Descript

Long-form podcast editing

Descript invented text-based editing and is still the gold standard for podcast post. The AI tools (Studio Sound, filler-word removal, voice cloning) are genuinely useful, but the interface has gotten busier as they've bolted on video, screen recording, and AI avatars. Hobbyist at $16/mo annual gives you 10 media hours; if you just want to clean up a conversation, it's perfect.

Descript pioneered the idea that editing audio should feel like editing a Google Doc. You record or import a conversation, the app transcribes it, and deleting a word from the transcript deletes the audio. For podcasters this was transformational — what used to take hours of waveform scrubbing now takes minutes. Around that core, Descript has built out a deep toolkit: Studio Sound applies broadcast-quality processing to muddy recordings, filler-word removal yanks every 'um' and 'like' in a click, Overdub patches in new words in your own voice, and the multitrack editor handles complex interview cuts cleanly. More recently they've pushed hard into video, AI avatars, screen recording, and an 'Underlord' AI co-editor, which has made the interface heavier than it once was. Pricing in 2026: Free gives 60 minutes/month and 100 AI credits, Hobbyist is $16/mo annual ($24 monthly) for 10 media hours and 400 credits, Creator $24/mo annual ($35 monthly) for 30 hours and 800 credits, and Business $50/mo annual ($65 monthly) for 40 hours and 1500 credits. The sweet spot is still serious podcast editing, especially shows with heavy cuts, multiple guests, or audio cleanup. Media-hours math means long-form podcasts blow through limits fast. Solo creators and small teams editing weekly will see the pay-for-itself math quickly; casual hobbyists may find the entry tier steep next to Audacity.