How to use the Editor Recorder in Descript

Capture your camera, screen, or audio directly into your Descript project with the Editor recorder. 

This article covers:

Usage note

On current plans, this workflow uses Media Minutes. Minutes draw down whenever you upload or record media in Descript.

Legacy and Sunset plans track usage differently. See our Understanding your Legacy and Sunset plan guide for details.

Set up the Editor Recorder

Open a Descript project and click the Record button in the bottom dock to access the Editor Recorder.

Descript Editor with Record button highlighted

You’ll have four recording options:

  • Camera: Record from your connected camera.
  • Screen: Capture your screen or a specific window. When screen recording is enabled, you can also record computer audio—system-wide on desktop, or tab audio only when recording from the browser (Descript for Web).
  • Audio: Record from your selected microphone.
  • Record with others: Join a remote session using Descript Rooms. Learn more about Descript Rooms.

When you hit Record:

  • If the script is empty, the Recorder will take over the full editor window.
  • If the script already has content, the Recorder will open within the Script view.

Record computer audio

When screen recording is enabled, you can capture audio playing on your computer. The experience differs slightly between the desktop app and Descript for Web.

Desktop app: When you select the Screen recording option, a separate window will open. Click the computer audio toggle to enable system audio capture alongside your screen recording. See instructions here.

Descript for Web: When recording your screen from within your browser, you can capture audio from a specific browser tab. Note, when screen recording from Descript for Web, you can only record audio from a specific tab, not system audio. Learn more about Descript for Web

Record into the composition

You can record into your composition in three different ways:

  • Record into script: Click to place the playhead where you want to start recording. A marker will appear in the script to show where your content will be inserted.
    Playhead marker showing where script recording will be inserted
  • Replace selection: Highlight existing script text to record over it. Descript will overwrite the selection with your new recording.
    Script selection highlighted for replacement recording
  • Record new layer: Add a recording as a separate layer in the timeline. Select a scene by clicking the slash mark in the script or the scene in the timeline. A visual indicator will show where the new layer will be added.
    Scene highlighted for recording into a new layer

Recording length limit

You can record for up to 4 hours per session on both Windows and macOS.

When you record, Descript uploads your content to the cloud in the background. You’ll see a small notification in the bottom-right corner showing that your recording is uploading.

What to expect during recording

When you record, Descript uploads your content to the cloud in the background. A small notification in the bottom-right corner shows your upload progress.

Upload progress notification while recording in Descript

On a strong internet connection, the progress indicator usually stays near 99% during recording. On slower or unstable connections, it may pause or dip. If you consistently see a low percentage, it likely means your network is struggling. See our network connection guide for steps to improve your connection.

If a recording fails to upload, Descript will automatically try to recover it. Learn more in our guide on how to recover a lost recording.

Editor recorder controls

Recorder options in Descript
  1. Cancels and deletes the active recording.
  2. Restarts the recording from the beginning (deletes current progress).
  3. Pause or resume recording.
  4. Stop recording and save.
  5. Open the teleprompter tool.
  6. Access Recorder settings.

Editor Recorder settings

Click the gear icon Recording settings icon in the Recorder panel to open your settings:

Editor Recorder settings menu

Feature Description
Countdown Adds a 3-second delay before recording starts.
Play script while recording an audio layer Play existing script audio while recording a new layer.
Transcription Automatically transcribes your audio after recording.
Default Speaker Applies a speaker label to transcribed recordings. Learn more
Studio Sound Enhances audio quality post-recording using AI. See our AI usage guide for details.
Auto gain control Automatically adjusts your mic input volume.
Default resolution Select from 480p up to 4K (plan-dependent).

Resolution note

Your camera and screen determine max resolution. For example, setting 4K in Descript won’t override a 1080p camera.

Also, Descript does not currently support recording in 4K for Windows screen recordings.

Use Center Me and Grid tools

Use these framing tools to improve visual balance:

  • Center Me: Adds a silhouette overlay to center yourself.
  • Grid: Adds alignment guides during recording.

Framing and Center Me tools in Editor Recorder

Configure your audio input

Descript uses your system’s mic input level. Here’s how to manage it:

Using an external mic or audio interface? Be sure to adjust input levels on the device itself (check the device manual for help).

Using multiple audio inputs

Descript only supports one input routed through your system. If you’re using multiple mics or an interface: