Descript Underlord Update: Faster AI Video Editing for Creators In 2026
- Let's Compare AI
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
Descript has taken a huge leap forward in AI-assisted video editing with its Underlord feature — an agentic co-editor designed to streamline video production and sharply cut down editing time. Built into the Descript video and podcast editor, Underlord combines advanced AI models with intuitive prompting, letting creators direct edits in plain language without wrestling with traditional timelines and tools.
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When Was It Released?
Underlord first debuted as part of Descript’s “Season 6” product updates on April 1, 2025, marking a major shift in how the software approaches AI editing assistance.
Descript
Since its initial launch, Underlord has continued to evolve — including tooling improvements like a model picker with Claude Sonnet 4.5 and upcoming support for other advanced models shared through Descript’s changelog in 2025.
What Is Underlord?
Underlord isn’t a simple drag-and-click AI tool — it’s an AI co-editor that can:
Interpret conversational instructions and act on them
Automate numerous editing tasks (cutting, filler removal, arrangement)
Execute multi-step workflows from a single prompt
Adapt audio and video structure based on your guidance
In essence, Underlord brings the power of natural language into video editing, allowing you to say things like “remove all filler words, tighten pacing, and add a social clip at the ending” — and then watch it construct those changes.
Descript’s text-based editing context means you can edit audio and video as easily as editing a document, but now with Underlord, the editor can actually carry out complex production tasks automatically.
Key Features
Here are some notable recent enhancements that show Underlord taking shape as a modern editing assistant:
📌 Model Selection and Advanced AI
Descript added a model picker, including support for Claude Sonnet 4.5, allowing users to choose the AI reasoning and style behind Underlord’s decisions. This gives flexibility between speed, creativity, or accuracy.
📌 Expanded Workflows
Underlord’s capabilities now stretch beyond simple cuts — it can help generate clips, reorganise scenes, and even extend footage when needed, pulling from existing frames to create new video segments.
📌 Better Audio + Video Quality
Underlord supports common production enhancements such as filler removal, noise suppression, better transitions, and timing fixes — saving hours that would have been spent on manual tweaks.
How does Underlord compare to similar AI tools?
👉 Best for: Online courses, podcasts, YouTube videos, talking-head content
💰 Pricing: ~$19–$49/mo
⭐ Score: 89/100
👉 Best for: Creative projects, generative video, visual effects, experimental content
💰 Pricing: ~$12–$29/mo (plus usage credits)
⭐ Score: 90/100
👉 Best for: Short AI videos, social clips, concept visuals
💰 Pricing: ~$19–$29/mo
⭐ Score: 88/100
Veed.io AI
👉 Best for: Social media videos, captions, quick edits
💰 Pricing: ~$18–$29/mo
⭐ Score: 85/100
Quick Takeaways
✔ Descript Underlord — most powerful for workflow automation and editing tasks
✔ Runway AI — best for creative AI video generation
✔ Pika Labs — fastest for short, automatically generated clips
✔ Veed.io — best simple editor for quick social posts
Final Summary
I found Descript Underlord to be particularly helpful for creating and editing video content faster without getting stuck in complex timelines. Being able to give simple instructions in plain language and let the AI handle repetitive editing tasks genuinely saved time, especially for long-form videos and course content. Compared to more generative tools like Runway or Pika, Underlord feels more practical and workflow-focused, making it a better fit for creators who are editing real footage rather than generating clips from scratch. While it’s not designed for heavy visual effects, it excels at streamlining the editing process and is a strong choice for creators, educators, and podcasters who want efficient, AI-assisted video editing.
Ready to Try AI-Powered Video Editing?
If you’re looking to speed up your video workflow and reduce time spent on manual edits, Descript Underlord is well worth exploring. Its AI-driven editing approach is especially useful for creators, educators, and podcasters who want professional results without complex timelines.
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