Podcasting has become a popular medium for sharing stories, information, and entertainment. With the right tools, creating a podcast can be both straightforward and enjoyable. Descript simplifies this process, allowing you to manage the entire creation of your podcast—from start to finish—in one place. This guide will walk you through the steps of creating a podcast using Descript, from recording or importing your audio to sharing your finished masterpiece.

1. Get your recordings into a project

There are two main ways you'll start out creating a podcast in Descript: recording directly in the app, or importing an existing file.

Recording in Descript

If you are recording just yourself or with a collaborator locally, you can record directly in the editor. However, often you'll be recording collaboratively with people who may be a bazillion time zones away. For these cases, Descript has a range of recording options to suit your workflow and help you make exactly what you want:

• Use our Zoom integration to effortlessly import and edit your recordings.
• Remote recording in up to 4K quality through SquadCast. Simply connect your Descript and SquadCast accounts,—which is free. You can find are full guide on remote recording  here. 

Importing an existing recording

If you already have a recording ready to edit, you can:

• Drag them straight from your computer into your project.
• Paste a video URL from YouTube or GIPHY.
• Effortlessly import Zoom recordings into your project with our integration.

Importing multiple files at once

When transcribing multiple files, you can combined your files into a sequence—a virtual container that groups related files, allowing you to edit the text as a unified script. This is useful for recordings with multiple speakers or various camera angles. If unchecked, each file will be transcribed and added to the script one after the other. Learn more in our getting started guide on importing and transcribing recordings

2. Let Underlord Handle the First Edit

Once you've recorded or imported your script, have your AI assistant Underlord handle some of the more tedious aspects of editing:

• Layout your entire recording using Automatic Multicam
• Instantly remove fillers words like "uhm" and "uhs" 
• Edit out all but the good stuff using Remove retakes
• Cut rambly parts and digressions with Edit for clarity.
• Add in chapter markers

Remember, you're in control here, and Underlord is there when and if you need it. If you want to stay in the driver's seat, you can dive right in and get creative manually editing.

3. Enhance your audio with Studio Sound

Let's get your voice audio up to a professional production quality in just one click with Studio Sound. This flagship audio effect uses artificial intelligence to enhance speakers' voices while reducing and removing background noise, room echo, and other sounds you don't want. 

You can apply Studio Sound to your script or layer from the Layer panel. Or, just ask Underlord to make you sound good.

4. Editing your podcast like a doc

Editing you're podcast will be as easy as working with a word processor. Cut, copy, paste, or delete sections just like a doc, and the underlying recording will also be edited. 

If you're brand new to script editing, or just need a refresher, check out our getting started guide on editing like a doc.

5. Get granular in the Timeline

While most Descript editing occurs in the Script editor, the Timeline offers fine-tuned control for a traditional video and audio editing experience. It enables direct adjustments of clip boundaries and word spacing, ensuring precise and smooth transitions. Access the Timeline by clicking Show timeline. 

The Timeline is packed with features for enhancing your projects, and while there's much you can achieve, here are some key actions to get started:

• Fine-Tuning Edits: Leverage the Timeline tools for precise control over your edits.
• Fades and crossfades: Apply fades or crossfades between clips to ensure smooth transitions and professional audio quality.
• Word spacing adjustments: Use the wordbar to quickly adjust word pacing for clearer and more effective communication.

6. Sharing your podcast

Once you’re satisfied with your podcast, it’s time to share it with the world. Descript offers a wide variety of export and publishing options.

You can publish or export your work in just a few steps:

1. Select Publish and choose the file type or platform you will be exporting to:
   • The Publish tab allows you to publish directly to various integrated platforms. You can also publish to the cloud, then Download to your computer—it’s super-fast. Click here to learn more
   • The Export tab has various options for exporting to your computer.
2. Adjust your export or publishing settings.
3. Click Export or Publish button at the bottom of the Publish panel.