Guide to Descript: How to Quickly Record and Edit Online Course Videos

Creating online course videos can be a daunting task, especially when you want to get your course out there quickly but have limited time. Many course creators struggle with recording and editing, unsure of where to start or which tools to use. 

Some of the most common challenges I hear from our customers are:

Fortunately, my favorite AI-powered video tool, Descript offers a simple and effective solution for both recording and editing your course videos. It makes these processes as easy as editing a text document, making it easy even for beginners to produce polished videos.  

In this guide and demo, I’ll walk you through the process so you can easily create professional videos for your online courses.

First, you can watch the demo I did. Then follow the step-by-step instructions to help you leverage Descript for your course videos.

Step-by-Step Guide to Using Descript For Online Course Videos

Don’t get overwhelmed by Descript! I have a super-simple set of steps you can follow to create and edit stunning course videos:

Step 1. Prepare Your Materials

You can use either a PowerPoint or Canva slideshow as the base for your videos. We provide your slides typically in PowerPoint, but you can also ‘drag and drop’ or ‘import’ that file to Canva to use it there.

Don’t forget to add your branding and edit any content before going further!

Once that’s done, here’s how to get started with prepping for recording the slides:

In PowerPoint:

In Canva:

Step 2. Option A - Record Your Video Outside Descript

You have multiple options on how to record your video outside of Descript, if you prefer that route:

Step 2. Option B - Create Video in Descript

Descript allows easy recording and transcribing directly in the application or by uploading pre-recorded videos. Here’s how:

Start a new project in Descript:

Step 3. Edit Video in Descript

Editing your video in Descript is as simple as editing a text document. 

Step 4. Add On-Camera Intros

Adding a personal touch with an on-camera intro can make your videos more engaging:

Step 5. Add Captions

Captions make your videos accessible and enhance learner engagement.

Step 6. Publish and Export

Once your editing is complete, you can publish and export your video.

I’ve found that Descript significantly cuts the time and effort needed to create high-quality online course videos. I almost never use another video editing tool any longer!

Try following my guide to create a quick video yourself, playing around with some of the features in Descript. Their free plan is a good place to test out the basics. Then upgrade to a paid plan for your course videos. 

Don’t Have Time to Create Content For Your Course Videos? Here’s a Shortcut

Don’t have time to create the slideshows for your course videos?

Our PLR courses at Content Sparks provide ready-made slideshows and other materials to help you get started without the hassle of creating from scratch. With the course materials all done for you already, you can focus on adding your own insights, delivering value to your learners and growing your online course offerings. Then you can truly scale your income!

Ready to start creating your course videos with ease? Check out our done-for-you PLR courses and get 30% off your first purchase when you join our subscriber community.

Enjoy!