How To Use Descript: Beginner Walkthrough for Video Editing

If you've been putting off video editing because it feels overwhelming or too complicated, this is for you. I walk you through how to use Descript to record and edit a good-quality video for your YouTube channel, step by step.

I also share where I started video editing ten years ago, the tools I've used since, and the pros and cons of each, so you can decide whether Descript is right for you.

Key Takeaways

• Descript lets you edit video by editing text: delete a word in the transcript and it's cut from the video.
• Its AI tools can remove retakes, filler words and long gaps in a few clicks, but always check what they've done.
• For lead-generation videos, minimal editing is enough: clean audio, tight cuts, simple transitions and one call to action.

Why I Use Descript for Video Editing

I still edit my own videos. I don't add all the pops and pings most YouTubers use, because I see YouTube as a lead generation tool for my business. I'm happy to make my points with minimal editing.

The editing tools I've used over the last ten years:

• iMovie: free on a Mac and a good place to build your skills, but it has its limits.
• ScreenFlow: from Telestream. A great all-in-one tool that records your screen, camera and mic and edits it all in one place. My problem was my computer filling up with huge raw files. Here's my ScreenFlow tutorial.
• Riverside: a high-quality, cloud-based recording and editing platform, and great for one-to-one interviews because it records locally then uploads. Editing in the browser sometimes got a bit janky for me, though. See my post on the Riverside text editor.
• Descript: cloud-based with a desktop app, so files don't clog your hard drive and you can switch between the two. I edit in the desktop app for the best performance and check it in the cloud.

Getting Started in Descript

Sign in at descript.com. I sign in with my Google account. Your dashboard shows all your projects, and from the home screen you can either click Record now or start a New project.

Your recording options:

• Camera only
• Screen, or screen and camera together
• Audio only, for a podcast
• Recording with others, or scheduling a recording for later

A new project also lets you upload a file, create an AI voiceover, import from your media library or import from Zoom. I usually record my camera and screen together, which also captures my mic, then work in a single sequence so everything is edited in one place.

How to Edit a Video in Descript, Step by Step

Once you've recorded, Descript takes a moment to transcribe. You'll see the transcript on the left, the camera and screen recordings in the main window, and the timeline below. Zoom right out to see how long the whole video is. My raw footage for this example was 9 minutes 47 seconds.

1. Set Up the Canvas

First, I adjust the canvas so the area of screen I recorded fits it properly. It takes a bit of fine-tuning. Then I stretch the camera footage, video and audio across the full length of the timeline.

2. Edit by Editing the Text

This is what makes Descript so simple. Select any text in the transcript and delete it or strike it through, and that section is cut from the video. If you can edit a Word document, you can edit a video.

3. Clean Up the Audio With Studio Sound

Under AI tools, Studio Sound makes your audio sound like it was recorded in a studio. You don't need it at full strength. Test and adjust until it sounds right. If you have a good mic and little background noise, you may not need it at all.

4. Ask Underlord for Suggestions

Underlord is Descript's AI assistant. I asked it how to make my video look polished. Within seconds it suggested removing the slow start, cutting an off-topic interruption, adding scene boundaries, adding captions and adding lower thirds.

5. Remove Retakes, Gaps and Filler Words

• Remove retakes: I speak off the cuff without a teleprompter, so this finds the duplicated takes. Play each one, then keep or discard the edit.
• Shorten word gaps: I find gaps longer than 3 seconds and shorten them to 0.5 seconds to keep things punchy.
• Remove filler words: it finds the "uh"s and "well"s, and you can remove them one by one or all at once.

These tools save a lot of time. This step took my video from nearly 10 minutes down to 8. But always check the result. Sometimes it misses a duplication, and sometimes it closes gaps too much, though more often too little.

6. Add Transitions Between Camera and Screen

Because I record both my camera and my screen, I need to move between them. Type a forward slash in the transcript to add a scene break, then click the screen recording and move it into position. The transition applies until your next scene break.

I use a smart, natural transition and slow it to 600 milliseconds. Do the same in reverse to cut back to camera at the end. You can also choose from layouts like camera only, zoomed camera, screen, screen with media and multicam, each with several variations. If you don't like a change, just undo it.

7. Review and Fine-Tune

Play the whole video back to check the edits. If a cut is too tight, drag it back out on the timeline. You want transitions to feel snappy without cutting off your words. Playing back at 2x or 3x speed saves a lot of time.

Other Descript Features Worth Knowing

• Blur: blur part of the screen (in beta).
• Green screen: remove your background.
• Eye contact: adjusts your eyes so you appear to look at the camera. A little creepy for me.
• Clips: repurpose sections for social media.
• Properties and elements: layouts, backgrounds, colour adjustments, effects, titles, text, shapes and animated overlays.
• Captions: add captions if you want them.

How I Finish My Videos

My finished videos are deliberately minimal: a little background music, my logo, a text call to action towards the end, and my logo fading to black as an outro. Editing the text overlays feels like editing a Word or Canva document.

When I'm happy, I export at the highest quality, up to 4K, download it to my desktop and upload it to YouTube. You can see where Descript fits in my full workflow in how I make my YouTube videos. If you'd rather start with something free, try the YouTube Studio editor.

Conclusion

Descript makes video editing as simple as editing a document. Record your camera and screen, clean up the audio, let the AI tools remove retakes, gaps and filler words, then add simple transitions.

Check every AI edit, keep it minimal, and get your video out there. If editing has been holding you back, this is one of the quickest ways to get past it.