Descript (2025): AI Video & Podcast Editor With Underlord, Eye Contact, Green Screen & Text‑Based Editing

A deeply researched, conversion‑focused guide with live pricing, features, comparisons, and charts

Updated on: 03.09.2025

Star Rating & Editor’s Verdict

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️☆ (4/5)

Editor’s Verdict: Descript remains the friendliest way to edit like a doc. Underlord speeds up rough cuts and repurposing; Eye Contact & Green Screen elevate webcam footage. Heavy color or motion graphics still belong in a traditional NLE, but for 80% of creator workflows, Descript is faster.

Feature Details
Core Editor
Text‑based video & podcast editor (multitrack), captions, scenes, animations
AI Assistant
Underlord (generate clips, edit for clarity, remove retakes, create show notes)
Signature AI Effects
Eye Contact, Green Screen, Studio Sound, Remove Filler Words, Shorten Word Gaps
Creation
Generate video from prompt; AI speech (stock voices & custom clones), dubbing, avatars
Recording
Screen recorder; Rooms for remote recording (multitrack)
Exports
1080p on Hobbyist; 4K on Creator+; brand templates & subtitles
Plans (annual)
Free, Hobbyist ($16), Creator ($24), Business ($50), Enterprise
Best For
Solo creators, podcasters, course makers, marketing teams

Quick Take & Best For

Summary Details
Quick Take
Text‑based editing + AI effects + Underlord = fast, polished content without leaving one app.
Pros
Superfast rough cuts via transcript; Eye Contact & Green Screen; robust captions; Underlord automations; remote recording.
Cons
Fine color/compositing best in Resolve/Premiere; advanced motion graphics limited; Unlimited AI only on higher tiers.
Verdict
A top pick for solo creators, podcasters, and teams who want to produce more with fewer tools and less timeline wrangling.

Best For: YouTubers, podcasters, course creators, marketers, internal comms, social teams.

Introduction

If timelines have slowed you down, Descript lets you edit the words while the video follows. In 2025, Descript layers in Underlord—a built‑in assistant that cuts retakes, drafts show notes/descriptions, creates clips, and helps translate. Combine that with Eye Contact, Green Screen, and Studio Sound, and you get an approachable end‑to‑end stack for talking‑heads and screen recordings.

Fun Fact #1: Descript popularized “edit video like a doc,” helping millions publish without mastering a timeline UI.

What Is Descript?

Descript is a browser/desktop editor where the transcript is the source of truth. Delete text, and the associated audio/video disappears; move a paragraph, and B‑roll shifts with it. You can also record screens, host multitrack remote interviews in Rooms, generate/clone voices, dub, and export captions.

How Dream Machine Works

  1. Ingest – Drag in audio/video; automatic transcription (25 languages).

  2. Assemble – Edit the script; Descript ripples changes to media.

  3. Polish – Eye Contact, Green Screen, Studio Sound, dynamic captions, animations.

  4. Automate – Underlord’s Actions: Create clips, Remove retakes, Edit for clarity, Generate descriptions, Translation.

  5. Publish – 1080p/4K exports, branded captions, templates, and share links.

Fun Fact #2: Remove Filler Words can delete ums/likes across an entire episode with one click.

Key Features

  • Text‑Based Editing — Multitrack audio, word‑level timing, captions & styles.
  • Underlord Assistant — Clip generation, clarity edits, retake removal, show notes, YouTube descriptions, translation.
  • Eye Contact — AI eye‑line correction for camera‑true gaze (Creator+).
  • Green Screen — AI background removal (no physical green needed).
  • Studio Sound — Noise removal and voice sweetening.
  • AI Speech & Dubbing — Stock voices & custom clones; multilingual dubbing on higher tiers.
  • Avatars — 2D avatars for read‑throughs and explainers.
  • Rooms (Remote Recording) — Multitrack remote interviews; producer controls.
  • Brand Studio — Team templates, fonts, captions, and lower‑thirds.

Performance & Quality

  • Transcription is strong with clean audio; multilingual & diarization reduce cleanup.
  • Eye Contact looks best with frontal shots and well‑lit eyes.
  • Green Screen handles hair/edges well for a software key; complex backgrounds benefit from lighting.
  • Studio Sound removes room noise but can over‑denoise—dial the mix to taste.
  • Exports are quick on Creator+; Business adds Brand Studio at scale.

Fun Fact #3: Shorten Word Gaps compresses awkward pauses across a whole video—instant pacing fix.

