ChatGPT answers, unedited

For a podcast channel built around interviews + transcripts, the best text-based video editor is usually:

1. Descript — Best overall for podcast interview editing

Best for: solo podcasters, YouTubers, interview shows, talking-head content

Why it stands out:

• Import your recording → it creates a transcript → edit the video by editing the words.
• Delete a sentence in the transcript and the corresponding video/audio cut happens automatically.
• Great for removing filler words (“um,” “uh”), tightening answers, creating clips, and adding captions.
• Much easier than hunting through a 90-minute interview timeline.

Choose it if: your workflow is mostly “find the best quotes, tighten the conversation, publish.”

2. Adobe Adobe Premiere Pro — Best professional option

Best for: podcasts that need polished YouTube videos, multicam edits, graphics, color, and advanced audio.

Strengths:

• Built-in text-based editing lets you search transcripts and make edits from the text.
• Better for complex productions: multiple cameras, motion graphics, branded intros, advanced sound mixing.
• More of a learning curve than Descript. scriptcut.io

Choose it if: your podcast is becoming a media brand and you want maximum control.

3. DaVinci Resolve — Best value for serious creators

Best for: creators who want professional editing without a monthly subscription.

Strengths:

• Excellent color grading and audio tools.
• Speech-to-text features help with transcript-driven workflows.
• Very powerful once learned. scriptcut.io

Choose it if: you want a long-term editing platform and don’t mind a steeper learning curve.

4. Riverside.fm — Best if you record remote interviews

Best for: guest interviews over Zoom-style recordings.

Strengths:

• Records high-quality local audio/video from guests.
• Includes transcript-based editing features.
• Good “record → edit → publish clips” workflow. jupitrr.com

Choose it if: your biggest pain point is getting clean recordings from remote guests.

5. Avid Technology Avid Media Composer — Best for documentary-style workflows

Best for: huge interview archives and professional editorial teams.

Strengths:

• Strong transcript search workflows.
• Designed for large-scale productions where editors sift through many hours of interviews. scriptcut.io

Choose it if: you’re working like a documentary production team.

My recommendation for a podcast channel

A very efficient modern workflow is:

Record → Riverside (optional) → Descript for transcript-based rough cut → Premiere/Resolve for final polish → YouTube/social clips

For most interview podcasts, I’d start with Descript because it directly solves the slowest part: finding and cutting the best moments from conversations.

If your workflow is “I have a long interview transcript, I want to find the best moments, cut the conversation down, and turn it into a polished YouTube/podcast video”, I’d strongly recommend Descript as the first tool to try.

My ranking for interview-based podcast editing

🥇 descript.com — best overall for your use case

This is the one I'd start with.

Descript essentially turns your interview into a Google Doc that happens to control the video. Once the recording is transcribed, deleting a sentence from the transcript removes the corresponding audio/video. You can rearrange sections by moving text around. Descript Descript Help Center

For a podcast channel, that's extremely useful because you can:

• Read through the entire interview instead of scrubbing through hours of footage.
• Highlight the strongest answers.
• Delete rambling sections directly from the transcript.
• Remove filler words.
• Tighten pauses and retakes.
• Work with multiple speakers.
• Clean up audio with AI.
• Create clips from the same interview.
• Add captions and graphics.
• Export the finished YouTube video.

Descript also now has a traditional timeline alongside its transcript/script editor, so you're not trapped in a purely text-based workflow when you need finer control. Descript Help Center

Its newer AI assistant, Underlord, can also perform bulk edits and help identify/cut material, although I'd still treat AI edits as a first pass rather than blindly publishing them. Descript

For a solo podcast creator, I'd give Descript a 9/10.

descript.com

🥈 adobe.com — best if you're becoming a serious video editor

Premiere is now much more attractive for transcript-driven workflows than it used to be.

