I'm reaching out regarding a critical issue with the Replace Transcript function that's affecting my workflow.
What used to work:
I've been using Descript for months with a specific workflow:
  1. Export the auto-generated transcript from Descript
  2. Clean it up externally (fix spelling, punctuation, and formatting to 3-4 words per line)
  3. Use the Replace Transcript function to import the corrected version
  4. Everything would sync perfectly with the original timing
This workflow was working flawlessly until recently.
Current problem:
The Replace Transcript function is now changing word timings and breaking the sync. The corrected transcript no longer aligns with the audio/video, even though I'm only fixing:
  • Spelling errors
  • Punctuation
  • Line breaks (formatting to 3-4 words per line for readability)
I'm NOT adding or removing words—just cleaning up the existing transcript. The timings should remain unchanged, but they're getting altered during the replacement process.
Impact:
This is disrupting my entire editing workflow. And I rely on accurate transcripts for subtitle timing.
What I need:
  • The Replace Transcript function to preserve original word timings when only formatting/punctuation changes are made
  • Or guidance on the correct way to replace transcripts without breaking sync
Is this a known bug? Is there a workaround? Any help would be greatly appreciated.