Use Cases & Creative Applications

  • YouTube How‑Tos — Screen + webcam, Remove Filler Words, Eye Contact, captions; Underlord makes Shorts.
  • Podcasts — Record in Rooms, multitrack transcript editing, Studio Sound; publish audio + video.
  • Courses & Internal Comms — Brand templates, teleprompter‑style Eye Contact, consistent exports.
  • Reels/TikTok — Auto‑clips & captions with Underlord; vertical layouts.

Pricing & Plans (2025)

Plan (annual) Price / mo Transcription hrs / mo Remote recording hrs / mo AI Actions 4K export Eye Contact Notes
Free
$0
1
2
Limited
Good for testing; limited allowances
Hobbyist
$16
10
5
Limited
1080p exports; captions & basics
Creator
$24
30
15
Unlimited
Underlord actions, stock library, Shorts workflows
Business
$50
40
25
Unlimited (Pro)
Brand Studio, team workflows, higher quotas
Enterprise
Custom
Custom
Custom
Unlimited
SSO/SCIM, SLAs, enterprise support

Tip: If you need 4K and Eye Contact, start at Creator. Teams that publish frequently usually jump to Business for Brand Studio & larger allowances.

Fun Fact #4: Descript’s pricing page shows hours and minutes up front—rare transparency among AI editors.

Roadmap & What’s Next

  • Season 6 “Underlord” updates: faster recorder, stronger exports, expanded actions.
  • Team features: deeper Brand Studio controls and collaboration.
  • Automation: smarter clip picking and translation proofreading on Business.

⭐ Ratings Table

Category Rating (1–5)
Ease of Use
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
AI Effects Quality
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Transcription & Dubbing
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Team/Brand Workflows
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Value for Money
⭐⭐⭐⭐

Descript vs Alternatives

Tool Best For Where It Wins Trade‑offs
Descript
Talking heads, podcasts, tutorials
Edit via transcript; Eye Contact; Underlord automations
Limited motion graphics; advanced color done elsewhere
CapCut
Social effects/templates
Trend templates, fast social exports
Weaker long‑form collaboration
Riverside
Remote recording fidelity
Local tracks; studio‑grade capture
Less post‑production than Descript
VEED
Online captions/editor
Simplicity, captions
Fewer AI polish tools vs Descript
Premiere Pro
Pro film/commercial
Deep effects, color, ecosystem
Learning curve; higher cost

Fun Fact #5: Many teams ideate in Ray2 Flash, refine selects in Ray2, then composite or grade in Resolve for final delivery.

✅ Pros:

  • Edit‑like‑a‑doc speeds up rough cuts dramatically
  • Eye Contact & Green Screen make webcam content pro‑ready
  • Underlord accelerates repurposing & publishing
  • Solid remote recording & captions; team templates

❌ Cons:

  • Advanced color/compositing still better in a pro NLE
  • Eye Contact can look uncanny at extreme angles
  • AI minutes and remote hours are capped on lower tiers

Conclusion & Next Steps

Bottom line: Descript is the most approachable way to turn recordings into polished content fast. If you publish tutorials, podcasts, or marketing explainers, it’s a force multiplier.

Next Steps: Start with Hobbyist to validate the workflow; if you need 4K and unlimited AI Actions, move to Creator. Power users and teams should consider Business for Brand Studio and pro AI features.

 

💡 More Fun Facts

  • 🧠 Legacy favorite: Remove Filler Words remains a huge time‑saver for dialogue‑heavy edits.
  • 🧠 Repurpose rocket: Underlord can draft show notes and YouTube descriptions directly from your transcript.
  • 🧠 Brand Studio boost: Teams lock fonts/colors and caption templates in Brand Studio for consistent, on‑brand output across episodes.
  • 🧠 Crisper crops: 4K export (Creator+) gives extra headroom for vertical reframes without softening faces.
  • 🧠 Multitrack remote: Rooms captures guests on separate tracks, making cleanup (noise reduction/leveling) much faster in post.

CTA: Import your latest video, hit Remove Filler Words, toggle Eye Contact, and ask Underlord to create three Shorts—publish today.

FAQs

Yes—Creator plan allows 4K exports.

Dubbing minutes are on Creator/Business.

Descript’s AI assistant that automates edits, clips, notes, and more.

No—AI can key backgrounds without a physical green screen.

Use Rooms for multitrack guests; Business increases allotments and team features.

For many talking‑head workflows, yes; for advanced finishing, keep a pro NLE handy.

Creator unlocks unlimited stock library access.

Yes—limited transcription and AI actions; watermark‑free exports vary by tier.

Generate with stock voices or custom clones; minutes vary by plan.

Business/Enterprise add SSO/SCIM and priority support.