Descript
Descript edits audio and video like a text document. In 2026 it added a media library and Underlord AI upgrades, with plans from $16/month annual.
About Descript
Descript is an AI-powered audio and video editor that lets you cut footage by deleting text in a transcript, in the Audio & Music category of AI tools.
What is Descript (2026 update)
Descript transcribes your recording automatically and turns editing into a word-processing task: delete a sentence in the transcript and the matching video or audio clip is removed too. It supports multitrack video editing, AI voice cloning to fix flubbed lines without re-recording, and translation and dubbing into more than 30 languages on higher plans. The pitch is that anyone comfortable editing a Word document can learn to edit video, without touching a traditional timeline.
What is new in 2026
In March 2026, Descript shipped a media library that centralizes video, audio, and visual assets so you can reuse content across projects without re-uploading it each time, alongside new AI model integrations, more reliable layout handling, expanded mobile functionality, and brand color enhancements. Descript’s Underlord AI sidebar became the center of the 2026 workflow, letting you converse with your own footage to ask questions or issue editing commands. The Redaction feature also matured in 2026, letting you search a transcript for sensitive personal information and apply an automatic effect that bleeps the audio and blurs the video wherever that information appears.
Key features
- Transcript-based editing, delete text to cut the matching video or audio
- AI voice cloning to fix a flubbed line without re-recording
- Media library for reusing assets across projects without re-uploading
- Underlord AI sidebar for conversing with your footage and issuing edit commands
- Redaction tool that auto-bleeps and blurs detected personal information
- Translation and dubbing into 30+ languages on Business plans
- Multitrack video and podcast editing with screen recording built in
Pricing in 2026
Descript runs on a free plan plus four paid tiers, each combining a monthly fee with two usage meters, media minutes and AI credits, that cap how much you can process and how many AI actions you can run before needing to upgrade or buy more.
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Free | 60 media minutes/month, 100 one-time AI credits, 720p export with watermark |
| Hobbyist | $16/month annual ($24/month billed monthly) | 600 media minutes/month, 400 AI credits, watermark-free 1080p export, custom voice clones |
| Creator | $24/month annual ($35/month billed monthly) | 1,800 media minutes/month, 800 AI credits, 4K export, full Underlord access, video generation |
| Business | $50/month annual ($65/month billed monthly) | 2,400 media minutes/month, 1,500 AI credits, team collaboration, Brand Studio, 30+ language translation/dubbing, priority SLA support |
| Enterprise | Custom, contact sales | Customizable media minutes and AI credits, negotiated by headcount and usage volume |
Who should use it
Descript fits podcasters, YouTubers, course creators, and marketing teams who want to edit video or audio without learning a traditional timeline-based editor, and who benefit from transcript-driven cuts and AI voice fixes. The Business plan’s translation and dubbing feature makes it a reasonable pick for teams localizing content into multiple languages without a separate dubbing vendor, and the media library update makes it more workable for teams producing a steady stream of episodes that reuse the same intro clips or graphics.
Limitations and alternatives
Because every plan runs on two usage meters, media minutes and AI credits, actual monthly cost can exceed the base subscription price if you upload or process more than your tier’s cap, so track usage before assuming the listed price is your ceiling. Enterprise pricing is not published; third-party benchmark data suggests typical annual contracts average around $21,019, but confirm the real number with sales. Three real alternatives are Adobe Premiere Pro for traditional timeline editing, CapCut for a lighter free option, and Riverside.fm for podcast-focused recording and editing.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Descript cost in 2026?
Paid plans run from $16/month (Hobbyist, billed annually) up to $50/month (Business, billed annually), or $24 to $65/month billed monthly, plus a free plan and custom Enterprise pricing.
What are Descript's media minutes and AI credits?
Media minutes cap how much audio or video you can upload or record each month, and AI credits are drawn down by each AI action like voice cloning or transcription; both reset monthly except the free plan's one-time AI credits.
What is new in Descript for 2026?
A March 2026 update added a media library for reusing assets across projects, expanded the Underlord AI sidebar, and matured the Redaction feature for auto-bleeping and blurring sensitive information.
Does Descript support translation and dubbing?
Yes, translation and dubbing into more than 30 languages is included on the Business plan.
Information last verified: September 2026.
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