# Descript — Text-based AI video and audio editor with an agentic co-editor, API and MCP server.

> Source: The Agents Index — https://theagentsindex.com/descript (structured, researched, re-verified)
> Facts last verified: 2026-10-19

Descript is an AI video and audio editor that transcribes recordings and lets you edit the media by editing its text. Its Underlord agent, API and MCP server automate recording, editing, translation and publishing.

| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Website | https://descript.com |
| Price | free, then from $24/seat per month billed monthly, $16/seat per month billed annually |
| Free tier | Yes |

Free plan: 1 media hour per month, 100 one-time AI credits, 720p export with a watermark, limited use of Underlord and AI Speech, 5GB cloud storage, 2 hours of Rooms recording; no credit card required.

## What it does

**Done-for-you service** · No — You buy and operate the software yourself; even the Enterprise tier offers onboarding and a CSM rather than people who make your videos for you.

> Support: dedicated CSM, onboarding, priority response
> — https://www.descript.com/pricing · Plan cards, Enterprise column feature list

## How much it does unattended

**Runs autonomously** · Partly — Underlord performs multi-step edits on its own and API workflows can publish without a person, but the vendor's own framing expects you to review the rough cut.

> You can auto-publish! Publishing a project composition creates a shareable link and generates a URL to download the exported file.
> — https://www.descript.com/api · Frequently asked questions, 'Do I have to review everything, or can I auto-publish?'

**Agent permissions** · Partly — Agent reach is bounded by the Drive you authorise and the permissions of the connecting user, but there is no published per-action approval policy.

> Tokens are scoped to a specific Drive and inherit your permissions on that Drive.
> — https://help.descript.com/developers · Make your first request section

## Which models it runs on

**Claude** · Yes — Descript ships an MCP server listed in Anthropic's connector directory so Claude can import, edit and publish inside your Drive.

> The Descript MCP lets an AI assistant drive Descript for you: Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, or a custom connector.
> — https://help.descript.com/api-and-mcp/mcp.md · Descript MCP overview, opening paragraph

**GPT** · Yes — ChatGPT is a supported MCP client and OpenAI's GPT Image 2 is one of the selectable generative image models.

> GPT Image 2 | Open AI
> — https://help.descript.com/generative-media/models.md · Image models table, row GPT Image 2

**Open models** · Partly — Descript runs the open-source Whisper model for transcription on its own infrastructure, but users cannot select or supply open-weight models themselves.

> Whisper is an open-source transcription model that's hosted in Descript's infrastructure.
> — https://www.descript.com/security · FAQ, 'How does Descript use my media files, transcripts, and Descript project data?'

**Model choice** · Partly — You pick the image, video and avatar model per generation or in settings, but Underlord itself routes requests to a model the vendor chooses.

> Which model runs it. Underlord routes each request to the model best suited for the task.
> — https://help.descript.com/billing-payments-plans/track-and-understand-your-media-minutes-and-ai-credits.md · When you work with Underlord section

## Where you use it

**In your editor** · Partly — There is no editor plugin; the only IDE presence is the Descript MCP entry in the Cursor marketplace, which drives the cloud product from the assistant.

> Cursor: In the Cursor MCP marketplace.
> — https://help.descript.com/api-and-mcp/mcp.md · Connect Descript to your AI assistant, Cursor card

**On the command line** · Yes — A command-line client takes an API key and runs imports and edits from the terminal, handling polling and progress for you.

> Install the CLI, drop in your API key, and run imports and edits from your terminal. It handles the polling and shows live progress
> — https://www.descript.com/api · Four ways in, Command Line card

**In a browser** · Yes — The editor runs at web.descript.com and every plan's sign-up and checkout flow leads into that hosted web application.

> Descript is the AI video and audio editor that makes editing as easy as editing text. Record, transcribe, edit, and publish in one tool.
> — https://www.descript.com/ · Page meta description, with Get started links to web.descript.com

## Whose machine it runs on

**Self-hosted** · No — Projects, media and transcripts live on Descript's servers on AWS or Google Cloud; no bring-your-own-infrastructure option appears on any tier.

> Descript stores your project information — which includes the files you upload to Descript, the transcripts of those files, and other metadata included inside a project — on our servers.
> — https://www.descript.com/security · FAQ, 'How does Descript store my data?'

## What it costs to run

**How it meters** · Yes — Billing is per person per month, and consumption is metered twice over in media minutes and AI credits that each seat contributes to.

> Descript meters usage with two kinds of credit: Media minutes track how much you transcribe and record, and AI Credits are spent on generative AI features.
> — https://help.descript.com/billing-payments-plans/track-and-understand-your-media-minutes-and-ai-credits.md · Opening paragraph

**Free tier** · Yes — A standing $0 plan exists with one media hour and 100 one-time AI credits, and the vendor states no card is needed to try it.

