Layers contain all the non-script visual and audio elements in a Descript project—things like video, images, text, music, and sound effects that accompany your main script content.
This article covers:
Layers are not part of the transcribed script track. If you want your media to be transcribed, you’ll need to add it to the script track. Learn how the script track works.
What is a layer?
Layers are visual or audio elements in your project. Each layer holds one visual or audio element—like a video, image, text block, shape, or audio—and appears in both your canvas and timeline.
You can think of layers like cards stacked on top of each other: background on the bottom, speaker video on top, captions on top of that, etc.
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What is a clip?
Clips are specific to audio and video media. When you split an audio or video media layer, Descript creates clips—time-based segments of the original file that remain part of the same layer. These clips can be edited independently: you can slip, trim, or apply effects to just one segment of the layer.
Other layer types (like text, images, or shapes) don’t contain clips. Splitting these simply creates a second static layer with the same content, without separating it by time or enabling clip-level edits.
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What’s the difference between layers and clips?
- Trimming a media layer creates clips within the same layer.
- Splitting a media clip lets you isolate and adjust part of the media.
- Splitting a non-media layer creates two identical but independent elements. These can be repositioned or edited separately.
Types of layers in Descript
Descript supports a wide variety of layers:
What’s next
Once you understand how layers work, you're ready to start adding them to your composition.
You can add video, images, text, and more using the Add Layer button or by dragging media from the Project panel. Learn how to add layers in Descript.