# Descript

> Edit video and podcasts by editing their transcript, with AI audio cleanup and clips

- Category: [Video AI](https://finderatlas.com/categories/video-ai)
- Pricing: Freemium
- Website: https://www.descript.com
- Platforms: Web, macOS, Windows, API
- API: available
- Made by: Descript, founded 2017, San Francisco, CA
- Rating: 4.0/5 from 1 user review
- Last updated: 2026-10-20
- FinderAtlas page: https://finderatlas.com/tools/descript

## Overview

Descript is a video and audio editor in which you edit media by editing its transcript. When you record or import a file, Descript transcribes it automatically. Deleting words from the text removes the matching audio and video, and a timeline is available for finer control. It is used for podcasts, YouTube videos, screen recordings, interviews and marketing clips.

## Key features

- Text-based editing
- Underlord
- Studio Sound
- Filler word and retake removal
- AI speech and voice clones
- Create clips
- Recording
- Translation and dubbing
- Generation tools
- API and MCP

## Pricing

- **Free** ($0): 1 media hour per month and 100 one-time AI credits
- **Hobbyist** ($24/user/mo): 10 media hours and 400 AI credits per month, 1 person
- **Creator** ($35/user/mo): 30 media hours and 800 AI credits per month, up to 3 seats
- **Business** ($65/user/mo): 40 media hours and 1,500 AI credits per month, up to 5 seats
- **Enterprise** (Custom): Contact sales; media minutes and AI credits sized to the team

## Best for

- Podcast editing
- Talking-head and interview video
- Turning long recordings into short clips
- Transcription-driven editing

## Who uses it

- Podcasters
- YouTube creators
- Marketing teams
- Course creators
- Video editors
- Enterprise teams

## Strengths

- Editing by transcript makes cutting speech content faster than a timeline alone
- Studio Sound, filler word removal and retake removal are built in
- Includes recording, transcription, captions and clip creation in one app
- Free plan available with no credit card required
- API and MCP server allow automated editing
- SOC 2 Type II and SSO or SCIM on Enterprise

## Limitations

- Free plan exports 720p with a watermark and allows only 1 media hour per month
- Paid prices are $24 to $65 per month on monthly billing, with annual billing needed for the lowest rates
- Media hours and AI credits are capped, with top-ups only on Creator and above
- Desktop app needs macOS 14 or Windows 11 and there is no listed mobile app

## Not recommended for

- Motion graphics and visual effects
- Complex multi-layer compositing
- Mobile-only editing

## FinderAtlas editorial scores (out of 10)

- Text-Based Media Editing: 9.4/10
- Studio Sound Enhancement: 8.6/10
- Ease of Use: 8.8/10
- Feature Breadth: 8.4/10
- Value for Money: 7.3/10

## Alternatives

- [Suno](https://finderatlas.com/tools/suno): Turn text prompts, lyrics or audio into complete songs with vocals ([compare](https://finderatlas.com/compare/descript-vs-suno))
- [Fish Audio](https://finderatlas.com/tools/fish-audio): Expressive text-to-speech, voice cloning and speech-to-text with fine-grained emotion control ([compare](https://finderatlas.com/compare/descript-vs-fish-audio))
- [Cartesia](https://finderatlas.com/tools/cartesia): Real-time speech AI for developers: fast text-to-speech, transcription and voice agents ([compare](https://finderatlas.com/compare/cartesia-vs-descript))
- [Speechify](https://finderatlas.com/tools/speechify): Listen to documents and web pages with natural AI voices, and dictate by voice ([compare](https://finderatlas.com/compare/descript-vs-speechify))
- [Otter.ai](https://finderatlas.com/tools/otter-ai): Record, transcribe and summarize meetings, with action items and searchable AI chat ([compare](https://finderatlas.com/compare/descript-vs-otter-ai))
- [Murf AI](https://finderatlas.com/tools/murf): Studio-quality AI voiceovers and text-to-speech API for creators, teams and voice agents ([compare](https://finderatlas.com/compare/descript-vs-murf))
- [ElevenLabs](https://finderatlas.com/tools/elevenlabs): Text-to-speech, voice cloning, dubbing and voice agents built on in-house audio models ([compare](https://finderatlas.com/compare/descript-vs-elevenlabs))
- [Wondercraft](https://finderatlas.com/tools/wondercraft): AI studio for turning scripts, documents and ideas into podcasts, audio ads and video ([compare](https://finderatlas.com/compare/descript-vs-wondercraft))

## Recent updates

- 2026-08-08 (Underlord AI): Underlord AI Assistant Launch

## Recent user reviews

- 4/5 (2026-11-06): Editing audio by changing the transcript text feels natural, and filler-word removal saves a lot of time on podcast edits. Exports can be slow on longer projects.

## FAQ

**How does text-based editing work in Descript?**

Descript transcribes your recording automatically. When you delete or move words in the transcript, the matching audio and video is cut or moved, and you can switch to a timeline for finer edits.

**Is Descript free?**

Yes, there is a Free plan with 1 media hour per month, 100 one-time AI credits, 720p export with a watermark and 5GB of storage. Paid plans start at $24 per month, or $16 per month billed annually.

**Which plan removes the watermark?**

Hobbyist, at $24 per month, exports without a watermark at up to 1080p. Creator and Business export at up to 4K.

**What are media hours and AI credits?**

Media hours limit how much audio and video you can transcribe each month. AI credits are spent on AI features such as Underlord edits and generation. Creator and Business plans can buy top-ups.

**Does Descript run on my computer or in the browser?**

Both. There is a web app and a desktop app that requires macOS 14 (Sonoma) or Windows 11 or newer. Descript does not list a mobile app.

**Does Descript have an API?**

Yes. Descript has an HTTPS API for importing media, running Underlord edits and publishing projects, plus an MCP server for AI assistants. Usage consumes your media minutes and AI credits, and requests return a 402 error when you run out.