Getting the most out of translation

Translating your video expands your reach to global audiences, and Descript makes it easy. This guide will walk you through everything you need to know to get the most out of your translation.

New to using translation?

This guide focuses on tips and setting yourself up for success using Descript’s translation features. Watch the about video guide or check out reference manual article to learn more about translating your content.

Before you translate: finish editing your project

Descript editor with overlays with recommendations for before you translate a projects

Translation works best when your source material is polished and precise. Take time to:

  • Complete all your editing: This allows you to translate your video into a language once, without needing to go back and forth between the original version and translated version. If you’re new to editing in Descript, check out our guide on making your first video.
  • Add captions to your original project before you translate: This will make sure that your captions will be included in all translated versions.
  • Review and correct your transcript: Take a moment to fix spelling errors, check speaker labels, and ensure punctuation is accurate. This helps your AI assistant, Underlord, make more accurate translation choices, avoiding those funny but not so useful interpretations.

Choosing the right plan for your needs

Different Descript plans offer varying translation capabilities. Below is an overview of the different translation features each plan has to offer:

Feature Free Hobbyist Creator Business
Dubbing Not available Not available 30 minutes / month 30 minutes / month
Translate captions
Translation proofread
Native-sounding AI speakter

For a full description of what each plan offers, check out our pricing page.

Sharing your translations

Once you've created your translations, you have two options for sharing them: publish or export.

Publish

Share your translations through a web link that you can send to reviewers or embed on websites. Publishing offers:

Export

Download your translations as files that you can store locally or upload to other platforms. Exporting gives you: