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Descript

Descript

Overview

What is Descript?

Descript is a collaborative audio/video editor, from the company of the same name in San Francisco, that works like a doc. It includes transcription, a screen recorder, publishing, full multitrack editing, and AI tools.

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Recent Reviews

TrustRadius Insights

Descript is a versatile tool that has found a valuable place in the workflows of users in various departments. Users in the Marketing …
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Awards

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Pricing

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What is Descript?

Descript is a collaborative audio/video editor, from the company of the same name in San Francisco, that works like a doc. It includes transcription, a screen recorder, publishing, full multitrack editing, and AI tools.

Entry-level set up fee?

  • No setup fee

Offerings

  • Free Trial
  • Free/Freemium Version
  • Premium Consulting/Integration Services

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Product Demos

Descript Storyboard: Live Q&A

YouTube

E784: Andrew Mason (Groupon) launches Descript audio editing & transcription for podcasters

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Descript Review + Demo // Is Descript worth it for podcast & video editing ? Honest, non sponsored

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Descript Best Transcription Tool Ever

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Descript Demo: Full Demo of Descript walking you through my workflow of this revolutionary software.

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Best Free Text To Speech Software | Descript Overdub Live Demo

YouTube
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Product Details

What is Descript?

Descript Video

Descript is a collaborative audio/video editor that works like a doc. It includes transcription, a screen recorder, publishing, full multitrack editing, and some mind-bendingly useful AI tools. Try Descript for free: http://descri.pt/youtube Video by @czeins and our friends at @sandwich.

Descript Technical Details

Operating SystemsUnspecified
Mobile ApplicationNo
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Comparisons

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Reviews and Ratings

(36)

Community Insights

TrustRadius Insights are summaries of user sentiment data from TrustRadius reviews and, when necessary, 3rd-party data sources. Have feedback on this content? Let us know!

Descript is a versatile tool that has found a valuable place in the workflows of users in various departments. Users in the Marketing department rely on Descript for developing videos, podcasts, and transcribing audio and video files for blog posts and training materials. The software simplifies the process of basic video editing and transcription tasks, making it an easy and intuitive tool for content creation. Content creators particularly find Descript helpful for creating short video clips from longer recordings and as a transcription tool. With Descript, they can edit customer interviews and videos for hosting inside eWebinar, saving significant time compared to other video editing software.

Descript's ability to rapidly transcribe long-form and short-form video content is a key benefit that many users appreciate. This feature allows them to efficiently transcribe and clean up interview recording transcripts, which ultimately saves them money compared to human transcription services. Researchers, in particular, find this feature valuable as they can easily transcribe and clean up interview recording transcripts without the need for external transcription services.

Another important use case of Descript is the creation of micro-content like audiograms and shareable clips on major social media platforms. This functionality enables users to create unique content that can be shared across multiple channels effortlessly. Additionally, Descript is widely used by content creators in various fields for editing live shows, podcasts, and creating support content like quotes, clips, and audiograms. The flexibility of the tool allows it to be utilized for recording, transcribing, editing, and captioning both audio and video content.

Descript's simplified editing capabilities make it as easy as editing a word document. This user-friendly interface is highly appreciated by radio journalists who use Descript to organize audio clips, highlight important soundbites, and meet filing deadlines. Alongside its editing features, Descript automatically removes filler words, streamlining the editing process even further.

One of the major advantages of using Descript is workflow efficiency. It enables fast content editing and easy sharing across multiple channels, making it suitable for creating pre-recorded webinars, training videos, and members-only content.

In summary, Descript is a versatile tool that serves a wide range of use cases. From basic video editing and transcription tasks to the creation of micro-content and simplified audio editing, Descript simplifies the process of content creation across various fields. Its value is seen in marketing departments, content creators, radio journalists, researchers, and many more who benefit from its intuitive interface and efficient workflow.

