How to Use Descript to Edit Videos and Podcasts (Even If You've Never Edited Before)

Go to descript.com in your browser and click 'Sign Up' to create a free account. You can sign in with Google or use an email and password. Once inside, you'll land on the Descript dashboard. Click the 'New Project' button in the top right corner. A dialog box will ask what type of project you want. If you're editing a podcast or audio-only content, select 'Audio Project'. If you're editing a video, select 'Video Project'. Choosing the right type removes unnecessary tracks and keeps the interface clean for beginners. Give your project a name — something like 'Episode 1' or 'YouTube Video March 2026' — then click 'Create'. You'll land inside the Descript editor, which looks like a blank document. This is your workspace. The free plan includes limited transcription hours per month. The Pro plan costs $12 per user per month (billed annually) and unlocks unlimited transcription and all AI features. For most beginners, the free tier is enough to test the workflow before committing.

Once your project is open, import your media by dragging your file directly from your desktop or file explorer into the Descript project window. For podcasts, drag in your MP3 or WAV file. For videos, drag in your MP4 clip. You can also click the '+' icon in the left sidebar and select 'Add Media' if drag-and-drop doesn't work. As soon as the file uploads, Descript automatically starts transcribing the speech using AI. This takes roughly one to five minutes depending on file length. You don't need to do anything — just wait. When transcription finishes, you'll see your spoken words appear as a text document on the left side of the screen, with the audio waveform or video player synced below it. Every word is clickable and linked to the exact moment in your audio or video. If your file has multiple speakers, Descript will try to separate them. You can manually label speakers by clicking the small tag icon at the start of each paragraph and typing the speaker's name. Doing this now saves time later if you use AI features like Overdub or speaker detection.

This is the core of Descript's approach. Read through the transcript like a document. When you find a section you want to cut — a long pause, a mistake, an off-topic ramble, or a filler word like 'um' or 'uh' — simply highlight that text and press the Delete key on your keyboard. The corresponding audio or video is instantly removed. The clip closes up seamlessly, just like deleting a sentence in a word processor. To remove filler words in bulk, go to the top menu and click 'Actions', then select 'Remove Filler Words'. Descript will scan the entire transcript and highlight every 'um', 'uh', 'like', and 'you know'. You can review them one by one or delete all at once. To rearrange sections, highlight a block of text, cut it with Ctrl+X (or Cmd+X on Mac), click where you want it, and paste. The media moves with it. If the transcript has errors — a word transcribed wrong — click on that word in the transcript and type the correction. Press spacebar at any point to preview what your edited audio or video sounds like before making permanent decisions. This workflow is five to ten times faster than traditional editing for beginners.

Even if your recording sounds rough, Descript's AI can fix most common problems automatically. Look for the 'Studio Sound' button in the top toolbar or in the effects panel on the right side. Click it to toggle it on. Studio Sound uses AI to remove background noise, echo, and room reverb in real time. It works on the entire file — you don't need to select sections manually. Play back a section before and after to hear the difference. It's dramatic, especially for recordings made in non-professional spaces. Next, look for 'Filler Word Removal' under the Actions menu if you didn't already use it in Step 3. This removes 'ums', 'uhs', and other verbal tics automatically. If you need to fix a specific mistake without re-recording — for example, you said the wrong name or date — you can use Overdub. Go to 'Actions' and select 'Overdub'. Type the corrected text, and Descript generates a voice clip using an AI clone of your voice to replace it. Note: Overdub requires you to first record a voice sample (about ten minutes of clean audio) to train the AI model. This is a Pro feature. For basic noise cleanup, Studio Sound alone is free and makes a significant difference.

To add intro or outro music to a podcast, drag an MP3 music file into the timeline area at the bottom of the screen. Position it at the start or end of your content. Right-click the music clip and select 'Duck Audio' to automatically lower the music volume when someone speaks — this keeps dialogue clear without manual volume adjustments. For videos, you can drag B-roll footage (supplementary video clips) into the timeline and position them to play over your talking head footage. Descript syncs them to the script automatically. To add captions for social media or accessibility, click 'Captions' in the left sidebar. Descript auto-generates captions from your transcript instantly. You can style them using the layout options — choose font, size, color, and position. If you're posting to Instagram Reels or TikTok, captions are essential for viewers watching without sound. You can also add text overlays, lower thirds (name tags), and transitions by clicking the 'Elements' panel on the right side of the editor. Descript includes a small library of free stock music and sound effects accessible via the media panel.

If you want to record new audio or video instead of importing an existing file, Descript has a built-in recorder. Click the red 'Record' button at the top of the editor. A recording panel opens. For podcast audio only, select 'Audio Only'. For video, select 'Camera'. Click the gear icon to configure your inputs — choose your microphone from the dropdown, and enable or disable your webcam. Toggle 'Studio Sound' on before you start recording so noise reduction is applied live. If you're interviewing someone, enable 'Record Separate Audio Tracks' to capture each speaker on their own independent track — this makes editing much easier later. Click the large 'Record' button to start. Press the spacebar or click the stop icon when finished. The recording uploads automatically, transcribes itself, and appears in your project as an editable text document within about a minute. This is also useful for recording overdubs — short extra sections to fill gaps in existing content.

When your edit is complete, click the 'Export' button in the top right corner of the editor. A dialog box appears with format options. For podcasts, choose MP3 or M4A. For videos, choose MP4. Select your quality setting — up to 4K is available for video on the Pro plan. If you want chapters, enable 'Include Timestamps' and Descript will use your transcript headings or speaker changes to create chapter markers. Click 'Export' and Descript processes your file and downloads it to your computer, usually within two to five minutes for a 30-minute file. Alternatively, click 'Publish' instead of Export to share directly to YouTube, Spotify, or generate a shareable Descript link — useful for sending to a client or collaborator for review before final download. A full workflow from import to export typically takes 30 to 90 minutes for a 30-minute podcast or video once you're familiar with the tools.