Changelog

Follow up on the latest improvements and updates.

RSS

new

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Release Version 104

New in Translation — batch translation and recommended voices
Translation in multiple languages can now be done all at once with this handy dropdown.
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Your translations will then be available from within the composition view using the dropdown menu in the upper left corner of the Composition. When using this for captions-only, the completion time is extremely fast.
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If you go back for more translations, we’ll mark any languages you’ve already generated with a green dot.
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If you submit a new translation for one of existing languages, it will overwrite it with a new version. This will also overwrite any corrections you’ve made. We’ll show this warning just in case.
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We hope to add the option to export translations in batches in the future as well.
Recommended translation voices for dubbing
There are new high quality stock speakers available exclusively for dubbing in our 4 supported languages: French, Italian, German, and Spanish
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These new stock voices, provided by 11Labs are designed for the target language, and will provide much better results than our standard sock voices when working with a non-English language translation. These voices will be rolling out slowly, but you should have access by the end of this week.
Note: These new voices are available on Business and Enterprise plans only.
New in Labs — Smart transitions
We’ve added a new feature to Labs called Smart transitions. This is a new style of transition that can be added between scenes. This is a powerful tool for transitioning between different layouts, as smart transition will smoothly rearrange, zoom, and fade elements on the fly.
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Add fades ON: Fades are added between non-contiguous layers (i.e. two separate clips.) Fades will NOT be added in contiguous clips that cross the scene barrier.
Add fades OFF: We will not fade any layers.
We’re excited to get some early feedback on this feature so please give it a try and let us know what you think using the Feedback button in the Settings → Labs menu.
New Desktop experience
Descript’s new Desktop experience is also available from the Labs menu. This new desktop app put the speed and performance improvements of our web version into a local package. If you’ve been using the Desktop preview, this is the soon-to-be-final version.
Be among the first to switch over and enjoy the benefits.
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Editor updates
  • We added the ability to adjust the color and width properties on Borders when using animations.
  • We made improvements to manipulating fades when both an fade in / fade out keyframe is present on the same track. These should be easier to grab and bugs related to the position of the keyframe indicators are fixed.
Bug fixes
  • Fixed a bug causing volume keyframes to be misplaced in the Timeline
  • Fixed a bug where "copy layout" didn't include tracks starting outside of the selected scene
  • Fixed a bug causing mouse over text for two adjacent fades in the same layer to have flipped time values
  • Fixed a bug with related to deleting payment methods
  • Fixed a bug causing Rooms recordings to go missing from the final project
  • Fixed a bug causing flatten tracks to deliver an audio-only file
  • Fixed a bug causing text element to get stuck on “loading font”
  • Fixed a bug resulting in "Cannot export: Codec reclaimed due to inactivity” error
  • Fixes an issue causing stock media and YouTube imports to consistently fail in certain app sessions.

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fixed

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Release Version 103

Overdub is now Regenerate
We’re making a change to the terminology and interface around replacing your script with AI Speech. The term Overdub is going away, and it will now be considered a part of the Regenerate feature. When you highlight a section of your Script, you’ll see an option on the Script toolbar labeled Regenerate.
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This will launch a modal with the highlighted text present. If you do not edit the text, it will regenerate the section with an AI voice that sounds like the speaker. This is great for changing the tone or delivery without altering the exact words that were used.
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When you edit the text, you’ll be required to provide voice authorization for that speaker. This works exactly as Overdub works today, just with a different label and streamlined interface. You’ll also notice that the option to Replace with a recording has been moved into the Record panel. Just highlight the text you want replaced with a recording an open the record panel to access this feature.
If you’re wondering why we did this: we’ve found that many users find the term Overdub confusing, since it already has a specific meaning in production circles. Renaming it to Regenerate makes it clearer what it will do.
To recap: Regenerate now offers the option to change your script. Changing the script performs the exact same action that used to be known as Overdub.
Alternative payment methods
A few weeks ago we enabled the option to use alternative payment methods when purchasing or upgrading your subscription. This was initially released in a limited test, and support for these payment methods is being rolled out to the rest of our users this week, so if you do not see these options yet, please check back soon.
Here are the newly supported payment methods. We may add more over time:
  • Cash App
     – Cash app is available to all users.
  • Apple Pay
     – This feature is accessible only on Safari. To use it, browse with Safari, ensure Apple Pay is enabled on your device, and confirm that a credit card is saved in your Apple Wallet.
  • Google Pay
     – Available exclusively on Chrome if you have a saved credit card in your Google account.
  • Stripe Link
     – Stripe Link will automatically use the email linked to your Descript account. You can, however, sign in with a different email if you prefer. Ensure your chosen Stripe account has a saved payment method.
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If these options haven’t shown up for you yet, stay tuned as support gradually expands across accounts.
Editor updates
  • The scene rail (the scene cards on the lefthand side of the Composition) will now stay visible when using the Canvas Only view mode.
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  • Classic projects have been fully sunset, so if you happen to have a Classic project that needs to be converted to the current interface, please contact our support team.
Bug fixes
  • Fixed a bug resulting in “Something went wrong” error when editing
  • Fixed a bug causing Remove from transcript to fail
  • Fixed an issue preventing Share page playback on iOS devices
  • Fixed an issue resulting in comments and image metadata to be excluded from Exports
  • Fixed a bug causing published project to get stuck while uploading files
  • Fixed a bug preventing scene panel from showing after using Automatic multicam
  • Fixed a bug preventing view media from working in Sequences
We have migrated the Descript status page to a new service provider. Here’s what you need to know:
  • The domain name will stay the same: https://status.descript.com.
  • Email notifications continue without interruption.
  • SMS notifications are no longer supported.
  • You can add status page updates to your Slack workspace using the the Subscribe to Updates. This is the only supported integration at this time.
  • The services on the page have been reorganized to better reflect our product design and feature set.
  • Fixes a bug causing web recording recovery to fail.
  • Fixes a bug causing Undo to fail after adding an Element layer

