Descript vs. Riverside: Podcast Editing Tools Compared

Podcast editing software should complement your creative process, not complicate it. Two contenders, Descript and Riverside, come with distinct approaches to podcast production that appeal to different creator preferences. Understanding their capabilities — and limitations — is essential for making an informed decision about your podcasting toolkit.

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In this guide, you'll learn the key differences between Descript vs. Riverside to help you discover the best podcasting editing software for your content workflow. 

What Is Descript?

Descript is a podcast and video editing platform that follows a text-based approach: When a user uploads audio or video to Descript, the app creates a transcript. Edits made to the transcript automatically apply to the corresponding audio or video. For example, deleting a sentence from the transcript removes that audio section from the recording.

Descript includes several AI-based editing tools:

• Overdub allows users to generate speech in their voice to correct mistakes or add content without re-recording.
• Studio sound reduces background noise and improves voice clarity.
• Filler word removal identifies and removes verbal pauses like "um" and "uh" from recordings.

Other features include multi-track editing for working with multiple audio sources, screen recording capabilities, and collaborative options that allow team members to access and edit projects simultaneously.

What Is Riverside?

Riverside is a recording and editing platform focused on remote audio and video production. The software allows users to capture content while recording separate tracks for each participant, even when working with distributed teams. With Riverside, each participant's audio and video is recorded locally on their own devices, ensuring the software captures every interview question, even with a spotty internet connection. This approach helps creators avoid the quality issues often associated with recording over video conferencing platforms.

The individual tracks then automatically upload to the cloud, where users can access and edit them. Like Descript, Riverside incorporates text-based editing capabilities that let people modify their recordings by editing the transcript.

Riverside podcast editing comes with a few AI-powered features to streamline the post-production process. These include:

• Magic Clips, which analyzes recordings to extract the most shareable moments for social media.
• Automatically generated show notes to save time on content summarization.
• Transcription and caption generation for accessibility and content repurposing.

Other Riverside software features include multi-track editing and crosstalk removal. For live content, Riverside enables broadcasting to multiple platforms at the same time.

Riverside vs. Descript: Detailed Feature Comparison

When choosing between Riverside and Descript, it’s important to understand how each platform handles various tasks. Here's how the two compare across key areas.

Audio and Video Editing

Descript supports transcript-based editing, which means you can edit audio and video simply by changing the text. Its timeline gives you more detailed control than Riverside's and comes with tools to split clips, add crossfades, and remove filler words. You can also add music and visual elements using separate media layers.

Riverside takes a similar approach, letting users edit a video by making changes to its transcript. To make it easier to scan, Riverside’s timeline highlights each speaker’s track in a different color and adds automatic chapters. 

AI Capabilities

Descript includes a range of AI tools designed to speed up editing and improve audio quality. In addition to automatic audio cleanup with Studio Sound and voice generation with Overdub, you can also use AI Clip Finder to automatically select highlights from longer recordings and export them as short videos. Another feature, Underlord, acts as a built-in AI editing assistant. Instead of toggling individual settings, you can prompt Underlord in plain language, like asking it to enhance pacing, polish visuals, or get a segment ready for sharing.

Riverside offers similar AI-powered enhancements, like cleaning up recordings with Magic Audio or finding standout moments with Magic Clips. It comes with more unique features too, such as Smart Scenes, which automatically adjusts the video layout based on who’s speaking so you don’t have to manually switch between views in the edit. It also has an AI Speaker View tool that selects and applies layout presets for different speakers automatically, saving time in post-production and reducing the need for manual cuts.

Transcription Tools

Descript offers automatic transcription for 25 languages. It includes built-in speaker detection, which automatically labels different voices in a recording to simplify editing and reviewing. Descript claims its transcription engine can reach up to 95% accuracy.

Riverside also provides automatic transcription and supports over 100 languages. The platform claims its system can achieve up to 99% accuracy, though some Descript editor reviews suggest that Descript has the edge on transcription.