Its Text-Based Editing lets you generate a transcript, select text to create clips on the timeline, rearrange the resulting clips, and remove filler words or awkward pauses. Adobe

The big advantage is that after you've done the transcript-based rough cut, you have the full professional editing environment available:

• multicamera editing
• sophisticated audio
• color grading
• motion graphics
• B-roll
• advanced transitions
• detailed keyframing
• professional export workflows

The downside: it's substantially more complicated than Descript.

I'd choose Premiere if your goal is eventually to make your podcast videos look like a professional production rather than primarily optimizing for editing speed.

🥉 blackmagicdesign.com — best value for professional editing

Resolve is another excellent option if you're willing to learn a more traditional NLE.

Its transcription/speech-to-text workflow can be used to find dialogue and construct edits, while Resolve gives you extremely powerful color, audio, effects and finishing tools.

I'd pick it over Premiere if you particularly care about professional color and audio or want to avoid getting locked into Adobe's subscription ecosystem.

Riverside — best if you also need to record the interviews

riverside.fm is particularly interesting if your workflow is:

record remote guest → transcript → edit → publish

rather than simply:

receive interview footage → edit transcript

Riverside's own 2026 comparison puts Riverside and Descript among the strongest overall podcast editing options, while positioning Premiere more toward professional video editing. Riverside

ScriptCut — interesting if transcript selection is your main bottleneck

scriptcut.io takes a somewhat different approach. It's particularly useful if you want to select and approve portions of an interview from the transcript and then send the edit into Premiere, Resolve, Final Cut, or another NLE.

That's attractive for a production workflow where someone does the editorial selection and another person handles the final edit. ScriptCut

What I'd use for a podcast channel

I'd actually structure your workflow like this:

Long interview
↓
Descript transcription
↓
Read transcript + make the editorial cut
↓
Remove rambling / repetition / filler
↓
Create a tight 30–60 minute episode
↓
Create 5–10 short clips from the best moments
↓
Polish visuals/audio
↓
YouTube + podcast platforms

If you're a one-person operation, I'd stay entirely in Descript initially. Its current feature set is specifically aimed at making podcast production work like editing a document, and it supports multitrack podcast production as well. Descript Descript

If you eventually find yourself wanting cinematic B-roll, elaborate motion graphics, sophisticated multicam editing, or detailed color grading, I'd use Descript for the transcript/rough cut → Premiere or Resolve for the final polish.

Bottom line: For interview transcript → select the best material → edit podcast video, Descript is the best fit by a pretty wide margin. Premiere is the better choice if you're already an experienced editor or want maximum professional control.

If your workflow is “I have an interview transcript → I want to turn it into a polished podcast video”, I’d put Descript at #1 right now.

My ranking for interview/podcast editing

🥇 1. Descript — best overall for your use case

descript.com

This is the one I'd try first.

Descript essentially turns your interview into a Google Docs-style editing experience. Once your video is transcribed, you can delete a sentence from the transcript and the corresponding video/audio is removed. You can also cut, copy and rearrange sections by manipulating the text. Descript Descript Help Center

That's particularly powerful for interviews because you can:

• Read the transcript rather than scrub through 90 minutes of footage.
• Highlight a great answer and turn it into your main segment.
• Remove tangents, repetition, "um/uh," pauses, etc.
• Rearrange portions of the conversation.
• Automatically generate captions.
• Create short clips from the long interview.
• Clean up audio with AI.
• Create different layouts for YouTube, Shorts, etc. Descript Descript

The killer workflow:
Transcript → select the best conversation → delete everything else → polish → add B-roll/captions → export.

For a solo podcast channel, that's extremely hard to beat.

🥈 2. Adobe Premiere Pro — best if you want professional finishing

adobe.com

Premiere now has Text-Based Editing, so it's no longer necessary to choose between transcript editing and a traditional professional NLE.

You can automatically transcribe footage, select portions of the transcript to create a rough cut, rearrange dialogue, remove pauses and detect filler words. Adobe Adobe

I'd choose Premiere if your podcast eventually needs:

• sophisticated multicamera editing
• complex B-roll
• extensive motion graphics
• color grading
• detailed audio mixing
• After Effects integration
• a professional editor working on your channel

Downside: it's considerably more complicated than Descript. If 80% of your work is simply deciding “Which parts of this interview should stay?”, Descript is generally the more natural tool.

