With Descript AI, you can edit your videos as easily as you would edit a document, using its text-based editing features.
In this guide, we’ll walk through the Descript video editing process in a way that’s easy for anyone to understand—even if you’re brand new to video editing.
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To learn more about the platform, check out our Descript AI Overview.
How to Edit Videos in Descript
1. Start a New Project and Upload Your Video
When editing a Video Project in Descript, you have multiple options to bring in your content—upload a file, import from YouTube, upload from Zoom, or record directly in Descript.
- How to Create a Video Project in Descript:
- Step 1: From the Descript dashboard, click “New Project” and “Video Project.”
- Step 2: Name your project (e.g., “Tutorial Video” or “Client Presentation”) and click Create to open a new workspace.
Ways to Add Your Video:
- Record Directly into Descript with a built-in recording feature. Click the “Record” button, select your screen or webcam, and start capturing your content directly within the app.
- Upload Your Video – drag and drop the video file into the project workspace, or click “Upload to select a file from your computer.
- Import from YouTube – copy the video URL and paste it into Descript to import the video and begin editing.
- Upload from Zoom: If you recorded a meeting or webinar on Zoom, Descript lets you upload Zoom recordings directly. Simply click “Import from Zoom” and connect your account to pull the video into your project.
Once your video is in Descript, the AI will automatically generate a transcription, allowing you to make edits by simply modifying the text—making video editing more intuitive than ever!
2. Edit Your Video by Editing Text
You can edit your Descript video by editing the transcription – every word connects to a section of your video.
Want to delete a section of the video? Just delete the text in the transcription, and Descript will automatically adjust the video to match.
- Step 1: Review the transcription to make sure it’s accurate. Descript usually does a great job, but you can easily correct any mistakes by clicking and typing directly into the text.
- Step 2: To remove parts of the video, simply highlight the section of text you want to cut out and hit the delete key. Descript will automatically remove that part from the video.
- Step 3: If you want to rearrange the order of the video, simply cut and paste sections of the text. Descript will automatically re-order the video to match.
Example: Imagine you’re editing a product demo video, and you stumble over your words in one section. Instead of re-recording, just delete the section from the text, and the video will automatically reflect that change.
3. Add or Replace Dialogue with Overdub
Sometimes, you may need to correct a mistake or add extra dialogue after a video has already been recorded.
With Overdub, you can generate new audio in your own voice (or a stock voice) and insert it into the video.
- Step 1: Highlight the part of the transcription where you want to add or replace dialogue.
- Step 2: Type in the new words you want to include. Descript will generate the audio using Overdub to sound just like you (or choose a stock voice).
Example: Let’s say you mispronounced a word. Instead of re-recording the whole section, just type the correct word using Overdub, and Descript will insert the new dialogue into the video.
4. Add Captions to Your Video
Descript makes it easy to add captions or subtitles to your video, which can help improve accessibility and engagement, especially on social media.
- Step 1: Once you’ve finished editing your transcription, click the “Captions” button on the toolbar.
- Step 2: Descript will use your transcription to generate perfectly synced captions. You can customize the font, size, and placement to fit your video style.
Pro Tip: Use captions if you’re planning to post your video on platforms like Instagram or Facebook, where many viewers watch videos without sound.
5. Enhance Your Audio with Studio Sound
If your video has background noise or uneven audio quality, Descript’s Studio Sound feature can automatically clean it up.
- Step 1: Select the audio track in the timeline.
- Step 2: Click on “Studio Sound” in the side panel, and Descript will automatically enhance the clarity and remove background noise.
Example: Imagine you recorded a video in a noisy environment. With one click, Studio Sound can remove background hums and make your voice crisp and clear.
6. Preview and Export Your Video
Now that you’ve made all your edits, it’s time to preview your final video and export it.
- Step 1: Hit the “Play” button to preview your edited video. This will give you a chance to see if everything flows smoothly.
- Step 2: Once satisfied, click on the “Export” button in the top-right corner of the screen.
- Step 3: Choose your export format (e.g., MP4 for video) and resolution. You can also export your transcript as a text file or subtitles if needed.
Pro Tip: Descript allows you to export your video in different formats, including social media-ready versions like square or vertical video.
7. Share Your Video
Descript also offers built-in sharing options, allowing you to directly upload your video to platforms like YouTube, Dropbox, or Google Drive.
- Step 1: After exporting your video, click the Share button.
- Step 2: Select the platform you want to upload to, or generate a shareable link to send the video to your team or clients.
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Conclusion: Video Editing Made Simple with Descript
Descript‘s text-based editing makes the process modifying videos as easy as typing.
Whether you’re removing mistakes, adding dialogue with Overdub, or enhancing audio quality, the text-based editing makes the process as easy as typing.
Ready to try it out? Start your next video project in Descript.
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Resources:
Tips for Effective Video Storytelling
Understanding AI in Video Editing