In today's marketing landscape, engaging videos and podcasts are a great way to organically reach your target audience - thanks to the immense popularity of Spotify and YouTube. However, creating high-quality content in these formats is often time-consuming and not-so-pocket-friendly. Unless you are an enterprise with enough to spend, your best option is to complement your small team with affordable AI-powered tools. And one such intelligent tool that you can integrate into your audio and video workflow is Descript.
In this comprehensive review, let's find out what Descript is, its features, pros and cons, pricing, and more. So, are you ready?
What is Descript?
Descript started out as a solution for podcasters. But with new features constantly being added to the platform, it has developed into a full-fledged tool for audio and video workflows. Within Descript, you can not only record, edit, and transcribe podcasts and videos but also repurpose your content for different platforms with just a few clicks. The real charm of the tool lies in its ability to edit audio and video like a Word document - it is that easy.
Let's take a closer look at what makes Descript worth a shot, starting with its podcasting features.
Podcasting
There are two ways to bring your audio into Descript - either you can drag and drop an audio file or record it on the go. As Descript offers multi-track support, you can add as many tracks as you like. Each track can have a unique audio file, just like in any DAW (Digital Audio Workstation). So, if you already have multiple tracks in your project, simply choose which track you want to add the new audio file to.
When you add your audio file or voice to Descript, it starts transcribing it in real time. Before you know it, there is a text document in front of you and it has a synced audio waveform at the bottom. This is where the magic starts. Because if you want to edit your audio, simply edit the text or script. And voila, the audio waveform updates automatically.
Often in recorded audio, we later discover that something does not sound right. Thanks to Descript's Overdub feature, you can simply select the part in the text that you want to replace and choose Overdub. Next, quickly type in the words you want to say instead and enable Speech Generation. Descript then generates an AI clone of your voice - upon your consent, of course.
But wait...there's more. Descript boasts a feature called Studio Sound that restores your audio, filters out echo, reduces noise, and makes it sound clean like a studio recording - with a single toggle. And if you have recorded a podcast with a guest, undoubtedly there will be some filler words that Descripts can automatically detect and remove.
Transcription
Descript's AI algorithm can not only transcribe your podcasts but videos as well. It can auto-detect and label over 8 speakers in your recording - automatically transcribing synced audio on separate tracks. The process comes in handy when accuracy in speaker and track labeling is a priority. And the best part is that you can still retain these labels when taking the project out of the Descript environment.
Transcribing your content in a foreign language is not a bother anymore as Descript offers support for 23 languages. On top of that, you can build your custom transcription glossary based on the words or phrases you frequently use. This feature is a crucial step towards improving the accuracy of your future transcriptions.
And hey, if you need help transcribing something for a mission-critical task, you can always rely on Descript's White Glove transcription feature. It only costs $2 a minute. And as it is executed by a human professional, you can expect up to 99% accuracy with all the speaker labels and time stamps.
Video Editing
Before you get your hopes high, there is something you need to know. Video editing inside of Descript is a breeze but it is not as advanced as in most video editing programs. To get you started, there are templates of intros, titles, and captions. If you want, you can also create your own templates and share them with the community. Plus, you get access to a decent library of stock elements including royalty-free images, videos, icons, gifs, music, and sound effects.
When editing a video, Descript lets you add transitions and layers of stock or custom animations such as titles and icons. You can take advantage of the AI Green Screen feature to instantly remove your video background. If you don't want to use your voice for voiceovers, that's alright. Simply create an AI version of yours or pick one from Descript's AI voices. Speaking of voiceovers, you can play with Descript's Studio Sound and Filler Word Removal features within a video workflow too.
Captions make your content accessible to a wider audience and you can create them with Descript with next-to-nothing effort. The process is automatic; just choose the style, animation, color, font (custom fonts also available), positioning, etc. And voila, you have got animated captions.
Last but not least, the AI Eye Contact feature automatically adjusts your gaze if you are not looking directly into the camera or reading a script off a prompter. Well, that is something you don't usually find in video editing software. Impressive, right?
Video and Screen Recording
In terms of the recording quality, Descript can capture up to 4k, whether you are recording locally or over the Internet. And even if your computer crashes during a recording, you have nothing to worry about because of the live backup on the cloud. As both video and audio tracks are recorded separately, it becomes easier to work with them in post-production.
When capturing a screen, you have the flexibility to select the size of the captured area or screen. But the most impressive thing about recording with Descript is live transcriptions. That's right. Whether you are recording your screen or a video podcast/meeting remotely, its AI algorithm automatically generates live transcriptions for you. After you have finished recording, you can edit the transcript however you want.
Integration
Let's talk about the extended functionalities of Descript. On the surface, this tool gives the impression of a quite simple tool with little room for customization. But there are few integrations that make it worthwhile, even for pros.
For example, you can export your audio and video timelines and bring them directly into some of the well-known industry tools including Samplitude, Reaper, Pro Tools, Logic, Adobe Audition, Premiere Pro, and Final Cut Pro.
This allows you to take advantage of the features you like inside Descript such as Studio Sound and still be able to work in editing software that you professionally prefer.
Sharing and Collaboration
Descript provides a hassle-free sharing and collaboration environment. You can either export your file and then manually share it with others or let Descript create a direct, shareable link. When exporting videos, there is resolution support of up to 4k. However, exporting audio gives you a couple of more interesting options, for example, batch file exports. This allows you to export an audio file into discrete chunks with line breaks and markers.
Besides, you can export any audio as video as Descript can create audiograms with animated text on top - perfect for sharing your podcasts on platforms like YouTube or Instagram.
As everything on Descript is cloud-synced, you can share your work with your team and they can give feedback or make changes directly in real-time.
Pricing
There are four pricing plans - Free, Creator ($15/month), Pro ($30/month), and Enterprise (custom pricing). If you pay annually, Descript gives a 20% discount.
The Free plan is perfect for getting familiar with the platform before deciding to make a purchase. It gives you access to 1 hour of transcription and 1 watermark-free video export a month. The Filler Word Removal is limited to 'um' and 'uh' only. Also, you use other features like AI Green Screen, AI Eye Contact, and Studio Sound for a file with a max running length of 10 minutes.
Final Thoughts
Overall, Descript is an impressive product. Sure, it has its limitations, especially when it comes to video production. But it does an excellent job at doing what it was designed to do - making quality video and podcast creation accessible to everyone.
The pricing is fair, reasonable, and above all, affordable for most small businesses. If you are still rather hesitant, it is best to play around with this platform on a free plan and see if it is worth your time and money.