I Tried Descript for Video Subtitles — Then Realized It Can Do More, Way More 🦾🦾

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Descript

At first, I used Descript just to quickly generate subtitles for videos. I still remember the first time I tried it — I watched it work and honestly just felt grateful it was doing the heavy lifting for me. And it did a great job. The transcription was surprisingly accurate, even with background noise, multiple speakers, and non-English content.

What used to eat up 3–4 weeks of my life – Descript wrapped it up in three days. I had extra time on my hands and I started clicking around. And clicking. And clicking.

And suddenly, I was editing full audio tracks, removing filler words with a single click, and fixing awkward phrasing without re-recording anything and still didn’t scratch the surface.  

Then I realized…
Descript isn’t just a transcription/subtitle tool.
It’s a audio/video editor disguised as a doc.

What Actually Surprised Me 😱

  • You can edit audio/video by editing text
    Delete a word from the transcript, and it vanishes from the audio and video. It’s surreal at first — especially if you’re used to dragging tiny waveforms in some timeline jungle.

  • Filler words? Gone.
    Descript automatically detects and highlights all the “um,” “uh,” “you know,” and “like” moments — and lets you delete them all at once and it doesn’t look and sound choppy or unnatural.

  • Overdub: AI voice cloning that (mostly) works
    I tried their Overdub tool, which lets you generate new audio using your (or someone else’s) cloned voice. It’s far from perfect, but it’s really good for quick fixes — like when you misspoke or need to add a word without re-recording the whole thing.

Editing video by editing text? ✂

Unnatural. Really unnatural for a timeline user, but surprisingly solid. And fun.

I tried it to:

  • Cut out words and sentences – not sure how but it really works

  • Add dynamic subtitles –  they actually synced properly and are customizable

  • Create short teaser clips from longer recordings

Sure, it’s not made for advanced color grading or heavy visual effects. But for educational content, webinars, social media, or internal training videos — it absolutely does the job.

YouTube video by Descript

The interface is clean and modern, but there’s a lot packed into it. At first, I kept discovering features by accident. So if you’re the type who likes to explore, Descript rewards curiosity. It can also be a bit frustrating when you can’t find a option you’re looking for.

 Is it Worth Trying?

Pros:

  • Deleting parts of sentences with text-based editing saves hours and it’s a lot of fun

  • High-quality transcription/subtitles (even in noisy recordings)

Cons:

  • Overdub needs training and can sound robotic if not set up well

  • Not designed for heavy-duty visual editing

 Final Thought 💭

I came to Descript for subtitles.
It’s was and is my go-to for subtitles and became a go-to for cutting filler words. But for now, I’m still sticking with timeline-based editors for more creative control.

If you’re a content creator or just someone who wants to clean up their audio and video without opening 3 different apps — Descript is absolutely worth exploring. It’s not perfect, but some of its tools are impressively close.

👉 Try it, click around, and see how far you can get before you even touch a timeline.

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About the Author

DJ

Founder & CEO / passionate to write about innovation, startup, biotech and bioeconomy. Interested in AI, SEO, copywriting and breeding unicorns 🦄🦄🦄

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