Document-style editing: Many users have found the document-style editing of video and audio to be a game changer, as it allows people with no traditional video or editing skills to easily record, edit, and publish projects without assistance. This feature provides a user-friendly interface that simplifies the entire editing process.

Overdub feature: The overdub feature has been appreciated by several users as it saves time and effort by eliminating the need to re-record small audio changes during the editing process. With this feature, users can seamlessly make adjustments to their recordings without having to start from scratch.

Automatic identification and removal of filler words: Another highly praised feature is the automatic identification and removal of filler words, repeated words, etc. This powerful tool quickly improves the quality of recorded audio without requiring manual editing. Users can enjoy cleaner and more professional-sounding recordings with just a few clicks.

Delay in User Experience: Some users have mentioned experiencing a delay or lag in the user experience when editing due to cloud syncing. This issue has been raised by a significant number of reviewers, indicating that it is a common concern.

Machine Transcriptions Require Post-Editing: Many users have expressed the need for post-editing machine-based transcriptions, suggesting that there is room for improvement in this aspect. The feedback suggests that while the software provides automated transcriptions, they still require manual editing to ensure accuracy.

Inconvenience of Downloading YouTube Videos: Users have found it inconvenient to download YouTube videos before importing them into the software. They suggest adding an option to directly paste the video URL for automatic import, which would streamline the process and enhance user convenience.

Users have made several recommendations for Descript based on their experiences with the product. Many users recommend trying Descript if you are already involved in audio or video editing. This indicates that Descript is a suitable tool for individuals who are familiar with these types of projects and can benefit from its features.

Another common recommendation is to take advantage of Descript's free trial. This recommendation highlights the importance of exploring the software before committing to a paid subscription. By testing it out, users can determine if Descript meets their specific needs.

Lastly, users frequently mention using Descript for transcription services. They appreciate the simplicity and effectiveness of the automated transcription feature, making it an efficient tool for transcribing interviews and podcast episodes.

Reviews

(1-12 of 12)
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James Hicks | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Rapid transcription of long-form (or short-form) video content. Also the ability to create micro-content, such as audiograms and shareable clips on all major social media platforms. <br>Workflow efficiency is definitely the biggest benefit I utilize Descript for as it allows editing of content incredibly fast and allows the sharing of that content across various channels with little friction.
  • Overdub - being able to us AI to correct voice transcription errors
  • Speed of processing the file
  • Options for output
  • Descript does so much - the weekly video walkthroughs are ok, but could be more descriptive for those new to editing
A high percentage of what most people are looking to do with video and audio can be done within Descript. That's a huge benefit.
The fact that there is a bit of a learning curve in understanding how to maneuver through all the various options is the opportunity for growth.
Outside of that Descript is the truth!!
Jürgen Strauss | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We use Descript for a range of uses - recording audio, transcribing audio and video content, editing audio and video content, captioning videos and also for repurposing existing video and audio content by transcribing and using the text content.

