Description
Descript
What is Descript?
Descript is an AI-powered audio and video editing platform that revolutionizes content creation by allowing you to edit media as easily as editing a text document. Founded in 2017 by Andrew Mason (former CEO and founder of Groupon), Descript has transformed how podcasters, content creators, marketers, and businesses produce multimedia content.
Descript's distinctive feature is its transcription-based editing: the software automatically transcribes audio/video and lets you edit content simply by editing the text. Deleting a phrase from the transcript automatically removes that segment from the audio/video. The platform was valued at $550 million after its Series C led by OpenAI Startup Fund in 2022.
In August 2025, Andrew Mason transitioned to Executive Chairman and Laura Burkhauser was named CEO, having demonstrated exceptional leadership as VP of Product for two years.
Company and History
| Data | Information |
|---|---|
| Company | Descript, Inc. |
| Founded | 2017 |
| Headquarters | San Francisco, California, USA |
| Founder | Andrew Mason (Executive Chairman) |
| Current CEO | Laura Burkhauser (since August 2025) |
| Valuation | $550 million (Series C, 2022) |
| Total Funding | $101-104 million |
| Employees | 120-188 |
| Revenue | $55M ARR (75% YoY growth) |
Founder's Story:
Andrew Mason is a serial entrepreneur and Northwestern University graduate. In 2008, he founded Groupon, which became one of the fastest-growing startups in history, going public in a high-profile IPO. Mason was CEO until 2013. He subsequently co-founded Detour, an augmented reality audio tour app, which was acquired by Bose in 2017.
The idea for Descript emerged at Detour, where Mason needed tools for users to record and edit audio for walking tours. Existing audio editing programs were designed for music production and required high technical proficiency. Mason realized text-based editing would be more efficient than manipulating audio waveforms.
Funding History:
- 2018: Seed round
- 2019: Series A ($15M) - Redpoint Ventures, Andreessen Horowitz
- 2021: Series B ($30M) - Spark Capital, a16z - $260M valuation
- 2022: Series C ($50M) - OpenAI Startup Fund - $550M valuation
Notable Investors:
- OpenAI Startup Fund (led Series C)
- Andreessen Horowitz (a16z)
- Redpoint Ventures
- Spark Capital
- Daniel Gross (ex-Y Combinator)
- Casey Neistat
- Tobi Lutke (Shopify)
- Shishir Mehrotra (Coda)
- Naval Ravikant
- Rahul Vohra (Superhuman)
Key Acquisition:
- SquadCast (June 2023): Remote podcast recording platform. Now included free for Descript subscribers.
Key Features
Text-Based Editing
- Automatic transcription with 95% accuracy
- Edit video/audio by editing the transcript
- Delete, rearrange, copy/paste content like text
- Support for multiple languages (German, Spanish, French, Italian, etc.)
- "White Glove" human transcription service ($2/minute)
Underlord - AI Co-Editor (Launched 2025)
- AI agent that edits video under your direction
- Natural language commands
- Tightens cuts, removes silences, improves audio
- Adds visuals and captions automatically
- "Vibe editing" - describe your vision and Underlord executes it
Filler Word Removal
- Detects and removes "um", "uh", "like", etc. with one click
- Saves hours of manual editing
- Customizable for specific words
Studio Sound
- AI regenerative audio enhancement
- Removes background noise, echo, and hiss
- Improves voice clarity
- Converts any recording to professional studio quality
Overdub - Voice Cloning
- Clone your own voice with AI
- Correct words without re-recording
- Train the model by reading a short script
- Generate natural speech in your voice
Regenerate
- Fix voice/video mistakes without re-recording
- Type the correct word and AI generates it
- Adjusts lip movements automatically
- Based on Overdub technology
AI Eye Contact
- Adjusts gaze to appear looking at camera
- Ideal for content recorded while reading scripts
- Improves viewer engagement
AI Green Screen
- Removes background without physical green screen
- Replace with any image or video
- Automatic processing
AI Avatars and Voices
- AI avatars that read your script
- Stock AI voices available
- Create content without appearing on camera
B-Roll Generation
- Create AI B-roll tailored to your content
- Multiple styles available
- Custom prompts for unique results
Screen Recording
- Integrated screen recording
- Multitrack recording (screen + camera)
- Up to 4K quality
Publishing and Collaboration
- Real-time collaboration
- Direct publishing to platforms
- Export to YouTube, Final Cut Pro
- Share via links
SquadCast Integration
- Remote podcast recording
- 4K video
- Studio-quality audio and video
- Included free with Descript subscription
Use Cases
Podcasting
- Record, edit, and publish podcasts
- Audio and video podcasts
- Automatic promotional clips
- Remote recording with SquadCast
YouTube/TikTok Content Creation
- Fast text-based editing
- Viral clip generation
- Thumbnails and social clips
- Shorts and Reels
Marketing and Sales
- Product videos and demos
- Customer testimonials
- Internal training videos
- Social media content
Education
- Tutorials and how-to videos
- Course content
- Educational materials
- Interactive presentations
Business Communication
- Internal communication videos
- Team training
- Webinars (Zoom integration)
- Customer help videos
Screen Recording
- Product demos
- Software tutorials
- Webinar recordings
- Onboarding videos
Pricing and Plans (December 2025)
