5 Mind-blowing Tips for Faster Descript Editing

Are you spending precious hours tediously editing your projects in Descript? You’re not alone. Many users are unaware of the powerful shortcuts that can drastically reduce editing time and enhance productivity. As someone who has taught hundreds of students how to use Descript efficiently, I’m excited to share five game-changing tips that will revolutionize your editing workflow.

Stop Wasting Time on Transcripts with Smart Shortcuts

Imagine writing on paper, only to realize you've missed capitalizing a word or left out a period. Instead of rewriting, what if you could just tap it to fix? Most Descript users correct transcripts the hard way by entering edit mode for every change. But there's a smarter way, utilizing the Z, X, and C keys.

• Z Key: Hover over a mis-capitalized word in your transcript and click it to toggle between uppercase and lowercase.
• X Key: Removes misplaced periods or commas with a simple click, automatically adjusting following words.
• C Key: Opens a correction box for misspelled words, allowing you to amend a single instance or correct all occurrences within your project.

Use the Range Tool for Precise Editing

Editing can be messy if not handled with care, much like painting a wall without taping the edges. The range tool in Descript acts as your protective tape, enabling you to select specific portions of your video for targeted edits without affecting surrounding content.

• Silence a segment by selecting and deleting it.
• Mute unwanted noise like coughs.
• Speed up sluggish sections with improved playback speed.

Enhance Your Video with Efficient Media Insertion

Incorporating B-roll can enrich your videos, but creating new scenes for each can be labor-intensive. Instead, highlight the transcript section where you want to insert media and drag your content over it, seamlessly embedding it into that part of your project. Utilize Descript’s stock media options by searching and clicking the desired file to add it to your scene.

Optimize Interview Edits with Layout Copying

Editing interviews typically requires maintaining consistent views. Stop manually adjusting each scene. Instead, use the right-click option to copy and paste layout properties from one scene to another. It replicates size, position, text layers, captions, and transitions, saving you significant time.

Navigation Made Easy with Markers

Streamlining navigation enhances all project edits. Like bookmarks in a textbook, markers in Descript allow quick access to essential segments. Create a marker with a hashtag and label it for easy reference in your marker list. For an even more powerful tool, have Underlord automatically generate chapters, offering a comprehensive table of contents for your project at the click of a button.

These tips will surely expedite your editing process, but there’s always more to learn and tools to enhance your proficiency. Stay on the lookout for more advanced tips to keep pushing your editing boundaries.

Happy Editing!