> No, Descript's Free plan includes everything you need to record, edit and mix audio and video content.
> — https://www.descript.com/pricing · FAQ, 'Do I need to enter a credit card to try Descript?'

**API access** · Partly — A documented REST API with tokens and webhooks exists but is presented as early access and is limited to paying users, so the Free plan cannot drive it.

> API access is available for all paying users at no additional cost. Usage draws from the AI credits and media minutes on your plan.
> — https://www.descript.com/api · Frequently asked questions, 'What does it cost?'

**MCP server** · Yes — A hosted MCP server authenticates with your Descript login and lets an assistant import, edit, search, publish and track jobs on one Drive.

> Once connected, you can ask your AI assistant to import media, edit with Underlord, search the drive for projects, folders, layout packs, and media files
> — https://help.descript.com/api-and-mcp/mcp.md · What can I do with the Descript MCP? section

## Buying it for a team

**A company can buy it** · Yes — Business and Enterprise tiers are sold to organisations, with custom MSAs, flexible billing and ACH invoicing handled by the sales team.

> Procurement: custom MSA, legal terms, flexible billing
> — https://www.descript.com/pricing · Plan cards, Enterprise column feature list

**Seat model** · Yes — Pricing is per person per month with a hard ceiling on self-serve tiers: one seat on Hobbyist, up to three on Creator, up to five on Business.

> Seats: Each plan includes a set number of seats. Upgrade to add more teammates as your needs grow. 1 | 1 | 1-3 | Up to 5
> — https://www.descript.com/pricing · What's the difference comparison table, Collaboration > Seats row

**Pooled budget** · Yes — Media minutes and AI credits from every editor seat land in one Drive-wide pool that any editor can draw down, and top-ups are shared too.

> Each seat adds to the shared pool of Media minutes and AI Credits. Any Editor can use these resources.
> — https://help.descript.com/billing-payments-plans/track-and-understand-your-media-minutes-and-ai-credits.md · Opening section, paragraph on Editor seats

**Admin controls** · Partly — Admins get brand guardrails, workspace and user permissions, and Enterprise-only AI and data controls; there is no published rule engine limiting what the agent may do per action.

> AI and data controls: opt-out of training, custom retention
> — https://www.descript.com/pricing · Plan cards, Enterprise column feature list

**Audit log** · Partly — Audit logs are named only in the Enterprise bundle alongside SSO and SCIM; the self-serve tiers' comparison table never lists them.

> SOC 2 Type II: SSO, SCIM, and audit logs
> — https://www.descript.com/pricing · Plan cards, Enterprise column feature list

**Single sign-on** · Partly — SAML SSO with SCIM provisioning against your own IdP is an Enterprise capability, absent from the Hobbyist, Creator and Business cards.

> SAML SSO and SCIM: Use your IDP for easy and secure employee access to Descript with SSO or SCIM provisioning.
> — https://www.descript.com/enterprise · Enterprise video security section, SAML SSO and SCIM card

## What happens to your code

**Opt out of training** · Yes — Sharing transcripts to improve Descript's models is opt-in and off unless you switch it on, and Enterprise adds a contractual training opt-out.

> If you choose to share your transcription information with Descript, we use it to help improve the quality of our service. This option is disabled by default and can only be enabled by you.
> — https://www.descript.com/security · FAQ, 'How does Descript use my media files, transcripts, and Descript project data?'

**Getting out** · Partly — You can export media, transcripts, timelines and a usage CSV and have data deleted on request, but unused media minutes and AI credits expire every cycle.

> Your allowance resets when your subscription renews at the start of each billing cycle. Unused Media minutes and AI Credits don't roll over into the next cycle.
> — https://help.descript.com/billing-payments-plans/track-and-understand-your-media-minutes-and-ai-credits.md · Opening section, paragraph on allowance reset

**Certifications** · Partly — SOC 2 Type II is audited and attested, and the vendor says it aligns with GDPR and CCPA, but no ISO 27001 certification is claimed anywhere read.

> We have achieved SOC 2 Type II compliance by going through a Certified Public Accounting firm and auditing our internal measures and controls against the SOC 2 standards.
> — https://www.descript.com/security · FAQ, 'How does Descript protect my data?'

## What changed

- 2026-10-19 — Capabilities · Free tier · Price · Terms

## Keeping it current

These facts are re-checked against Descript's own pages and updated when they change. If you represent Descript, sign in and update the listing from your dashboard at https://theagentsindex.com/dashboard. The operations this site accepts from an agent are listed at https://theagentsindex.com/.well-known/agents.json — that catalog needs no key to read, and each entry states its own auth.