🥉 3. DaVinci Resolve — excellent if you're building a serious production workflow

Resolve's transcript/speech-to-text functionality makes it considerably more attractive for interview editing than older versions.

The big advantage is that you get an extremely powerful traditional editor alongside transcript-based workflows.

I'd choose it over Descript if video quality and sophisticated post-production are becoming a major part of your channel, rather than primarily using the transcript to construct the story.

4. Riverside — particularly good if you also record your interviews remotely

riverside.fm

If you're recording remote guests, Riverside is worth considering because it combines recording, transcription and editing. Its own 2026 comparison identifies Riverside and Descript as leading overall podcast options. Riverside

I'd think of it as:

Riverside = recording-first workflow
Descript = editing-first workflow

If you're already recording somewhere else and simply need the best transcript-based editor, I'd lean Descript.

5. ScriptCut — interesting if transcript selection is your main job

ScriptCut is worth looking at if your workflow is:

long interview → transcript → select sections → send the resulting edit to Premiere/Resolve/FCP

It positions itself as a transcript-based selection/approval layer rather than trying to replace a professional NLE. ScriptCut

That can be particularly useful if you eventually have an editor or production team taking over the final edit.

What I'd do for a podcast channel

If you're doing something like:

60–120 minute interview → YouTube episode → 5–10 Shorts/Reels/TikToks

I'd use:

Descript → main interview edit → clips → captions → YouTube

You can make the transcript your first editing interface, rather than starting with a timeline.

For example:

1. Import the full interview.
2. Let Descript transcribe and identify speakers.
3. Read through the transcript.
4. Delete weak answers, tangents and repetitive sections.
5. Move the strongest sections into a compelling narrative.
6. Remove filler words and unnecessary pauses.
7. Clean up the audio.
8. Add B-roll, titles and captions.
9. Pull out several particularly strong moments for Shorts.
10. Export the long-form episode and clips.

Descript specifically supports speaker-labeled transcripts and keeps the transcript synchronized with the underlying video. Descript

My recommendation

Start with Descript. If you eventually find yourself thinking “I need much more control over the actual video than the transcript editor gives me,” graduate to Premiere Pro or DaVinci Resolve.

If you tell me (1) whether your interviews are 30, 60, or 120+ minutes, (2) whether they're single- or multi-camera, and (3) whether you're making YouTube Shorts too, I can recommend the exact workflow/software stack I'd use for your channel.

4. Riverside — particularly good if you also record your interviews remotely

riverside.fm

If you're recording remote guests, Riverside is worth considering because it combines recording, transcription and editing. Its own 2026 comparison identifies Riverside and Descript as leading overall podcast options. Riverside

I'd think of it as:

Riverside = recording-first workflow
Descript = editing-first workflow

If you're already recording somewhere else and simply need the best transcript-based editor, I'd lean Descript.

5. ScriptCut — interesting if transcript selection is your main job

ScriptCut is worth looking at if your workflow is:

long interview → transcript → select sections → send the resulting edit to Premiere/Resolve/FCP

It positions itself as a transcript-based selection/approval layer rather than trying to replace a professional NLE.

That can be particularly useful if you eventually have an editor or production team taking over the final edit.

What I'd do for a podcast channel

If you're doing something like:

60–120 minute interview → YouTube episode → 5–10 Shorts/Reels/TikToks

I'd use:

If your workflow is “record an interview → get transcript → read through it → cut the boring parts → rearrange the conversation → produce a polished YouTube/podcast video,” I’d strongly favor a text-based editor over a traditional timeline-first editor.

My ranking

🥇 1. Descript — my first choice for your use case

Descript is probably the best fit if the transcript is the center of your editing process.

