Descript's Integration on Zapier

Zapier is a free tool that lets you automate workflows between Descript and other popular web applications.

With Zapier, you can do things like:

  • Automatically transcribe files when they're added to a Dropbox or Google Drive folder
  • Automatically export transcriptions to a Dropbox or Google Drive
  • Save an iPhone voice memo to Dropbox & automatically transcribe it
  • Send email or text notifications when new transcriptions are ready

If you're transcribing a lot of audio, Zapier is a powerful tool for speeding up repetitive tasks.

 

Zapier Lingo

If you're new to Zapier, here's some terminology that'll help understand how this stuff works.

  • Zaps are workflows.
  • Zaps begin with a Trigger - something that happens in one of your apps - e.g. putting a file in a particular Dropbox folder, or a Descript transcription being ready.
  • Actions are the things that happen after the Trigger.

So for example, you might want to create a Zap that is Triggered by adding an audio file to a folder in your Dropbox account called "transcribe", and then takes the Action of creating a new transcription of that file.

You might then want to create a second Zap that is Triggered on a new Descript transcription being ready, and takes the Action of emailing you the transcript.

 

Using Descript's Zapier Integration

The Zapier integration currently supports file URLs from the following domains: 

  • airtable.com
  • discordapp.com
  • dropboxapi.com
  • dropboxusercontent.com
  • google.com
  • googleapis.com
  • twilio.com
  • zapier.com

Video files are not supported

Please note that only audio files are supported with the Zapier integration at this time.

 

Getting Started

  1. Create a free Zapier account.
  2. Follow the steps in one of our pre-built Zap flows below, or create your own!
Transcribing Files by Uploading to Google Drive

Trigger Setup

Log into Zapier then click Make a Zap button in the left-hand sidebar.

 

In the Trigger section, search for and select Google Drive from the list of apps.

Select-Google-Drive.gif

 

Select the desired Trigger Event from the list, then click Continue. For this guide we'll be using New File in Folder to assure that only files added to a specific folder will trigger the integration.

New-File-in-Folder.gif

Create Source Folder

If you haven't yet already, now would be a good time to create a folder on Google Drive that you can drop your audio files into.

 

In the Choose account section, click the Sign in to Google Drive button which will open a pop up window asking you to authenticate with Google.

Enter-Google-login-details.gif

 

Enter your username and password (or select an account that is already signed in), then click the Allow button to authorize Zapier for use with your Google Account.

Authorize-Zapier-with-Google.png

Once complete, select the authorized Google account from the list of options then click Continue.

Select-Google-Account.png

 

Next, you will be prompted to choose which Drive and Folder on your Google account should be checked for new files. You may click Continue when ready.

Select-Drive-and-folder.gif

 

Zapier will now prompt you to test the Google drive portion of the trigger. Before doing so, you'll want to make sure that an audio file has recently been addeded to your Google Drive folder. Once you're ready to proceed click Test trigger.

Test-Google-Drive-Trigger.gif

 

Action Setup

Next, you will configure the Action of your Zap. Search for and select Descript in the list of applications then click Continue.

Select-Descript.gif

 

In the Action Event pane, select Request Transcription then click Continue.

Request-transcription.gif

 

If you have not yet created a Descript authorization, click the Sign in to Descript button. A popup window will appear with the Descript authentication page. Enter your credentials then click the Right Arrow ( > ) to continue. You may then click the Choose an account... dropdown selector to select your Descript authorized account and click Continue.

Authorize-choose-Descript-account.gif

 

Click into the File URL field and choose the File: option. In the File Name field select the Title: option.

You may also choose a Descript Project and Drive location (if you have more than one Drive) that you would like the resulting transcripts to be stored in with the following caveats:

  • If no Project is specified, a new project will be created with the same name as the file in your top-level Drive View.
  • If you are a member of more than one Drive on your Descript account, you will be required to specify a Drive location.

Select-drive-location.gif

 

Click the Test & Review button to test and review the results. If the test is successful you may click Turn on Zap._Test-turn-on-Zap.gif

 

You may now drag a file into your Google Drive folder and your transcripts will automatically be generated in Descript. It typically takes a few minutes for the files to become available in Descript and you will see a light-grey placeholder while the project and transcription are generated.

Projects-transcribing.gif

Avoid overloading your Project

Please note that users who transcribe a significant amount of files into the same Descript Project may experience degraded project performance over time. We recommend regularly changing the destination Project to avoid this.

 

Once complete, you're all set!

 

Exporting SubRip (.SRT) files to Google Drive

 

Setup

Log in to Zapier then click on Make a Zap.

Search for and select Descript in the list of apps.

Make sure "New Transcription Ready" is set for the trigger event and click Continue.

Choose your Descript account from the list and click Continue. If you have not yet authenticated into Descript, click + Add a New Account and log in with your credentials.

Next, click the Test trigger button to make sure you're connected.

If successful, it will notify you "We have found a transcription!" at which point you may click Continue.