A Software Academy Translated Its Course Library With Descript and Saved 116 Hours
Algolia's academy team used Descript to cut long courses into short videos and translate its library with AI voices. Descript's story reports 116 hours of video production time saved and 58 translated videos published in two months.
Who this is about: Software company enablement team (Algolia Academy)
What it takes
- Cost
- Free planDescript: Free with 60 media minutes a month at 720p. Billed yearly: Hobbyist $16 a month ($24 monthly), Creator $24 ($35) and Business $50 ($65). Enterprise is custom.Price checked Oct 18, 2026 on descript.com. Prices change; check before you buy.
- Setup time
- A few daysOur estimate from the source, for one business.
- Skill needed
- No codeApps and settings only.
Explain it simply
Descript lets you edit a lesson by editing its transcript, remove filler words, and then translate the captions or dub the audio into other languages. A training team used it to turn long courses into short lessons in several languages.
What was done
The team edited raw lesson recordings in Descript by editing transcripts, split long courses into short videos, and translated and dubbed the library with AI voices. A native speaker should proofread before publishing.
How it went
Descript's story quotes "Saved 116 hours of video production time" and "Published 58 translated videos in two months".
- Algolia is an enterprise training team, not a solo creator, and the story is undated.
- Dubbing into 30+ languages is on Descript's Business plan. Get written permission before cloning anyone's voice.
Prompt
Context: You are a solo course creator or a small training team turning raw lesson recordings into clean, short lessons in English plus [TARGET_LANGUAGES].
UNDERLORD PROMPT (run on each raw lesson in Descript):
This is lesson [LESSON_NUMBER] of "[COURSE_NAME]" for [AUDIENCE].
1. Remove filler words, long pauses and retakes. Keep the last take of any repeated sentence.
2. Split it into chapters at each new idea, aiming for [TARGET_LESSON_LENGTH] per chapter, and title each chapter in 6 words or fewer.
3. Apply Studio Sound.
4. Add captions in [CAPTION_STYLE].
5. Write a 2-sentence lesson summary and 3 "key takeaways" for the course page.
6. Flag any spot where I reference something on screen that isn't visible, with its timestamp.
LOCALIZATION CHECKLIST (after the English edit is approved):
- Translate captions into [TARGET_LANGUAGES].
- Dub audio for [DUB_LANGUAGES] (check your plan's limits), then have a native speaker proofread [PROOFREADER] before publishing.
- Keep product names and [GLOSSARY_TERMS] untranslated.
- Export to [PLATFORM] (e.g. Teachable, Kajabi, YouTube).Our template, written from the source and the vendor docs; the source did not publish its own prompt. Replace the [brackets] before you use it.
Business fit
Who this helps, and how:
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“Vendor or secondhand” (grade C) means: A tool maker's case study, a promotional demo, or someone else's write-up. How we grade. Spotted a mistake? Suggest a correction.