| Plan | Monthly Price | Annual Price | Transcription Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | $0 | 1 hour/month |
| Hobbyist | $12 | $144/year | 10 hours/month |
| Creator | $24 | $288/year | 30 hours/month |
| Business | $40 | $480/year | 40 hours/month |
| Enterprise | Custom | Contract | Unlimited |
Features by Plan
Free ($0):
- 1 hour transcription/month
- 720p export with watermark
- 1 watermark-free export/month
- Limited AI features trial
- Overdub trial (1,000 word vocabulary)
- Studio Sound included
- Limited filler word removal
Hobbyist ($12/month):
- 10 hours transcription/month
- 1080p watermark-free export
- 20 AI tool uses/month
- Overdub included
- AI Eye Contact included
- SquadCast included
Creator ($24/month):
- 30 hours transcription/month
- 4K export
- Unlimited AI tools
- 120 minutes AI speech
- Advanced filler word removal
- All AI features
Business ($40/month):
- 40 hours transcription/month
- Advanced AI features
- Priority support
- Team collaboration
- Expanded team options
Enterprise (Custom pricing):
- Unlimited transcription
- Enterprise security
- SLA support
- Unlimited AI features
- SSO and advanced admin
Notable Customers
Media and Publications
- NPR
- The New York Times
- The Washington Post
- VICE
Other Sectors
- Universities and education
- Nonprofit organizations
- Public sector
- Marketing companies
AI Technology
Models and Partnerships
- Strategic partnership with OpenAI (lead investor)
- Proprietary transcription models
- Voice cloning technology (Overdub)
- Natural language processing
Underlord Architecture
- AI agent that interprets natural language commands
- Access to all Descript tools
- Evaluation and testing system
- Continuous improvement based on real usage
Processing
- Real-time transcription
- Synthetic voice generation
- Regenerative audio enhancement
- Speaker detection (multicam)
Platforms and Compatibility
Native Apps
- Windows
- macOS
- Web (limited functionality)
Not Supported
- iOS (no mobile app)
- Android (no mobile app)
Integrations
- Zoom (webinar import)
- YouTube (direct publishing)
- Final Cut Pro (export)
- SquadCast (remote recording)
Podcast Publishing
- Blubrry
- Castos
- Hello Audio
- VideoAsk
Security and Compliance
Certifications
- SOC 2 Type II compliant
- Encrypted data
- Data privacy and confidentiality
Competition
| Competitor | Descript Differentiator |
|---|---|
| Adobe Premiere | Descript is easier, text-based editing |
| Final Cut Pro | Descript has integrated AI and is more accessible |
| Riverside.fm | Descript offers complete editing, not just recording |
| Otter.ai | Descript is complete editor, not just transcription |
| Podcastle | Descript has more AI features and better integration |
| CapCut | Descript specialized for long-form/podcasts |
Satisfaction Metrics
Ratings
- G2: Highly rated
- Product Hunt: 4.5/5 (133+ reviews)
- Users report doubling their productivity
Testimonials
- "Descript makes recording and editing audio and video a breeze"
- "The collaborative tools streamline teamwork"
- "Without Descript, you're going to find yourself stuck in an editing abyss"
Target Audience
Ideal Users
- Podcasters (audio and video)
- YouTubers and content creators
- Marketers and marketing teams
- Educators and course creators
- Businesses for internal communication
- Sales teams for demos and training
Non-Ideal Cases
- Professional film editors (need Premiere/Final Cut)
- TikTok/shorts-only creators (better with CapCut)
- Music production (better with specialized DAWs)
Technical Information
| Specification | Detail |
|---|---|
| Transcription Accuracy | 95% |
| Transcription Languages | Multiple (EN, ES, DE, FR, IT, etc.) |
| Export Quality | Up to 4K |
| Remote Recording | 4K with SquadCast |
| Voice Cloning | Overdub technology |
| AI Co-Editor | Underlord |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS |
Key Features
Transcription-based editing - edit video/audio like text
Automatic transcription with 95% accuracy
Underlord - AI Co-Editor with natural language commands
One-click filler word removal
Studio Sound - AI audio enhancement to professional quality
Overdub - voice cloning for corrections without re-recording
Regenerate - fix errors with automatic lip adjustment
AI Eye Contact - adjust gaze to appear looking at camera
AI Green Screen - remove backgrounds without physical green screen
AI Avatars - avatars that read your script
AI B-Roll generation customized to content
Integrated screen recording up to 4K
SquadCast included - remote podcast recording
Real-time collaboration on projects
Direct publishing to YouTube and platforms
Export to Final Cut Pro
Support for multiple transcription languages
Automatic speaker detection (multicam)
AI templates for automated workflows
Zoom integration for webinars
Use Cases
Audio podcast production and editing
Video podcasts with remote recording
YouTube content creation
Short-form videos for TikTok and Reels
Promotional clips for social media
Marketing videos and product demos
Tutorials and educational content
Online courses and learning materials
Internal business communication
Team training videos
Customer testimonials
Screen recordings and software demos
Webinars and meeting recordings
Employee onboarding videos
Help videos and customer support
Sales enablement content
Interview transcription
Documentaries and narrative content
Repurposing long-form content to clips
Multilingual videos with translation
Information
Company
Descript, Inc.
Website
www.descript.comUser Reviews
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