In today’s digital content landscape, speed and clarity are everything. Whether you’re a podcaster, video editor, marketer, journalist, or educator, having an accurate transcript of your audio or video content is a tremendous asset. Transcription makes content easier to edit, repurpose, search, and share — and it boosts accessibility for a wider audience.
Descript is a cutting-edge all-in-one audio and video editing platform designed to make transcription intuitive and integrated. Unlike traditional editors, Descript lets you edit your media by simply editing the text transcript, effectively merging text and audio/video workflows into one seamless process.
In this guide, you’ll learn everything about using transcription in Descript—from uploading your files to refining the transcript, adding speaker labels, exporting your text, and troubleshooting common issues. This step-by-step overview will help you unlock the full potential of transcription to streamline your creative process and produce polished content faster than ever.
What Is Descript Transcription?
Transcription, simply put, is the conversion of spoken language in audio or video files into written text. However, Descript revolutionizes this by embedding the transcript alongside your media on a shared timeline. This means the words you see on screen correspond exactly to the moments they are spoken, enabling you to interactively edit both.
Types of Transcription in Descript
- AI-generated (Automatic) Transcription: This is the most popular option due to its speed and affordability. Using advanced speech recognition technology, Descript’s AI transcribes your media within minutes, usually with impressive accuracy. This service is ideal for everyday projects, drafts, and when you need rapid turnaround times.
- White Glove (Human) Transcription: For projects where precision is paramount—legal recordings, medical interviews, or formal presentations—Descript offers a premium human transcription service. Skilled transcribers listen to your media and deliver near-perfect transcripts. Although it costs more and takes longer, this option provides peace of mind when exactness is critical.
Supported Languages and File Types
Descript supports transcription in a growing list of languages including:
- English (various dialects)
- Spanish
- French
- German
- Portuguese
- Japanese, and more.
This multilingual support makes Descript suitable for global creators.
On the technical side, Descript accepts a wide array of media formats, such as:
- Audio: MP3, WAV, AAC, M4A
- Video: MP4, MOV, AVI, WMV
This flexibility ensures you can import files from common devices like smartphones, digital recorders, and professional cameras without hassle.
By integrating transcription directly into your editing workflow, Descript eliminates the need for separate transcription apps or services, speeding up your process and reducing errors.
If you’re curious about the technology behind Descript’s transcription, here’s an in-depth resource: How Descript’s transcription works.
Getting Started: Uploading Your Media
Before you can transcribe, you need to get your audio or video into Descript. The platform is designed for simplicity and efficiency.
Step 1: Create or Log Into Your Descript Account
If you’re new, signing up takes just a few minutes. Descript offers free plans with limited transcription minutes and paid subscriptions that unlock additional features and transcription capacity. Choose what fits your needs.
Step 2: Create a New Project
From your Descript dashboard, click New Project. Naming your project at this stage helps keep your workspace organized, especially if you’re working with multiple files or collaborators.
Step 3: Upload Your Media
- You can drag-and-drop files directly into the project window.
- Alternatively, click Import and select files from your computer.
Descript handles large files gracefully, but be aware that upload time depends on your internet speed and file size. For files larger than a few gigabytes, consider compressing or splitting the file if necessary.
Supported File Formats and Size Limits
Descript supports most industry-standard formats, which means you can use files from a variety of sources, including phone recordings, studio mics, cameras, and screen captures. This broad compatibility makes Descript versatile for any creator’s needs.
Once your files upload successfully, you’re ready to start transcription.
Transcribing Automatically
Initiating transcription in Descript is straightforward but choosing the right options upfront will save you time and improve results.
Step 1: Choose Your Language
Accuracy begins here. Select the language that matches your recording. If your content is multilingual or contains frequent language switching, consider segmenting the audio for better results.
Step 2: Enable Speaker Detection
Speaker detection is a powerful feature that identifies when different people are speaking and labels their sections accordingly. This is particularly useful for interviews, podcasts, panel discussions, and meetings.
Why is speaker detection important?
- It improves readability of your transcript by distinguishing voices.
- It enables better editing by isolating each speaker’s words.
- It aids accessibility when producing captions or subtitles.
Keep in mind, while AI speaker detection is impressive, it’s not flawless. You may need to adjust labels manually later.
Step 3: Start Transcription
Click Transcribe and watch as Descript processes your file. The time required depends on length and complexity but is typically just a few minutes for standard files.
During transcription, Descript analyzes audio waveforms and uses deep learning models to convert speech to text. This process happens in the cloud, so you need an internet connection.
When done, the full transcript will appear alongside your media timeline, ready for editing.
If you want to see a quick visual of this step, check out this guide on how to transcribe audio using Descript.
Editing the Transcript
This is where Descript’s magic truly shines. Unlike traditional editors where you cut waveforms, here you edit text and your media follows.