You import your interview, it transcribes it, and then you essentially edit the video like a Word/Google Doc. Delete a sentence from the transcript and the corresponding video/audio disappears. Cut and paste text and the media moves with it. help.descript.com

That's particularly powerful for an interview podcast because your workflow can be:

Transcript → identify good answers → delete tangents → rearrange sections → remove filler → polish → add B-roll/captions → export.

Descript also has a conventional timeline when you need more precise visual editing, so you're not locked into text-only editing. help.descript.com

I'd choose Descript if:

• You're primarily editing interviews/conversations.
• You want to read rather than scrub through hours of footage.
• You're a solo creator or small team.
• You want to turn one interview into a full episode + Shorts/Reels.
• You don't want to become a professional video editor just to run a podcast channel.

Descript's editor

🥈 2. Riverside — especially good if you also record remotely

Riverside is extremely compelling if you're recording your podcast interviews on Riverside in the first place.

Its editor lets you search, delete, copy and paste directly in the transcript, with the changes reflected in the recording. It also maintains separate speaker tracks, which is very useful for interviews. riverside.com

It also has tools for:

• removing filler words and silences
• cleaning up audio
• captions
• speaker layouts
• B-roll
• branding
• creating clips
• AI-assisted editing
• switching aspect ratios for social platforms riverside.com

So there's an important distinction:

Descript: best editing-first experience.

Riverside: best record → edit → publish ecosystem.

If you're already recording your interviews in Riverside, I'd seriously consider just using its editor rather than moving the footage elsewhere.

Riverside video editor

🥉 3. Premiere Pro — best if you want to become a serious video editor

Premiere has gotten substantially better for transcript-driven editing.

Its Text-Based Editing lets you edit a sequence using the transcript: rearranging text automatically adjusts the associated clips in the timeline, while the transcript stays synchronized with the footage. help.descript.comhelpx.adobe.com

The difference is that Premiere remains a professional NLE first.

That's great if you're eventually going to want:

• elaborate B-roll
• multicamera editing
• sophisticated graphics
• detailed color correction
• audio mixing
• complex timelines
• professional finishing

But if your primary goal is simply “I have a 90-minute interview transcript and want to turn it into a great 35-minute episode,” Premiere is probably more software than you need.

4. DaVinci Resolve

Resolve is another excellent choice if you're willing to learn professional editing.

Its big advantage is that you get an extremely capable professional editor, color system, audio environment, and effects platform rather than a podcast-specific editor.

I'd choose it over Descript if your channel is going to evolve toward cinematic/documentary-style videos rather than primarily interview content.

What I'd actually recommend for a podcast channel

If I were setting up your workflow today, I'd use one of these:

Simplest workflow

Riverside → Descript → YouTube

Record the interview in Riverside, then do the substantive transcript edit in Descript.

All-in-one workflow

Riverside → Riverside Editor → YouTube

This is probably the lowest-friction option.

Professional workflow

Riverside → Premiere Pro → YouTube

Use the transcript to make the initial cut, then do the serious visual/audio work in Premiere.

One important distinction

If your interviews are long-form and you already have transcripts, I wouldn't optimize primarily for "AI video editing."

I'd optimize for:

How quickly can I find the exact sentence I want and make the corresponding video edit?

That's why Descript is my #1 recommendation for your particular workflow. Its core design literally treats the transcript as the editing interface. help.descript.com

If you tell me (1) Mac or Windows, (2) typical interview length, (3) whether you're recording video remotely, and (4) whether the final product is mainly YouTube, Shorts, or both, I can narrow this down to the best 2–3 tools and the workflow I'd use for your channel.