new

improved

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Release Version 102

Subscription management and checkout update
A few weeks ago we announced a new and improved web-based checkout system. We initially rolled it out to 50% of our users. We have now made it available to all users. When purchasing or editing a subscription, you will be taken to a web browser with an improved interface making it clearer what will change and the associated costs.
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The Subscription panel has been split into two segments:
  • Preferences: for adjusting Drive settings such as Drive icon and Drive name
  • Subscription: for managing subscription plan, and adding or removing card details
Replace media on the Canvas toolbar
There is now an option to Replace media when using the Canvas toolbar. This is a quick way to swap out a layer, especially when you have a layer that was imported from a layout. You can select from Project files, Backgrounds, Stock Media, and more.
You can also access this option from the right-click menu next on any Layer.
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Text-to-speech loading improvements
We’ve made some changes to the loading state when AI Text to Speech is being generated.
You’ll no longer see indistinct pulsing text — instead there’s a new loading indicator that appears the moment you click “Done writing” and submit your text for generation. A checkmark will appear as soon as it completes loading and is ready for playback.
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We’ve also added an option to Regenerate AI Speech to the right click menu if you’d like to get a different take on it.
Other editor tweaks
  • We reworded the shorten word gaps feature to be more clear. It will
    only
    search for gaps longer than the input value (i.e. a value of 1 second will only search for gaps of 1.01 or longer.)
  • Our partnership with Unsplash has ended for the time being, and as a result their library has been removed from the Stock panel.
Bug fixes
  • Fixed a bug causing Repair Audio drift to fail on m4a files
  • Fixed an issue preventing color adjustment from working when green screen is enabled
  • Fixed a bug where the timeline hand tool was moving the playhead when it shouldn't
  • Fixed a bug causing Reset Layers to hide all visible layers
  • Fixed a bug causing Normalize effect to disappear from menus after toggling off Studio Sound
  • Fixed a bug preventing Studio Sound from being applied to files in Timeline Exports
  • Fixed an issue with hidden speaker labels when opening a project
  • Fixed a bug preventing Gap clips from being added between two script tracks
  • Fixed an issue preventing CMD/CTRL + S from working in Sequence view
  • Fixes a bug causing video to partially disappear after publishing or exporting a Desktop screen recording.
  • Fixes an issue preventing some users from publishing projects that include a web recording.

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Release Version 101

Rooms beta now available for all users
The Rooms beta has now been opened up to all Descript users. We still consider Rooms to be “in beta” meaning we’re still ironing out bugs, implementing features from our roadmap, and polishing the experience. You can still send feedback via the #rooms-beta channel in our community Discord.
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Editor updates
  • The canvas will now automatically enter crop mode when you begin adjusting zoom to make repositioning after a zoom more convenient
  • If you do not have a Default AI speaker selected in settings, we'll automatically select one for you (Cedric) when you use the Write AI Speech option in a blank composition
  • We’ve done some lite renaming of some buttons related to Templates and Layouts. The Browse templates button in the Scene panel now says Browse all…
Bug fixes
  • Fixed a bug causing layer ordering issues when translating captions
  • Fixed a bug causing layout to change after copy/paste
  • Fixed a bug with a Live Transcription Placeholder blocking the app from closing
  • Fixed a bug causing a layer to disappear in exported file
  • Fixed a bug causing speaker labels to disappear after making a cut
  • Fixed a bug causing Show notes to fail to include timestamps in a composition with a blank marker
  • Fixed an issue resulting in “cannot export” error with translated compositions
  • Fixed an issue where media playback was affected during YouTube imports
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A few weeks ago, we launched the beta program for our new collaborative recording platform — Rooms. We started by enabling it for everyone who expressed interest through our waitlist, and 25% of all Descript users.
The beta has been a big success - helping us identify issues, introduce optimizations, and get direct feedback from the community. Today, we increased the number of users who have access to the Rooms beta from 25% to 50%. This opens it up to a full half of all Descript users to try
right now.
You can confirm whether you have access by clicking the New Project button from Drive view. You’ll see the option to
Record with others (Beta)
.
You can also access it from within a project by clicking the Record button and selecting
Record with others
.
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There’s still time to join the waitlist if you don’t yet have access, but would like to. If you're in the beta, you can leave feedback and ask questions in the #rooms-beta channel on our community Discord.
For those of you who have had a chance to try it, here’s a quick update on the fixes and improvements we’ve made since launch. And this is just the beginning — there’s so much more as we implement our roadmap, fix bugs, and iterate on your feedback.
  • Added a more visible countdown when initiating a recording
  • Noise cancellation is now ON by default, and your setting preference will be stored in your browser cookies
  • Added a functional button the the Retry prompt that appears when the Chat fails to load
  • Rooms recordings are now added to the end of a composition rather than to the beginning
  • Added the ability to change between 1:1 and 16:9 aspect ratio while screen sharing
  • Improved UI responsiveness when in a Room with only 1 participant
  • Introduced many visual improvements to the UI in dark mode
  • Updated wording on Mic mute tooltip to provide clearer instructions
  • Guest transcriptions now adhere to the host’s transcription settings
Bug Fixes
  • Fixed a bug resulting in “ffmpeg exited with code 1: Conversion failed!” error after import into a project
  • Fixed an issue causing the righthand sidebar to get cut-off when resizing video
  • Fixed a bug showing the option to logout even when not logged in
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