As a writer, I'm deeply familiar with text editing tools. I know how to format and use shortcuts, and I have a process for how I like to work. A text doc just feels like home for me.
That's what makes Descript such an interesting app. It's an audio and video editing tool, but not in the traditional sense. First, Descript transcribes your media files, then allows you to make edits like you would in a text editor—by highlighting and deleting (or moving) any words or passages.
This approach to editing saves a lot of time—especially for users like me who usually live in text docs. And with Zapier, you can automate your Descript workflows—saving even more time and helping you get even more out of an already powerful tool.
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Table of contents
To get started with a Zap template—what we call our pre-made workflows—just click on the button. It only takes a few minutes to set up. You can read more about setting up Zaps here.
Send files to Descript automatically
One of the easiest ways to automate Descript is by automatically uploading your audio or video files. Though uploading files isn't hard, it takes time to export your file from one tool and upload it to another. Save yourself the bandwidth by setting up a Zap—our word for automated workflows—to take care of it for you.
From file storage
If you're keeping your files on a platform like Google Drive or Dropbox, it's tedious and time-consuming to upload them there, then open Descript and do it again. With these Zaps, you can automatically upload your files to Descript as soon as you add them to your file management system, giving you time back and helping make sure you don't forget to add them.
Create Descript transcripts from Google Drive files
Create Descript transcripts from new Dropbox files
From Zoom
Wouldn't it be nice to have a text file of your Zoom meetings to share with team members who missed it? Well, with this Zap, you can do just that.
As soon as you finish a recorded meeting in Zoom, Zapier will send that file to Descript to transcribe, giving you a written copy of any meeting instantly.
Create transcriptions in Descript for new Zoom recordings
From published podcast episodes
Podcasts are a high-value content medium. Not only because episodes can deliver a lot of insight, but because they're also well-suited for repurposing. The content of your podcast easily translates into blog articles and social media posts—allowing you to fill up your editorial calendar with one original piece of content.
With Descript, you can streamline this process. Once your podcast is published, the Zaps below will automatically upload your audio file to Descript—giving you a transcription you can edit and repurpose for different mediums.
Request Descript transcriptions from new Auphonic productions
Transcribe new SquadCast audio recordings with Descript
From videos
The same principle applies to video as well. If you have a video that you want to turn into a text transcript, you can do it quickly and automatically.
Using these Zaps, you can send videos to Descript from an editing tool like Frame.io or a platform like YouTube, then go to Descript to access your transcript.
Request transcriptions in Descript for approved videos in Frame.io
Back up your transcripts
It never hurts to have backups of a transcript outside of Descript. Saving your documents elsewhere lets you share transcripts with other team members and allows you to edit the text on the platform of your choice. And with Zapier, you can do this automatically.
Using the automations below, you can send your finished Descript transcripts to the platform of your choice, allowing you to edit and share them with whomever you'd like.
Send finished Transcripts from Descript to Airtable
Create Notion pages for new Descript transcriptions
Save new Descript transcripts as text files in Dropbox
Alert your team when Descript transcripts are ready
Want to let your team know when new transcripts are finished in Descript? Set up one of these Zaps, and you won't have to worry about sending manual updates anymore. As soon as Descript finishes transcribing a file, Zapier will send your team a message, letting them know that the transcription is ready.
Send outbound emails when Descript transcripts are ready
Send a channel message in Slack for finished transcripts in Descript
Translate your Descript transcripts to other languages
You might need to translate your content into another language if you have a global audience. With Zapier, you can do this automatically.
The Zap below will take your Descript transcript and translate it into the language you need it in—streamlining your multilingual content creation process.
Translate new Descript transcripts with EasyTranslate
Summarize transcripts with AI
Earlier, we mentioned using automation to have Descript transcribe your audio and video content so that you could repurpose it as a blog article or social media post. But what if you could automate the creation of that content as well?
With this Zap, you can send your finished transcripts to ChatGPT. Then, you can give ChatGPT instructions to write a summary based on the content, draft a blog post, or write some short social media copy promoting the content in the transcript.
Summarize Descript transcriptions with ChatGPT and add the summary to a Google Doc
Streamline your audio and video content creation with Descript and Zapier
Descript puts power into the hands of content creators who don't have a deep knowledge of audio and video tools—letting them edit and produce transcripts with ease.
With Zapier, you can get even more out of Descript by automating your audio and video content process from creation to distribution.
