When to Re-transcribe Instead of Hand-Fixing in Descript

Direct answer: Retranscribe when Descript totally messed up a section (or you picked the wrong language). Hand-fix when only a handful of names, jargon, or misheard words are wrong — that keeps your other transcript edits. Use Replace transcript only when you already have a better transcript from another tool or a human transcriber. All three paths start from the same place: Project panel → three dots on the source video or audio file.

This article was written with AI, based on a real Descript Made Easy lesson by the humans behind Descript Made Easy.

How do I decide: retranscribe, hand-fix, or replace?

In the Re-transcribe & Replace Transcript lesson (Core Skills / Transcribing and Transcript Editing), Ross's rule of thumb is simple:

• Hand-fix when Descript is mostly right and only a few words are wrong. Correcting those words is faster than a full re-run, and you keep the fixes you already made.
• Retranscribe when a whole section is badly wrong, or the file was transcribed in the wrong language. Descript runs over the source file again and builds a fresh original transcript.
• Replace transcript when you need near-perfect text and already have it from somewhere else (Ross mentions Whisper or a human transcriber). Paste it in and Sync.

The transcript belongs to the source media file, which is why Retranscribe and Replace live on that file's three-dot menu — not in the script itself. For the full click-paths, see Re-transcribe & Replace Transcript in Descript: Beginner Guide.

Messy section → Retranscribe. A few words → hand-fix. Better transcript ready → Replace.

When should I retranscribe instead of fixing words by hand?

1. Ask how bad it is. A few wrong names or jargon words? Hand-fix them in the transcript (see Correcting the Transcript and Fix Names and Jargon).
2. If a whole section is garbage, open the Project panel. Find the source video or audio file.
3. Click the three dots and choose Retranscribe.
4. Check the language, then click Transcribe. In the lesson it took about a minute.
5. Expect your earlier corrections to be gone. Retranscribe puts a new original transcript over the old one, so redo any fixes you still need — ideally retranscribe before you spend time correcting.

When is replace transcript the better move?

Choose Replace when Descript's own pass isn't good enough and you already have a better transcript. Format it with Speaker Name: at the start of each line, make sure it closely matches the video, then: three dots → Replace → Replace transcript → paste → Sync. It currently works only with English videos and transcripts. If you need another language on the transcript, use Retranscribe with the right language, or see How to Translate the Transcript in Descript.

Watch: re-transcribing in Descript

The full Re-transcribe & Replace Transcript lesson (about four minutes) is inside Descript Made Easy. On YouTube, Ross covers retranscribing in How to Re-Transcribe (Fix Wrong Language and Inaccuracies). That video is from 2024, so some menus may look different; follow the decision steps above for today's layout.

Get the printable when-to-retranscribe checklist

Want a one-page decision checklist (hand-fix vs Retranscribe vs Replace, with the Project panel steps)? Enter your email below and click Get the checklist. Feel free to print.

FAQ

Should I retranscribe after I've already corrected the transcript?
Prefer retranscribing first. In the lesson, retranscribing replaced Ross's corrected version with a new original transcript, so earlier fixes were gone.

What if only names and jargon are wrong?
Hand-fix those words. A full Retranscribe is overkill when Descript is mostly right.

When do I use Replace instead of Retranscribe?
When you already have a better English transcript from another tool or a human. Retranscribe asks Descript to try again; Replace swaps in text you bring.

Does replace transcript work in other languages?
Not currently — English videos and transcripts only. For other languages, Retranscribe with the correct language selected.

Where are Retranscribe and Replace in Descript?
Project panel → three dots next to the source video or audio file. Retranscribe is in that menu; Replace is further down.

Keep learning

• Descript for Beginners
• Re-transcribe & Replace Transcript in Descript: Beginner Guide
• Correcting the Transcript in Descript: Beginner Guide
• Fix Names and Jargon in a Descript Transcript
• Descript Help: Use your own transcript
• Free getting-started class
• Descript Made Easy

Want live help while you learn? Join the free 1-hour class: https://www.descriptmastery.com/getting-started-with-descript

Or go straight to Descript Made Easy: https://www.descriptmastery.com/