The Screen Recorder is a lightweight recording tool available in Descript’s desktop app. It lets you quickly capture your screen or camera without opening the full editor—perfect for fast, no-fuss recordings.
Recordings are saved as a single file that combines both audio and video. If you need more editing flexibility, we recommend using the Editor Recorder instead—it creates separate video and audio tracks inside a multitrack sequence.
At the moment, the Screen Recorder does not include screen area selection, or multitrack file recordings. Both of these features are in the works and expected to release soon.
Access the Screen Recorder
To access the Screen Recorder, select the icon. For Windows users, this will be located in the notifications area at the bottom of your screen; for Mac users, you'll see this in the menu bar at the top of your screen on Mac.
Set up the Screen Recorder
Configure your system permissions
For Descript to access the necessary hardware on macOS, you must grant access to the camera, microphone, and screen recording options in the Security & Privacy preferences on your device.
- Click on the Descript icon in the menubar, then select the
Settings button in the top right corner of the Dock Window.
- Under Permissions, click the Grant permission buttons for screen recording, computer audio, microphone, and camera.
- This will open your system settings — enable access for Descript. Exact steps will depend on your device OS.
- Once access is granted, you'll need to quit Descript completely and relaunch the application for the changes to take effect.
Audio and video inputs
- Computer audio — Record system audio from other applications playing in the background.
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Camera — Record video from the selected video input device.
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Microphone — Record audio directly from your selected audio input.
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Display screen — Record a screen or application window
Adjust the Screen Recorder Settings
Access these by clicking on the Settings button in the top right corner of the recorder window. Click here to learn more about quick recorder settings.
| General | |
|---|---|
| Destination | The Drive where your recordings will be saved. These will be in your Private Workspace (not the Drive workspace) in the Recordings folder. They're also accessible from the Quick Recordings tab in the Drive view. |
| Default publish privacy |
Public: The share page can be found through search engines and viewed by anyone. Anyone with the link: Only people with the link can view the page, and it won’t appear in search engine results. No Descript account is required to view. Project access required: Only people who have been granted access to your Descript project can view the page. They’ll need to sign in with a Descript account. |
| After recording |
Open share page: After recording, the composition will be automatically export to a share page and opened in your default browser. Open editor: After recording, a Descript project for the recording with be created and stored in the Quick Recordings folder of your private workspace. This project will automatically open for you to edit. |
| Start/Stop recording | Set a keyboard shortcut to start/stop recording. By default, this is Command/Ctrl + Shift + 2. |
| Countdown | When toggled on, Descript will countdown from 3 after the recording is started. |
| Display author on publish page | When toggled on, the share page will display the name associated with your Descript account. |
| Enable comments on publish page | When toggled on, viewers can comment directly on the share page. Note: these comments are only available on the share page and won't appear in the Descript editor. |
| Screen | |
|---|---|
| Default recording resolution | Descript supports 4k (beta), 1440p, 1080p, 720p, and 480p recordings. Your plan may limit the maximum recording resolution you can select in the recording settings. |
| Camera shape | Drag the slider to refine the shape of the camera in your recording. Far left is square, far right is circular. |
| Audio | |
|---|---|
| Transcription | Select if you want to have your camera or computer audio transcribed after the recording is finished. |
| Studio Sound | Select if you want to have Studio Sound applied to your microphone or computer audio after the recording is finished. |
| System | |
|---|---|
| Run in background | When toggled on, Descript's Screen Recorder will be available even when the main app is closed. |
| Capture Dock Window | When toggled on, the Screen Recorder's Dock Window will be captured in your recordings. |
| Launch at login | Launch the Screen Recorder each time you start your computer. |
The Screen Recorder has a maximum duration limit of 4 hours on both Windows and macOS. Ensure to plan your recording sessions accordingly.
During the recording
Camera recording
Your camera feed will be captured and displayed in the bottom right corner of your finished recording. At this time, this cannot be changed. If you need a more customizable experience, Descript's editor recorder may be a better fit for your needs.
During recording, you'll be able to preview your camera feed via the Dock Window. This will remain on screen and you can continue to reposition and resize it while recording. If Capture Dock Window is toggled on, the Dock Window will be visible in your final recording; if toggled off, the Dock Window will not be in included in your recording.
With either option, your camera feed will be captured and displayed in the bottom right corner of your finished recording.
Resizing the camera window will not change the resolution of the resulting video file–recording resolution is governed by your camera's maximum recording capability, as well as the "Default recording resolution" setting in your screen recorder settings.
The Dock Window
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Pause /
Resume buttons — Temporarily pause the recording process without ending the entire recording session. Not currently supported for Windows.
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Stop button / Recording timer — Stops the recording; displays the current duration of the recording session.
- Screen selection — displays the screen currently being recorded. Cannot be changed mid-recording.
- Minimize — minimizes/hides the camera in the Dock Window.
Close the Screen Recorder
If you have Run in background enabled, you'll need to close Descript entirely to stop the Screen Recorder from running. Right-click the icon and select Quit Descript completely.