. However, Descript really started gaining traction in the podcasting world around 2019-2020.

By 2020, Descript expanded into video. That’s when things got interesting, as the platform allowed users to edit video using the same text-based methods they applied to audio.

In late 2022, Descript raised $50 million in a Series C funding round led by the OpenAI Startup Fund. This round brought the company’s total funding to $100 million.

Investors saw that Descript wasn’t just transcription software; it was the future of content editing.

Breaking Free from Timelines

What makes Descript fundamentally different from every other editing platform I’ve used is that you don’t need to understand timelines, keyframes, or complex editing interfaces. That means anyone with a basic understanding of text editing can edit podcasts and videos in Descript.

Traditional video editors (like Adobe Premiere and DaVinci Resolve) are built around the concept of arranging clips on a timeline. Descript flips that completely, where your transcript becomes the timeline, and the visual interface follows along.

Who is Descript Best For?

Here are the types of people who would benefit the most from using Descript:

• YouTubers, vloggers, and streamers can use Descript to repurpose long videos into highlight clips, Shorts, and captioned posts for social media.
• Podcasters can use Descript to quickly produce, edit, and publish podcasts by directly editing transcripts.
• Marketers can use Descript to generate branded videos, social snippets, and product explainers without video editing skills.
• Social media managers can use Descript to create clips and promotional assets.
• Teachers can use Descript to record, edit, and caption their lessons with no video editing experience.
• Learning & development teams can use Descript to produce training modules and multilingual content with AI translation and captioning.
• Startups & small businesses can use Descript to create demos and pitch videos without hiring video editors.
• Corporations can use Descript to record, transcribe, and share executive updates and training materials.
• Reporters can use Descript to transcribe and edit interview audio/video efficiently.
• Researchers can use Descript to extract clips from interviews.
• Anyone with no video editing experience can use Descript to edit videos like a text document.

Descript Key Features

Here are Descript’s key features you should be aware of:

• Text-Based Editing: Edit video and audio by editing the transcript, making the process as simple as editing a document.
• Automatic Transcription: Upload any recording and get a highly accurate transcript. The transcript can be used for both editing and captioning.
• Overdub (Voice Cloning): Generate new spoken words in your own voice (or a stock voice) by typing text. Fix errors or add lines without re-recording.
• Studio Sound: With a single click, use AI to remove background noise, echo, and other audio imperfections for professional studio-quality sound.
• Remove Filler Words: Instantly delete all “um,” “uh,” “like,” and similar filler words from audio and video for a more professional result.
• Green Screen: Use AI to replace the background in a single click with no special equipment required.
• Eye Contact Correction: Use AI to automatically shift your gaze in video so it looks like you’re maintaining eye contact with the camera, even when reading from notes.
• Translation: Automatically translate your content into over 20 languages for a global reach.
• Captions: Add synchronized captions that can be customized to your brand in just a couple of clicks. Captions boost accessibility and viewer retention.
• AI Assistant (Underlord): An AI video editor that edits, rewrites, and polishes your video with simple text prompts.
• Multitrack Editing: Layer and edit multiple video and audio tracks.
• AI Avatars: Replace real-life presenters with virtual avatars that read your script to produce videos without being on camera.
• Smart Transitions & Layouts: Apply professional scene transitions and layouts for a more polished output.
• Collaboration: Real-time editing and feedback for teams working on the same project.
• Clip Generator: AI automatically finds and creates short, shareable clips from longer content.
• Screen Recording: Easily record your screen for tutorials, demos, or presentations.

How to Use Descript

Here’s how I used Descript to edit a video like a Word document:

1. Sign Up for Descript
2. Try the Free Plan
3. Edit a Video
4. Upload Content
5. Apply Popular Edits
6. Edit the Transcript
7. Edit with Underlord
8. Export the Video

Step 1: Sign Up for Descript

I started by going to descript.com and selecting “Sign Up” on the top right.

Step 2: Try the Free Plan

After creating an account, I was asked to choose a plan. I went with “Free” and hit “Get started” to get a feel for things.

Step 3: Edit a Video

From there, I was taken to my Descript dashboard.

At the top were all of my features:

• Video editor
• Make a podcast
• Create social clips
• Transcribe a file
• Clean up audio
• Add captions
• Fix eye contact
• Translate & dub video

I wanted to explore Descript’s main feature (the video editor), so I selected “Edit a video.”

Step 4: Upload Content

Next, I was asked to name my creation and upload my content. My content could be uploaded in the following ways:

• Upload a file
• Paste a link from YouTube
• Record (record your screen with or without a camera by yourself or with others)
• Create with AI speaker
• Import from Zoom

I decided to add a YouTube link to a TED Talk on “What Makes a Good Life?”

Step 5: Apply Popular Edits

Immediately, Descript began transcribing my video. The accuracy is up to 95% for clear audio, which beats manually typing a transcript any day. If you are making a recording and want the best results, speak clearly and use a decent microphone.

Once Descript was finished transcribing my video, it asked me whether or not I wanted to apply the following popular edits:

• Studio Sound (removes background noise and enhances voices)
• Add captions to extend my reach
• Add fade transitions for an elegant look

I turned on these edits and hit “Apply to my project.”

Step 6: Edit the Transcript

Once I had my transcript, editing became incredibly intuitive.

For example, if there were any awkward “umms,” I could just delete them directly from the text (otherwise ask Underloard to do this for you).

If I needed to rearrange sections, I simply cut and paste like I was editing a Word document.

If I wanted to delete a sentence from the transcript, that exact portion disappeared from my video. No scrubbing through timelines, no guessing where to make cuts.

The learning curve for editing videos with Descript is basically non-existent if you can use basic text editing.