Descript is a tool that is easy to use and makes video and audio editing so simple - just like editing a word document!
  • Audio Editing
  • Video Editing
  • Video Captions
  • Navigating multiple projects and files
  • Ability to duplicate image and text overlays
  • Ability to apply custom templated branding to text overlays
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
I have been using Descript to transcribe a number of User Interviews and Focus Groups.
  • Transcription
  • Generous free tier
  • Great desktop app
  • Ability to remove filler words and record directly within the app
  • When editing a transcript it can get a little cumbersome, as a double click doesn't always do what you think it will
  • Some features aren't that intuitive (what is resize word gap) for beginners
  • A tutorial/wizard as soon as you sign up would be very useful
Great for transcribing User Interviews, Focus Groups etc. If you need to heavily edit the text of the transcription (formatting or foreign words, etc) it's not that intuitive
Samantha Bennett | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
I use Descript to create scripts for webinars and podcasts. I find the system very easy to use, and I like the ability to share, comment, and edit. I can see that Descript has a lot more functionality than I am currently using, and I look forward to exploring those new features. But for now, the plain old visible transcription service works well for me.
  • I like the sidebar - breaking my scripts up into different "chapters" makes it easier to create quickly.
  • I like that it auto-corrects punctuation, capitalization, etc. as I polish the scripts.
  • It's easy for my team and my collaborators to read/listen, remark, and create useable transcripts.
  • I sometimes wish I could "block and move" or delete bigger blocks of text all at once.
For creating scripts, transcripts, and podcast outlines, Descript can't be beaten. It's robust, reliable, and easy to operate. As I mentioned, I understand they have a bunch of new capabilities around video editing, but I haven't had a reason to try that yet.
Brecht Palombo | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We're a small company I use it to create unique content for my team then turn into videos audio and articles. I also use it to create pre-recorded webinars and training videos as well as a weekly Members only content video
  • Pre-record a webinar
  • Create exclusive member video content
  • Record a sales video and edit it
  • Create a combination sales video in sales page
  • Podcast production with multimodal
  • Would prefer a completely separate recording in full size for screen and web cam
  • Files aren't the earliest to manage can't always get them where I want them when I have multiple files
  • Adding multiple recordings to a single composition could be better
Super easy for production but sure done reason the export doesn't seem high quality so I'm not sure it's a great solution where quality is Paramount. So far it's best for how-to articles, sales videos as Newberry only content
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
I currently use Descript as a radio journalist to organize my audio clips, highlight important soundbites, lightly edit them, and batch-export certain audio selections. It helps me hit my daily filing deadlines as a reporter and it serves as a backup and library for all of the audio files I capture in the field.
  • Transcribing audio into text
  • Detailed and selective batch exports of audio clips
  • Project organization and file access
  • Doesn't produce a formal invoice that I can submit for reimbursement
  • Still not sure how I would use this to produce an entire story with narration
Descript is fantastic when you have collected a lot of audio (or video) for a story or project and you need to scrub through it to look for the best, most salient things people say. Then you can color-code and export your selections. This helped me immensely when I was working on a radio series with multiple stories and five to six voices per story. I have not yet used it for start-to-finish editing--typically I use it in conjunction with a multitrack editor like Hindenburg or Acoustica.
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
I use it for editing my live show and podcast. It's a fantastic tool that makes editing much faster. Also creating support content like quotes, clips, and audiograms is simpler. I don't have to listen through everything; I can simply edit the transcript. I'd highly recommend the tool to anyone seeking to edit audio files or create small sound bites of contents from their recordings.
  • Audio file editing via transcript
  • Creating audiograms
  • Subtitles
  • I would like to see direct publishing of content to SM
  • Send highlighted text (i.e., a quote) to Canva automatically to create post artwork
  • After highlighting quote passages, send all those highlighted in one color to a text file with the name of the speaker, like a list of quotes.
  • Be able to set a series of tags and from that, Descript should create a list of highlights with the time stamps. Maybe the tags can have a title that goes with the time stamp.
For audio editing, I find it most suitable. For video editing, less so because if you edit by the transcript, the video can get jumpy.
Beau Roberts | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Descript is currently being used by the Marketing department for developing videos & podcasts, and transcribing audio and video files for developing blog posts and training materials.
  • Document-style editing of video and audio. This is really a game changer, enabling people with no traditional video or editing skills to record, edit, and publish video and audio projects without help. And the overdub feature really saves time and effort by removing the need to re-record small audio changes during the editing process.
