Descript pricing explained: what media minutes and AI credits get you
Short answer
Descript has a free plan with 1 hour of media a month, then Hobbyist at $16, Creator at $24 and Business at $50 per person per month, billed yearly (monthly billing costs more: $35 for Creator, $65 for Business). Plans differ mainly in media hours (10, 30 or 40 a month) and AI credits (400, 800 or 1,500). Media minutes count what you upload or record, and AI credits pay for features like Underlord, Studio Sound and filler-word removal.
Descript edits audio and video by editing the transcript: delete a sentence in the text and it disappears from the recording. It's popular with podcasters and YouTubers, but its pricing uses two separate allowances, media minutes and AI credits, which makes plans harder to compare. This guide is based on Descript's pricing page and help center, checked on the date above.
The plans at a glance
| Plan | Price per person/month | Media per month | AI credits per month | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 1 hour | 100 (one-time) | Trying the editor |
| Hobbyist | $16 billed yearly | 10 hours | 400 | A short weekly podcast or occasional videos |
| Creator | $24 billed yearly, $35 monthly | 30 hours | 800 | Regular creators, teams of up to 3 |
| Business | $50 billed yearly, $65 monthly | 40 hours | 1,500 | Teams of up to 5 |
Prices are from Descript's pricing page. Hobbyist also costs more billed monthly; check the billing toggle for the current figure. Each editor on a team needs their own paid seat, and the media and credit allowances are per editor.
What media minutes measure
Media minutes count what goes into Descript, not what comes out. Uploads and recordings both count, including audio, video, remote recording sessions, and screen, webcam or microphone recordings. Still images count as one second each.
That means raw footage is what you budget for. An hour of raw footage edited down to a 10-minute video still uses an hour.
Unused minutes don't roll over to the next month.
What AI credits pay for
AI credits cover Descript's AI features:
- Underlord, Descript's AI co-editor, which can cut, rearrange and polish a project from a typed request
- Studio Sound, which cleans up voice recordings
- Remove Filler Words, such as "um" and "uh"
- Green Screen and Eye Contact for video
- AI speech, avatars and generated video
Descript's help center says Underlord charges for its own reasoning and then for any tool it runs, so the same request can cost different amounts. Even a chat message uses a few credits. You can see what each run cost in the Usage tab.
Like media minutes, unused credits don't roll over.
Top-ups
If you run out mid-month, Creator and Business users can buy top-ups: for example, 5 hours of media minutes for $25 or 350 AI credits for $35. Top-ups are shared across everyone in your workspace and expire 12 months after purchase. Hobbyist can't buy top-ups, so it's worth sizing that plan generously.
Which plan should you pick?
Hobbyist ($16/month yearly) suits one person making a weekly audio podcast of up to about an hour, or a few short videos a month. With 10 media hours you have room for raw recordings and some retakes.
Creator ($24/month yearly) is the usual pick for a video channel or a podcast with long recording sessions. Thirty hours covers several hours of raw footage a week, the extra AI credits help if you lean on Underlord or Studio Sound, and top-ups are available when a busy month runs over.
Business ($50/month yearly) is mainly for teams of up to five that need more media hours and AI credits per editor. A solo creator rarely needs it.
Stay on Free while you're deciding. An hour a month is enough to learn the transcript editing.
Before you subscribe
- Add up your raw recording time for a typical month, not just the length of the finished episodes.
- Note which AI features you'd use on every episode. Studio Sound and filler-word removal on each one add up.
- Pick the plan that covers both with some room to spare, and check the Usage tab after your first month.
For other tools in a podcast workflow, see how to transcribe and edit a podcast with AI. For video, see the best AI video tools for faceless YouTube channels.
Frequently asked questions
What are media minutes in Descript?
Media minutes measure the audio and video you bring into Descript, whether you upload it or record it there, including screen and webcam recordings. Still images count as one second each. Unused minutes don't roll over to the next month.
What uses Descript AI credits?
Generative and AI editing features: Underlord (Descript's AI co-editor), Studio Sound, Remove Filler Words, Green Screen, Eye Contact, AI speech, avatars and generated video. Even a chat message to Underlord uses a few credits.
Is Descript free?
There is a free plan with 60 media minutes a month and a one-time allowance of 100 AI credits. It's enough to try the editor, not to run a weekly show.
What happens when I run out of minutes or credits?
On Creator and Business you can buy top-ups, such as 5 extra media hours for $25 or 350 AI credits for $35. Top-ups expire 12 months after purchase. Otherwise you wait for your monthly allowance to reset.