Navigating the Transcript View
The transcript is displayed as text in sync with your audio or video timeline. Clicking on any word jumps you to the exact moment in the media, allowing precise context and review.
Making Text Edits That Affect Audio/Video
Editing text directly edits the media:
- Delete unwanted words or phrases, and the corresponding audio/video is cut automatically.
- Insert new words or reorder sentences, and Descript adjusts timing accordingly.
This “word processor meets video editor” approach drastically simplifies editing, especially for spoken content.
Removing Filler Words and Silences
Most casual speech includes filler words like “um,” “uh,” “you know,” and unnecessary pauses. Descript can detect these and offers tools to remove them quickly:
- Use the Remove Filler Words button to delete “ums” and “ahs” en masse.
- Trim silences to tighten pacing without sounding unnatural.
This saves hours compared to manual editing.
Correcting Transcription Errors Manually
While AI transcription is accurate, no automated system is perfect. Words might be misheard, homophones confused, or jargon mistranslated.
Descript allows you to listen to segments and correct the text directly. The changes are saved and synced to the audio/video.
By refining your transcript, you improve the quality of captions, subtitles, and any exported text.
For more details, check how to use Descript for audio editing.
Using Speaker Labels
Accurate speaker identification enhances the usefulness of transcripts. Descript provides intuitive tools to manage speaker labels:
Adding and Editing Speaker Names
After transcription, you can assign speaker names:
- Click on the speaker icon next to a segment.
- Choose an existing speaker or add a new one by typing a name.
This helps readers identify who is speaking and improves navigation.
How Speaker Detection Works and When to Adjust It
The AI attempts to group speech by voice but may confuse similar voices or split a single speaker into multiple labels. To correct:
- Select the text blocks.
- Reassign them to the correct speaker label.
This process is simple but essential for interviews or multi-speaker recordings.
Proper labeling makes your transcript more professional and usable for editing, sharing, or publishing.
Exporting and Sharing Your Transcription
Once your transcript is polished, you can export or share it in multiple ways.
Export Options
Descript supports a variety of export formats depending on your goal:
- Plain text (.txt): Useful for quick reference or basic scripts.
- Microsoft Word (.docx): For editing or sharing in a common document format.
- Subtitle files (.srt, .vtt): For captioning videos on platforms like YouTube or Vimeo.
- PDF: For finalized, shareable scripts.
- Full script with timestamps: Perfect for detailed editing or accessibility purposes.
Sharing with Collaborators
Descript makes team collaboration easy:
- Share a link to your project with specific permissions (view or edit).
- Collaborators can access transcripts and media online without needing to export.
- Real-time commenting and version history help coordinate feedback.
This makes Descript ideal for teams working remotely or with multiple contributors.
Bonus Tips to Boost Productivity
Keyboard Shortcuts for Faster Editing
Learning Descript’s shortcuts can dramatically increase your speed:
- Spacebar: Play/Pause
- Cmd + K / Ctrl + K: Add a new speaker label
- Cmd + Shift + F / Ctrl + Shift + F: Remove filler words
- Cmd + Z / Ctrl + Z: Undo changes
Customize shortcuts in settings to fit your workflow.
Combining Transcription with Screen Recording or Podcast Editing
Descript isn’t just a transcription tool—it’s an all-in-one content suite:
- Record your screen or webcam directly in Descript.
- Transcribe your recording simultaneously.
- Edit audio and video as easily as editing text.
This integration saves time and simplifies post-production.
Accessibility Benefits
Transcripts improve accessibility by providing captions or subtitles, helping:
- Hearing-impaired viewers engage with your content.
- Non-native speakers understand spoken words better.
- Search engines index your content, improving discoverability.
Adding captions also meets legal requirements for accessibility on many platforms.
Common Issues & Troubleshooting
Despite its sophistication, you may encounter some challenges:
Fixing Misidentified Speakers
If speakers are mixed up, manually reassign their labels as described earlier. This usually resolves the issue quickly.
Improving Transcription Accuracy
Accuracy depends largely on audio quality:
- Use good microphones.
- Minimize background noise.
- Encourage clear, steady speech.
- Avoid overlapping dialogue if possible.
Better input results in cleaner transcripts.
What to Do if Transcription Fails
If your file doesn’t transcribe:
- Check file format and convert if necessary.
- Ensure the file isn’t corrupted.
- Try re-uploading.
- If problems persist, contact Descript support or try the White Glove service.
Conclusion
Descript’s transcription feature is transforming how creators approach audio and video editing. By allowing you to edit media through text, it simplifies complex editing tasks and speeds up production. Its robust speaker detection, multi-format export options, and collaborative features make it a must-have tool for content professionals.
Whether you’re polishing a podcast, creating captions for a video, or repurposing interviews for blogs, Descript can elevate your workflow and make your content more accessible.
Ready to try it yourself? Dive in and explore the full power of transcription with Descript on your next project.
For further support and tutorials, visit the Descript Help Center and start mastering these features today.