For a podcast channel built around interviews, the best text-based video editor depends on whether you want speed, professional finishing, or team workflows. These are the strongest options: scriptcut.ioriverside.com

My recommendation for a podcast channel

If you are a solo creator:
→ Start with Descript. It matches the way interview podcasts are actually edited: find a quote in the transcript, cut the rambling parts, tighten the conversation, and export. scriptcut.ioriverside.com

If you publish polished YouTube episodes with multiple cameras, graphics, and sponsor segments:
→ Use a hybrid workflow:

1. Descript for transcript cleanup and rough cuts
2. Premiere Pro or DaVinci Resolve for final polish

If you have hours of interviews and need to find themes/quotes across episodes:
→ Look at Reduct or a transcript search workflow before editing. scriptcut.io

A practical podcast workflow would be:

1. Record interview
2. Auto-transcribe
3. Search transcript for strongest moments
4. Remove filler words and dead space
5. Build the rough episode from text
6. Finish visuals/audio
7. Export YouTube version + short clips

For most interview-based podcast creators, Descript is the closest match to “editing the conversation instead of editing video.” riverside.comcutsio.com

For an interview-based podcast where you already have transcripts and want to edit the video by editing the words, my top pick is Descript.

My ranking

🥇 1. Descript — best fit for your use case

Descript

Descript is essentially “edit the video like you're editing a Word document.” You upload your interview, it transcribes it, and deleting a sentence from the transcript removes that portion from the video/audio. It also has AI tools for filler-word removal, audio cleanup, captions, and generating clips. www.descript.comriverside.com

For an interview podcast, I'd particularly like it for this workflow:

Transcript → find the good answers → delete rambling → rearrange sections → clean audio → captions → export.

It's especially good if you are doing the editing rather than handing projects to a professional editor.

🥈 2. Riverside — best if you also record your interviews there

Riverside

Riverside has become a surprisingly complete transcript-based editor. You can edit the recording directly from the transcript, while retaining separate tracks for each speaker. It also has AI removal of filler words/silences, captions, layouts, audio enhancement, and automatic short-form clips. riverside.com

The big advantage is one ecosystem:

Record remote interview → transcript → edit → full YouTube episode → Shorts/Reels → captions.

Its Magic Clips can automatically identify highlights, with typical clips around 30–90 seconds. support.riverside.com

If you're already recording your podcast through Riverside, I'd probably choose Riverside over Descript.

🥉 3. Premiere Pro — best if you want professional control

Adobe Premiere Pro

Premiere now has genuine transcript-based editing: you can generate a transcript, copy/paste or delete text, and Premiere modifies the corresponding video/audio on the timeline. www.adobe.com

I'd choose it if you expect your channel to become highly produced—multiple cameras, B-roll, graphics, sound design, elaborate transitions, color grading, etc.

The tradeoff: much steeper learning curve than Descript.

4. DaVinci Resolve — best value for serious editing

DaVinci Resolve

Resolve is fantastic if you want professional editing capabilities without committing to the Adobe ecosystem. Its transcript/speech-to-text workflow is increasingly useful for dialogue-heavy editing.

I'd put it ahead of Premiere if budget matters and you're willing to learn a real NLE.

5. ScriptCut — interesting transcript-first alternative

ScriptCut is specifically designed around selecting/editing content through transcripts and then handing the result off to Premiere, Resolve, Final Cut, or Avid. scriptcut.io

I'd consider it more of a specialized transcript-selection tool than your primary podcast editor.

What I'd choose for a podcast channel

If you're a solo creator:
👉 Descript

If you're recording interviews remotely:
👉 Riverside

If you want professional YouTube production:
👉 Premiere Pro or DaVinci Resolve

If your entire editing philosophy is “I want to work from the transcript”:
👉 Descript

One particularly effective workflow is Descript for the first/rough edit → Premiere or Resolve for the final polish. That lets you make the intellectually difficult part—deciding what the interview should contain—by reading the transcript, then use a conventional editor for detailed visual work.

For an interview podcast specifically, I'd start with Descript vs. Riverside rather than trying five different editors. Both are now purpose-built around this exact workflow. www.descript.comriverside.com

If you tell me (1) whether you record video locally or remotely, (2) Mac or Windows, and (3) roughly how many episodes you produce per month, I can narrow it down to the best choice and the cheapest sensible plan.

If your podcast workflow is “record interview → get transcript → edit the conversation by cutting text → publish full episode + clips,” I’d put Descript at the top.

