Descript provides support for automatic transcription in 23 different languages, listed below:
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Catalan
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English (US)
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Italian
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Polish |
Spanish (US)
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Croatian
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Finnish
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Latvian
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Portuguese (BR)
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Swedish
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Czech
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French (FR)
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Lithuanian
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Romanian
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Turkish
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Danish
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German
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Malay
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Slovak
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Dutch
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Hungarian
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Norwegian
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Slovenian
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Beta Language Support
Descript is currently Beta testing language support various languages:
- Hindi
- Greek
Users who would like to participate in testing can learn more about how to download Descript Beta and join the Beta community to provide feedback here.
Getting Started
The first time you create a transcription in Descript you will be prompted to set your default transcription language. Click the language selector dropdown menu and select your desired language of choice, then click the Save and start transcription button.
If you find that you often switch between different transcription languages, you can also check the box to "Always prompt for transcription language" and this popup window will appear each time you add a file for transcription.
A confirmation window will appear indicating that your transcription will soon be ready and providing options to update your currently-selected language, or add speaker labels.
You can change these preferences at any time in the App Preferences menu by clicking Command + Comma (macOS) / Control + Comma (Windows) and scrolling down to the language options at the bottom.
Unsupported Features
While multi-language transcription is available for most Descript editing features (including Screen Recordings and Studio Sound), there are a few notable exceptions:
- Filler Word Detection - Filler words are not included in automatic transcripts other than English.
- Overdub
- Detect transcription errors
- Live Transcription - Real-time (while you record) transcription is not supported, so files will be transcribed once the recording is complete.
- White Glove Transcription
- Replace Transcript
- Import Transcript
- Transcription Glossary
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I re-transcribe a file if I accidentally selected the wrong language?
Yes - Locate the file in the Project Sidebar (typically in the Project Files folder) and click the ellipsis button to the right of the file name, then select Re-transcribe file. If you have enabled "Always prompt for transcription language", you will be prompted to select the desired language again. Otherwise you must change the transcription language in your App Settings page before re-transcribing.
Monthly transcription rate limits
Please note that re-transcribing a file will deduct additional transcription minutes from your monthly transcription rate limit.
What if my file contains two or more languages, can Descript tell them apart?
Descript will only transcribe the currently selected language so if you have a file that contains multiple languages you'll need to add / transcribe it separately for each language. Once complete, you can assemble (copy / paste) the sections you need into your main Composition.
How accurate is Descript's automatic transcription service?
Automatic (AI-based) transcriptions can get up to 95% accurate, however many factors determine how good the returned transcript will be. For best results see our article Transcription accuracy tips.