Edit Audio and Video As Text Document With Description
Learning to edit video and audio is difficult, and complex APIs don’t make it easy. If that’s true for your editing experience, you can try Descript , a video and audio editing program for Windows and Mac that transcribes videos and lets you trim, reorder, and even update clips by simply moving the text around.
I checked out the free version of Descript and looked at some of its premium features with included tutorials, and I can definitely see its appeal to podcasters, YouTube users, and other content creators – if you’re willing to pay for better features. But before we get there, let’s take a look at how Descript actually works, because it’s really cool without the bells and whistles.
How Text Editor Descript Works
Descript can create video transcriptions for you, but you’ll still want to comb the AI script and fix any mistakes. However, as long as the speaker is clean and the sound quality is good enough, you probably won’t need to edit a lot.
You can also manually enter and time-stamp the transcription, or even copy and paste the script if it was used for recording. Manual transcription is tedious, but the end result is the same.
After the transcription is complete, you can navigate the video timeline by clicking a specific part of the transcription, and then edit the video by cutting out words from the text. Placeholder Words – for premium subscribers only – even highlights unwanted words such as “uh” and “uh,” making them easier to find and shorten.
You can also replace words using the Descript “Overdub” function, and the program will add new words to the audio track without overwriting. All you have to do is select a word or sentence from the transcript and then retype the words. The program synthesizes the replaced words in the speaker’s voice, and the result is surprisingly convincing.
Obviously, the substituted word here or there will sound fine, while the whole sentence may sound a little artificial, but it uses the speaker’s own voice as the basis, so at least it sounds like them.
I make podcasts and YouTube videos as a hobby, and correcting minor speech errors is by far the most tedious part of the whole process. Worse, reverting to segment dubbing may sound “wrong” if you combine multiple recordings with slightly different sound quality or speech frequency. Descript can solve these problems entirely, although you will have to pay for another editing tool if you want to use overlays and placeholders.
Is Descript worth the price?
This brings us to the most important question: Is Descript enough to replace, say, Adobe Premiere Pro and Audition? You’ll pay roughly the same amount for each, so if you don’t have the money to spend, you probably only want to pick one.
There is a free version, but it is very limited. Free accounts receive a one-time, three-hour allotment of transcription time, after which they must be updated to receive more. Free users are also limited to only 20 screen recordings at a maximum 720p resolution and editing a single project (this means you need to complete or delete the project you are working on before starting a new one).
The Creator subscription ($ 15 per month or $ 144 per year) allows you to record up to 10 hours of audio / video per month with unlimited screen recordings and ongoing projects. However, the Descript Overdub and Filler Word features are locked out for a “Pro” subscription ($ 30 / month or $ 288 / year), which is equal to or more that you will spend (or more) on other subscription-based software with deeper editing capabilities. After spending some time doing this, I would not recommend Descript as a complete replacement for the professional editing software you may already be using.
To be clear, Descript is a fully competent multitrack video and audio editing program. It even has built-in tools for screen capture and audio recording, and allows you to remotely co-edit files with multiple users. These are useful features and the text document user interface is intuitive, but Descript is not as powerful or feature-rich as other editing software. It lacks many important video tools such as color grading and unique transitions, and only a small number of audio adjustments.
However, Descript can meet basic editing needs if you’re just starting out or can’t afford more expensive software, and the revolutionary Overdub and Filler Word features could make Descript a welcome addition to your existing production workflow – if you’ve got it. extra budget. You can always try out the free version and get an idea of the premium features through the pre-included tutorials if you’re in trouble.