My ranking for your use case

🥇 1. Descript — my recommendation

Descript

This is probably the closest match to the workflow you're describing. Descript transcribes your recording, then lets you edit the video/audio by editing the transcript itself. Delete a sentence from the transcript and the corresponding media disappears; cut/paste text and the underlying media follows. help.descript.com

For an interview podcast, that means you can essentially:

Transcript → read → highlight boring section → delete → move quote → tighten answer → remove filler → add B-roll → captions → export

rather than constantly scrubbing through a timeline.

It also has podcast-oriented tools such as filler-word removal, audio enhancement, scenes/layouts, captions, and tools for turning long-form material into clips. help.descript.com

I'd choose Descript if: you're the person doing the editing and the content of the conversation is more important than elaborate visual effects.

🥈 2. Premiere Pro — best if you want professional finishing

Adobe Premiere Pro

Premiere now has genuine Text-Based Editing. You can search and manipulate the transcript, and the corresponding clips on the timeline update automatically. helpx.adobe.com

That's a big deal because you don't have to choose between "easy transcript editing" and "professional NLE."

I'd favor Premiere if your podcast channel eventually involves:

• multiple cameras
• elaborate B-roll
• motion graphics
• sophisticated audio/video mixing
• multicam editing
• an editor or production team
• After Effects integration

The downside is that Premiere is still fundamentally a professional timeline editor. Descript feels much more natural if your starting point is an interview transcript.

🥉 3. CapCut Desktop — excellent inexpensive option

CapCut

CapCut has transcript-based editing that lets you edit the transcript and automatically synchronize those changes with the video/audio. It also supports searching the transcript and removing filler words. www.capcut.comhelpx.adobe.com

I'd particularly consider it if your podcast strategy includes YouTube Shorts/Reels/TikTok. It's very strong for quickly turning interview footage into social clips.

For a serious long-form interview channel, though, I'd still take Descript first.

4. DaVinci Resolve — best value for serious editors

Resolve is fantastic if you want to eventually become a "real" video editor rather than primarily an interview editor.

Its strengths are editing + color grading + audio + effects in one application.

The tradeoff is that it's overkill if what you really want is:

"Give me this 90-minute interview transcript and let me cut the boring 25 minutes without touching a timeline."

For that, Descript wins.

5. ScriptCut — interesting if transcript-first selection is the key

ScriptCut takes a slightly different approach: it's designed around finding/selecting material from transcripts and then handing the edit off to a professional NLE. A recent 2026 comparison describes it as an approval/selection layer that can export timelines to Premiere, Resolve, Final Cut, or Avid. scriptcut.io

That makes it more interesting for a team workflow than for a solo podcaster.

What I'd actually use for a podcast channel

If you're doing long-form interviews, I'd start with:

Descript → YouTube

And use this workflow:

1. Record the interview.
2. Import the entire recording into Descript.
3. Let it transcribe automatically.
4. Read through the transcript.
5. Delete weak answers, tangents, repetition and filler.
6. Search the transcript for key topics/quotes.
7. Build the final conversation from the text.
8. Add B-roll/cutaways where necessary.
9. Clean up audio.
10. Add captions.
11. Export the full YouTube episode.
12. Pull the strongest 30–90 second moments into Shorts/Reels/TikToks.

The important distinction is that you're editing the conversation before you're editing the video. That's exactly where Descript shines.

One caveat

If you already know Premiere Pro well, don't switch just because Descript is easier. Premiere's text-based editing is now quite capable, and you get the benefit of a much deeper professional editing environment. helpx.adobe.com

But if you're choosing from scratch specifically for interview transcripts + podcast editing, my order would be:

Descript > Premiere Pro > CapCut > DaVinci Resolve > ScriptCut

If you tell me (1) solo or team, (2) audio-only or video podcast, (3) Mac/Windows, and (4) whether you want to produce lots of Shorts, I can narrow this down to the best 2-tool workflow for your channel.

