Descript Underlord Brings Natural-Language Video Editing to Automated Workflows.

Descript wants video editing to become a task that software can delegate, not a timeline that creators must constantly manage. The company has introduced an expanded version of Underlord that accepts natural-language instructions from AI assistants and automated workflows, then returns an edited project for review.

In a LinkedIn announcement, Descript said Underlord can handle detailed editing decisions without requiring manual timeline work. Its example involves recognizing that landscape B-roll has been placed in a portrait video and automatically reshaping it to fit.

The larger change is where that editing can begin. Users can reach Underlord from assistants including Claude and ChatGPT, or incorporate it into custom workflows through Descript’s new video editing API.

Descript’s API product page describes a trigger-based process: an event starts the workflow, Underlord performs the requested editing tasks, and the creator opens Descript to review the result. Triggers could include a new recording, file upload or published article.

Underlord can then carry out a sequence of production jobs, including:

• Importing and transcribing source media
• Removing filler words
• Applying Studio Sound
• Cutting clips from longer recordings
• Generating and adding captions
• Preparing a rough cut for human review

This is more than a conversational shortcut inside the editor. It turns Descript’s editing functions into components that can run while the user is doing something else. A podcast team, for example, could have captioned social clips generated after each episode arrives. A business could turn a newly published article into a video teaser, while sales teams could extract highlights from recorded calls.

Descript frames the system as automating roughly 90 percent of the process, with creators handling the final review. That distinction matters. Underlord is positioned to prepare drafts and manage repetitive decisions, rather than publish finished media without oversight.

The API can be accessed through several interfaces. Descript provides an MCP connection that lets Claude or another compatible assistant translate a plain-English request into API calls. Developers can use the company’s API documentation and command-line interface, while no-code users can connect Descript to Zapier and choose the event that starts an edit.

The company’s announcement also names ChatGPT as an access point. That follows Descript’s launch of a ChatGPT integration, which brought natural-language video and audio editing into the assistant. Underlord has also been gaining stronger model options inside Descript, including Claude Opus 5 integration.

For small teams, the useful shift is orchestration. A creator no longer needs to upload a recording, wait for transcription, clean the audio, find clips and add captions as separate steps. Those instructions can be packaged into a repeatable workflow that runs whenever new media appears.

There are still open operational questions. Descript has not disclosed API pricing or specified a date for broad availability in the supplied announcement. Its product page directs prospective customers to contact sales, while the social post invites users to sign up. Teams considering the system will also need to determine where human approval belongs, particularly for edits involving framing, context or sensitive recordings.

Even so, Underlord points toward a different role for video editors. Instead of using AI for isolated effects, Descript is giving assistants and automation platforms control over a connected production sequence, while keeping the final project in its editor for inspection.

What is Descript Underlord?

Descript Underlord is an AI editing assistant that performs video and audio production tasks from natural-language instructions. It can import and transcribe media, remove filler words, improve sound, create clips and captions, and prepare a project for human review.

How can users access Underlord?

Descript says Underlord can be reached through assistants such as Claude and ChatGPT or incorporated into custom workflows. Its API page also documents options involving MCP, Zapier and a command-line interface.

How much does the Descript API cost?

Descript has not published API pricing in the supplied announcement or product page. The company currently directs interested teams to contact sales and provides a signup route for access.