Descript launched in December of 2017. Descript has a team of 8 people based in San Francisco, and is run by Andrew Mason, the former founder and CEO of Groupon. The Descript app can edit audio by editing text.

In a sentence: Descript is a new type of audio editor that lets you edit audio by editing text (instead of waveforms).

That means it does transcription (both automated and human-powered, whichever you prefer), but more interestingly, it lets you move the audio around by simply editing the transcript.

If you’re new to editing audio, you’ll find it much more intuitive than cutting up waveforms – its basically like using a word processor. If you’re experienced, Descript is faster than waveform editing – and more fun.

Key Features:

• Audio Word Processing: View voice audio files as text instead of waveforms – and then edit the audio by editing text.
• Transcription: Fast, cheap, and accurate
• Web Publishing and Commenting: Publish your project to the web and share the link so colleagues can listen and leave comments on your interactive transcript.
• Waveform Editor: For fine-tuned trims and crossfades, Descript has a full-featured waveform editor. It’s got something you won’t find anywhere else – the Word Bar Just grab a word tab to add/remove silence between words.

Descript offers two different plans: Descript Free, and Descript Standard.  Descript Free is for occasional transcribers that don’t need to edit audio. It costs 15 cents a minute (with no monthly fee). Features include: Audio editing runs in demo mode; 30 minutes of free transcription; and Web collaboration.

Descript Standard is for frequent transcribers or people who edit audio. It cost 7 cents a minute. The monthly fee is usually $20, but an Early Adopter Discount is available now, making it $10 per month.