Creating amazing content in Descript doesn’t mean you need to learn all the bells and whistles from the get-go. Starting with a basic understanding of transcribing recordings, importing files, and getting familiar with the concept of the script will put you well on your way to creating compelling content. This guide is crafted to ease you into these key features—transcribing, importing, and understanding your script—streamlining your path to producing compelling content with confidence.

Uploading and transcribing a file

If you haven't already, start by creating a new project or diving into an existing one. To get your file into the project, you can:

• Drag them straight from your computer, or
• Use a URL for videos you’ve found online.
• Effortlessly import Zoom recordings into your project with our integration.

Once you drop a file into Descript, it gets right to work by automatically transcribing it. Don’t forget to select the language of the recording, which you can set your default transcript in your settings.

Understanding the script and layers in Descript

The script is the central component of any Descript project. When you drag a file into the blank Script editor, it is seamlessly placed into your project's script. Think of the script as the backbone of your project; it contains all your transcribed video and audio, keeping everything aligned while you edit directly in the text.

A layer is any visual or audio that is not part of your script. Layers can be background music, b-roll clips, captions, GIFs, or images. Again, these are not part of the main script and can be used to enhance your final content.

Transcribing multiple files

When transcribing multiple files at, you have options combined your files into a sequence. this groups the recording to a sequence—a virtual container that groups related files allowing you to text edit them together as a unified script. This is ideal for situations like multiple speakers recorded in the session or different camera angles of the same video shoot. If you leave this box unchecked, the transcribed files will be added to the script one after the other.

Importing Files without Transcribing

When starting a project in Descript, you can upload all your files at once, whether they need transcription or not. This approach is useful for organizing your project and collaborating with a team.

Upload your files via the Project panel. When you're ready, you can choose how to add each file:

• Insert into script: Adds the file to your script and transcribes it if necessary.
• Add new layer: Adds the file as a layer without transcribing.

There's a lot more you can do from the Project panel, including manually transcribing files before you add them into the composition and start working with them. Files that have been transcribed will have a double quotation mark at the top of their icon.

Adding Content to an Existing Project

As you create in Descript, you might need to add more recordings or files to an existing. That's totally normal and just as easy as creating adding script content to a blank project.

1. Place your cursor where you want the new content.
2. Press Enter or Return to create a blank line.
3. Select Add file, import from Zoom, or drag in the file you want to add to the script.

What’s next

You've now learned how to import, transcribe, and files project, and the foundational concept of the script and how it's different from layers. This foundation is key to any successful project in Descript.

Now that you've got the basics down, why not explore adding layers? Enhance your projects with background music, images, GIFs, and more to make your content even more dynamic and engaging. Dive deeper into Descript's features and continue creating impactful content that stands out.