Descript was founded in 2017 by Andrew Mason, who previously co-founded Groupon. The idea was radical: what if you could edit a podcast or video just by editing its transcript? That’s exactly what Descript does.
When you import audio or video, Descript transcribes it automatically. To remove an “um” or cut a section, you just delete the corresponding text. The audio and video edit themselves to match. It sounds like magic, and for content creators who dread traditional timeline-based editing, it basically is.
The platform has grown well beyond transcription editing. Overdub lets you create a synthetic clone of your voice (with consent verification) and generate speech by typing. Studio Sound cleans up audio recorded in imperfect environments. Screen recording, teleprompter, and publishing features round out the toolkit.
Descript supports multi-track editing, so it’s not just for simple projects. Podcast producers use it for full shows, and video creators use it for YouTube content and social clips. The timeline view is still there for people who want traditional control.
Pricing starts with a free tier that includes one hour of transcription per month. The Hobbyist plan is $24/month with 10 hours of transcription, while the Business plan at $33/month adds more hours and team features.
The company is based in San Francisco and has raised over $100 million in funding from investors including Andreessen Horowitz and Spark Capital. The team is around 200 people.