Step 7: Edit with Underlord

Highlighting specific words, sentences, and paragraphs within the transcript revealed a toolbar with the following options:

• Ask Underlord to make automatic edits with AI by describing what you want to have done
• Change the layout
• Add a layer (captions, text, shapes, etc.)
• Regenerate the content
• Ignore, delete, replace, or remove
• Stylize the text with bold or italics
• Highlight the text in different colors
• Duplicate text
• Leave comments

Editing with Underlord (the AI video editing chatbot) is the main way to edit with Descript. It’s really simple: either select one of the recommended edits or start typing to view even more edits.

Step 8: Export the Video

Before exporting my video, I made sure to preview the entire thing. From there, I hit “Export” on the top right.

Descript exports in the following formats:

• Video
• Audio
• GIF
• Timeline
• Transcript
• Subtitles

Overall, Descript is the easiest video editor I’ve ever used. It makes me wonder why editing a Word doc (but for video) isn’t the standard everywhere by now.

Top 3 Descript Alternatives

Here are the best Descript alternatives you might want to consider:

Otter.ai

The first Descript alternative I’d recommend is Otter.ai. Otter.ai is one of my favorite transcription platforms that makes it incredibly easy to transcribe meetings with live collaboration tools.

On the one hand, Otter.ai distinguishes itself with real-time transcription for meetings and live note-taking. You can record, automatically transcribe, and even summarize conversations from platforms like Zoom and Google Meet. Otter’s collaborative features also stand out, allowing multiple teammates to highlight, comment, and share notes instantly.

Meanwhile, Descript is more focused on creators. It comes with podcast and video editing tools, including text-based video editing, AI filler word removal, Overdub voice cloning, and scene arrangement. Descript allows anyone to edit media by simply editing the transcript.

Choose Otter.ai for generating live meeting notes and team collaboration. Choose Descript for editing audio and video with a transcript, making podcasts, and getting access to AI tools like voice cloning.

Read my Otter.ai review or visit Otter.ai!

CapCut

The next Descript alternative I’d recommend is CapCut. CapCut delivers an engaging video editing experience that’s perfect for creators focused on fast content production.

CapCut stands out with its templates and visual design. It has many ready-made social media templates to quickly create videos with smooth transitions, overlays, and animations. CapCut offers features like video stabilization, background removal, and camera tracking to help elevate the visual quality of your content.

Meanwhile, Descript stands out with its text-based audio and video editing and unique features like Overdub for easy voice cloning.

Choose Descript for transcript-based editing of audio and video. Otherwise, choose CapCut for quick, eye-catching videos with effects that are perfect for social media.

Read my CapCut review or visit CapCut!

Riverside.fm

The final Descript alternative I’d recommend is Riverside.fm. Riverside.fm is built for recording high-quality remote audio and video. This makes Riverside a compelling option for podcasters and interviewers who value studio-quality output.

Both tools offer text-based editing, where you can edit audio and videos like a text document. However, the main thing that stands out about Riverside.fm is its reliable recording.

Each participant is recorded locally in up to 4K video, avoiding glitches and artifacts common in Internet-based calls. It also includes remote interviews, multi-track editing, and a powerful editor that streamlines post-production.

Meanwhile, Descript’s primary feature is its text-based editing. All you do is edit your project by changing the transcript, and it instantly cuts and rearranges the video/audio footage.

Descript also offers voice cloning and an AI assistant (Underlord) to clean up your content with simple prompts. It’s a fast way for those to fix mistakes, remove filler words, and create polished clips without timeline headaches.

Choose Riverside.fm for high-quality remote interviews and studio controls. Otherwise, choose Descript for fast AI editing, script fixes, and quick social clips.

Descript Review: The Right Tool For You?

After using Descript for myself, I can honestly say it’s the easiest editing tool I’ve ever tried.

If you hate scrubbing timelines but love the idea of editing video and audio like a Word document, you have to try Descript. It’s perfect for podcasts, interviews, and repurposing long videos into shareable clips.

However, if you’re looking for the best Descript alternatives, here’s what I’d recommend:

• Otter.ai is best for live meeting notes, real-time transcription, and team collaboration.
• CapCut is best for creating eye-catching videos with effects for social media.
• Riverside.fm is best for high-quality remote interviews and studio-level podcast recording.

Thanks for reading my Descript review! I hope you found it helpful.

Descript offers a free plan to get started with text-based editing. Try it for yourself and see how you like it!

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the word “descript” mean?

“Descript” is an archaic or obsolete term that once meant “described” or “depicted.” It’s rarely used in modern English and has largely been replaced by the words “descriptive” or “description.”

What is Descript used for?

Descript is used for editing videos and podcasts by allowing you to make changes by editing the transcript (cutting, rearranging, or adding text) instead of traditional editing tools.

Can I use Descript for free?

Yes, you can use Descript for free. Descript offers a free plan that includes 1 hour of transcription, 2 hours of remote recording, but no watermark-free videos. The resolution is also limited to 720p. For more transcription time, higher-quality exports, and more advanced tools, you can upgrade to paid plans.

What are the disadvantages of Descript?

Descript’s main disadvantages are that its transcription accuracy can drop with poor audio quality, heavy accents, or technical vocabulary. Its video editing features don’t match professional editors, making it less suitable for more complex video editing.

Is Descript safe to use?

Yes, Descript is safe to use. It implements strong security measures such as SOC 2 Type II compliance and uses secure identity authentication with Stytch to protect login credentials. Descript is trusted by major companies like Apple, Microsoft, and The New York Times.

What is better than Descript?

While Descript is a leader in text-based video and audio editing, some creators prefer alternatives like Adobe Premiere Pro or Riverside.fm for more control and remote recording.