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Descript’s New Pricing (September 2025) — Media Minutes & AI Credits Explained

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Descript’s New Pricing (September 2025) — Media Minutes & AI Credits Explained

Descript rolled out new pricing on September 23, 2025. The big changes: media minutes (for uploads/recordings) and AI credits (for AI-powered tools).

Prefer flat pricing with no credits/caps? Try Trebble—edit by text with silence/filler removal and cleanup.

TL;DR (September 2025)

  • Free plan: 60 media minutes/month + 100 one-time AI credits
  • No rollover: unused minutes/credits don’t roll over; top-ups “coming soon”
  • Creator plan: 1,800 media minutes/month + 800 AI credits/month
  • Examples: Studio Sound 10/use, Eye Contact 10/use, Dubbing 15/min, TTS ~5/min

What changed?

Descript replaced transcription-hour buckets with two shared pools:

  • Media minutes → debited when you upload or record audio/video (still images count as 1 second each).
  • AI credits → debited when you use AI tools (e.g., Studio Sound, Eye Contact, dubbing, TTS).

Both reset monthly; no rollover. Descript says top-ups are coming.

Plan examples (monthly)

  • Free → 60 media minutes, 100 one-time AI credits
  • Hobbyist → 600 media minutes, 400 AI credits
  • Creator → 1,800 media minutes, 800 AI credits
  • Business → 2,400 media minutes, 1,500 AI credits

If you’re on Legacy/Sunset, you can stay for now; Descript says auto-migration later in 2025 with 30 days’ notice.

Descript Free Plan 2025: How many minutes & what’s included

  • 60 media minutes/month
  • 100 AI credits (one-time grant)
  • No rollover for minutes or credits
  • Top-ups: announced as “coming soon”

Do media minutes or AI credits roll over?

No. As of September 2025, unused media minutes and AI credits do not roll over month-to-month.

Descript AI Credits: cost by feature (2025)

Common defaults (model choice can change cost):

  • Studio Sound — 10 per use
  • Eye Contact — 10 per use
  • Green Screen — 10 per use
  • Dubbing — 15 per minute
  • Text-to-Speech (TTS) — ~5 per minute
  • Audio regenerate — 10 per use
  • Video regenerate — 15 per use
  • Create clips — 30 per use
  • Find highlights — 5 per use
  • Create highlight reel — 20 per use
  • Translate captions — 10 per use
  • Edit for clarity / Remove filler / Shorten gaps — 10 per use

(Tip: If your workflow is mostly cleanup and trims, these “per use” tools are where credits add up.)

Descript Creator Plan (2025): what you get

  • 1,800 media minutes/month
  • 800 AI credits/month
    Good fit if you publish weekly and rely on a handful of AI tools.

International pricing (USD/EUR)

Plan resources (minutes/credits) are the same globally. Final charges vary by currency, taxes, and region—check your billing page for local totals.

Why the change?

AI features (Studio Sound, dubbing, avatars, generative video) consume real compute; usage-based buckets help fund that while shipping more AI without “unlimited” promises.

Who benefits, who doesn’t?

  • Agencies/teams: Can spread costs across seats and typically use more AI features.
  • Solo creators: If you mostly transcribe, cut silence, and clean audio, buckets may add cost/overhead without much added value.

What podcasters should do now

  • Audit minutes: How much media do you upload per month?
  • List AI you actually use: If it’s just a couple tools, credits can feel like overhead.
  • Watch migration notices: Plan before auto-migration hits.

Alternatives to explore

  • Trebble — simple text-based editing, silence/filler removal, cleanup, plus an AI pass that flags rambling/repeats. Flat pricing; no credits/caps. (Full disclosure: Trebble is our product.)
  • Riverside — strong remote recording; editing tools improving.
  • Audacity — free, reliable, very manual.
  • Adobe Podcast — excellent cleanup; limited editing.

If you’re comparing, see: Best Descript Alternatives (September 2025) — No AI Credits, No Media Minutes.

September 2025 update & what’s next

  • Plans now center on Media Minutes + AI Credits
  • Legacy/Sunset: remain for now; auto-migration later with 30-day notice
  • Top-ups: announced as “coming soon”

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Updates

Updates
Sept 23, 2025: Descript moved to Media Minutes + AI Credits. Legacy/Sunset plans can remain for now; auto-migration later with 30-day notice.
Oct 2025: Top-ups for minutes/credits listed as “coming soon.” We’ll update this page when details are published.

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FAQ

How many minutes are on Descript Free in 2025?

The Free plan includes 60 media minutes per month and a one-time 100 AI credit grant.

Do Media Minutes or AI Credits roll over?

No. As of September 2025, unused media minutes and AI credits do not roll over month-to-month. Descript says a la carte top-ups are “coming soon.”

How much does Studio Sound cost in 2025?

Studio Sound uses 10 AI credits per use (default models; model choice can change usage).

What’s in the Descript Creator plan (2025)?

1,800 media minutes/month and 800 AI credits/month; generally fits weekly creators who use a handful of AI tools.

What counts as a Media Minute?

Uploading or recording audio/video in Descript draws down media minutes. Still images count as 1 second each.

What do AI Credits cover?

AI features such as Studio Sound, Eye Contact, Green Screen, dubbing, text-to-speech, and generative media. Some tools have fixed credit costs; generative tasks can vary by model/length.

When will Legacy/Sunset plans be migrated?

Descript says Legacy/Sunset plans will auto-migrate later in 2025 with at least 30 days’ notice.

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Last updated: October 6, 2025

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