Ease of Use

Anyone familiar with a word processor should feel comfortable using Descript. You can edit audio and video by working with text rather than navigating waveforms or timelines. While the interface includes advanced features, many users find they can get started quickly without needing to explore everything at once.

Riverside also offers a simple, accessible layout aimed at beginners. The interface emphasizes ease of navigation, and transcription begins automatically after a recording or upload. Speaker tracks are separated by default, and the overall workflow minimizes setup and simplifies basic editing tasks.

Customization Options

To help you maintain consistent branding across formats, Descript offers a variety of visual and audio customization tools. You can upload your own bespoke fonts, customize caption styling (font, color, and size), and replace backgrounds using the AI green-screen tool.

Riverside's customization features focus on branding and layout. You can add logos, text, or image overlays, adjusting their position and size directly in the editor. A built-in brand kit lets you define a color palette and apply preset caption styles across different recordings for visual consistency.

Speed and Performance

When it comes to performance, Riverside processes recordings efficiently with minimal lag during editing. Users report consistent stability during recording sessions, which is especially important when working on time-sensitive projects. 

In contrast, many Descript users report running into performance challenges, particularly with larger projects or software updates.

How to Choose a Podcast Editing AI Tool

Finding the right podcast editing software is about matching tools to your unique needs. Here are the factors to weigh when evaluating options.

Features

Consider your non-negotiables — you might need multi-track editing, audio cleanup tools for pristine playback on Spotify, or AI transcription for easy YouTube captions. List your must-have features and focus on capabilities that solve your biggest production challenges. Don’t get distracted by flashy extras you'll rarely use.

Collaboration Capabilities

Depending on the type of podcast you create, you may need to work closely with other contributors. Dedicated collaboration features like real-time commenting make podcast production easier for everyone involved. Look for tools that align with your team's workflow needs.

Budget and Pricing Flexibility

Most podcast editing platforms have tiered pricing, with free plans for basic functionality and premium features on paid plans. Consider whether there are annual discounts for long-term savings and use free trials to decide whether the software would justify the cost of a paid plan.

Customer Support

Even the most tech-savvy podcasters need help from time to time. Look into the support options for each platform and read reviews to get a sense of response times. Robust knowledge bases, tutorial videos, and active user communities can also be effective resources, sometimes delivering answers faster than formal support channels.

The Best Podcast Editing Software: Final Verdict

Both Descript and Riverside leave podcasters making compromises. Descript has innovative features but can struggle with performance issues, while Riverside delivers reliable recording but falls short when it comes to advanced editing tools. What podcasters want is a solution that combines the strengths of both while side-stepping the drawbacks.

That's what you get with Captions: An all-in-one studio that solves everyday editing and recording challenges while also offering an array of advanced AI features.

• Seamless editing: Captions' AI Edit technology converts raw footage into polished videos ready for publishing. The tool handles the entire process, adding professional transitions, optimizing pacing, and improving visual quality without complex manual editing. It saves podcasters hours of production time while maintaining professional standards.
• Expert translation: The AI Dubber tool translates content into dozens of languages with perfectly matched lip movements. This lets creators expand globally without hiring voice actors or managing multiple recordings.
• Authentic video generation: Captions' AI Twin technology lets podcasters create content without being on camera. After recording yourself reading a one-minute script, you get a virtual version that looks and sounds just like you. This means you can create podcast videos by pasting in a script, with no filming required. It's perfect for producing consistent content even when you can't record.
• Accurate subtitles: The Add Subtitles feature automatically adds captions to your podcast videos. It analyzes your audio and accurately converts speech to text, saving hours of manual transcription work. You can customize fonts, colors, and styling to match your brand identity, making your podcast more accessible to audiences and viewers watching without sound.

Create Captivating Podcasts With Captions

Jumping between different tools for recording, editing, and promoting your podcast wastes time and can add frustration to the creative process. Captions' Video Podcast Editor centralizes your workflow by bringing all the tools you need together in one place. Edit your videos, clip highlights for social media, and improve your audio on a single platform.

Create better podcasts faster with Captions.