  • Automated Transcription. Like all machine-based transcription, I wish that it was more accurate sometimes, but it is very competitive with other solutions I've used and it's very nicely integrated into product and workflow.
  • Automatic identification and removal of filler words, repeated words, etc. Again this is really a game changer for me in terms of being able to quickly improve the quality of recorded audio without needing to do manual editing.
  • Integrated one-click publishing. Being able to publish with one click to multiple formats or their cloud-based hosting is very convenient.
  • UX Performance. Because it's synced to the cloud, there can be some delay or lag in the UX when editing.
  • Editing Transcriptions. Machine-based transcriptions always need some post-editing. While Descript makes it pretty easy, I still think there is some room for improvement. For instance, I would like to be able to automatically update for all occurrences of a word after fixing it in the transcript.
  • Automatic importing of YouTube and hosted video files. I often have to download a video from YouTube to be able to import it into Descript. Would be nice to be able to just paste in the URL to the video and have Descript automatically import it.
  • Transcription of internal presentations and web conferences. It's great for capturing and transcribing the audio from presentations, demos, etc. which can then be used to develop training materials, blog posts, etc.
  • Podcasts. Makes it really easy to record, edit, and publish video or audio podcasts.
  • Promotional videos. Streamlines and accelerates the process for developing videos.
Melissa Kwan | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We use Descript to edit all of our customer interviews and videos to be hosted inside eWebinar. We used to spend hours and hours on another video editing software and not only was it hard to learn, I could never get it to export in the same high resolution that I was editing in. Descript has saved us at least 10 hours of time per week. Taking editing time from an hour on something small to a few seconds.
  • Automatically generates a transcript.
  • Export snippets by highlighting text on the transcript.
  • Exports in the same hi-res quality.
  • Free recorder
  • Responsive support
  • Easily add pictures, shapes, etc. into the video.
  • Editing video elements by editing the transcript.
  • Easy to learn.
  • Doesn't have editing features that pros might require.
For any startup that uses video in their business, Descript is a great way for anyone in the organization to use without bothering their team or hiring a contractor. It's great for demos, instructional videos, eWebinars, anything that doesn't require production-level editing. It's not going to be great for people who need video production and a lot of the other deep features that 20-year-old solutions may have. But it's also not made for that.
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Descript is used for our podcast recordings and the making of youtube videos. It is used to help with our editing process and making. The problem it solves is editing podcasts and videos without needing to listen to every clip. Descript is able to transcribe our content and edit based on the transcription.
  • Editing video content with a lot of speaking
  • Transcribing video and podcast content
  • Makes editing content with a lot of speaking really easy
  • Descript can do better at actual video editing
  • I wish there were more coloring features
  • There could be more features when it comes to sound editing
If you are starting podcasting for the first time and need an easy editor that will save you tons of time, I highly recommend Descript. Rather than needing to listen to every audio clip, Descript makes it super easy because it transcribes everything. Descript can also take out filler words super easy too!
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Descript is used by [the] research analysts to transcribe and clean up interview recording transcripts. It is fast, and effective, and saves us a lot of money over paying for humans to transcribe calls. It automatically takes out filler words and is easy to import and export different kinds of files.
  • Transcribe audio interviews to text.
  • Identifies filler words, cleans them up to make the conversation smoother and easier to read.
  • Integrates with Zoom and other recording tools.
  • The product is updated almost every day. I would rather do updates not so often.
  • Sometimes (rarely) it doesn't see a new Zoom recording, and I have to manually upload it.
  • It still gets some words wrong, but it is improving.
Transcribing audio phone calls for sales or research. It can get you a transcript for a 45-minute call in less than five minutes, and let you export it to Word or some other format easily. I am sure I am not using all the features Descript has, but it is a valuable tool I use every day.
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
It is used by people who are working with creating content. I am using it very often for two main purposes: to create short video clips out of longer video recordings and to use it as a transcription tool. It is very helpful to all people who are looking for an easy and intuitive tool to help them with basic video editing and transcription.
Also, in Corona times, when everything is in Zoom this is even more important.
  • Super easy video editing.
  • Transcription is more accurate than other services.
  • Nice catalogued library of your videos.
  • Subtitling options could be more customized.
  • Accuracy in transcription can always be improved.
  • Name of some operations is nonsensical.
It is very much suited to extract and create any content out of long, recorded content (I use videos most often). Transcription is really decent and that is a big bonus. For people who want advanced editing, this is a too rudimentary tool.
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