For an interview-heavy podcast channel where you want to edit from the transcript, my top pick is Descript.

My ranking

🥇 1. Descript — probably what you want

Descript

Descript is essentially "edit the interview like a Word document." It transcribes the recording, and when you delete a sentence or paragraph from the transcript, the corresponding video/audio is cut automatically. www.descript.com

For a podcast workflow, that's particularly useful:

Raw 90-minute interview → transcript → highlight good sections → delete boring sections → rearrange answers → clean fillers → add captions/B-roll → export.

It also has speaker detection, filler-word removal, Studio Sound, captions, and AI-assisted editing. www.descript.com

Current pricing is relatively approachable: the Creator plan is $12/editor/month when billed annually ($15 monthly), while Pro is $24 annually ($30 monthly). The free tier gives you 1 hour of transcription/month. www.descript.com

I'd choose this if: you're primarily making conversational interviews, podcasts, talking-head YouTube videos, and Shorts.

🥈 2. Adobe Premiere Pro — if you want a more professional finishing environment

Adobe Premiere Pro

Premiere now has genuinely good Text-Based Editing. It automatically transcribes footage, lets you select/copy/paste text to create a rough cut, and then you can refine everything on the normal timeline. www.adobe.com

The big advantage is that you aren't giving up the traditional professional editing workflow. After finding your interview cuts through the transcript, you can do sophisticated multicam editing, graphics, color, audio mixing, B-roll, etc.

I'd choose this if: you expect your channel to become highly produced and want to learn a professional NLE.

🥉 3. DaVinci Resolve

If you're already comfortable with Resolve, its transcript/speech-to-text capabilities make it another strong option. But I wouldn't choose it over Descript solely for transcript-driven podcast editing unless you also care heavily about professional color grading, audio post, or complex visual editing.

The workflow I'd recommend for your channel

If I were setting up an interview podcast today:

Descript → transcript edit → rough cut → captions/B-roll → export

Then, if the channel becomes more sophisticated:

Descript → rough cut → Premiere/Resolve → final polish

That's a particularly nice compromise because Descript excels at answering "Where in this 90-minute conversation did they say the interesting thing?", while Premiere/Resolve excel at "Now let's make this look and sound fantastic."

One other reason I'd lean Descript for you: it can also turn a long interview into shorter social clips, and its current workflow includes AI tools for finding/generating clips and creating YouTube-related assets. www.descript.com

Bottom line: Start with Descript. If your main editing task is reading an interview transcript and deciding what stays, it's the most natural tool of the bunch.

If your podcast channel is built around interviews and you want to edit by reading the transcript rather than scrubbing a timeline, my top pick is Descript.

My ranking for your use case

🥇 1. Descript — best fit

Descript is almost tailor-made for an interview podcast workflow. It transcribes the recording and links every word in the transcript to the underlying audio/video. Delete a sentence from the transcript and the corresponding footage disappears; move text and the media moves with it. www.descript.com

For a podcast, that means you can do something like:

Interview transcript → highlight boring section → delete → remove filler → tighten pauses → rearrange answers → add captions → export

without spending your life on a timeline.

It also has podcast-specific features such as filler-word removal, Studio Sound, multitrack editing, collaboration, captions, and AI-assisted editing. www.descript.com

Descript is particularly compelling if your episodes are mostly two-person interviews, talking heads, remote interviews, or audio-first conversations.

See Descript's podcast editor

🥈 2. Premiere Pro — best if you're going professional

Adobe Premiere Pro now has genuine transcript-based editing. You can transcribe your footage, select/delete text, and have Premiere modify the corresponding clips on the timeline. www.adobe.com

I'd choose Premiere instead of Descript if you expect to eventually need:

• complicated multicamera editing
• extensive B-roll
• advanced color correction
• sophisticated graphics
• detailed audio mixing
• frame-level control
• a professional post-production workflow

For a YouTube podcast, though, Premiere can be considerably more editor than you need.

🥉 3. DaVinci Resolve

Resolve is another strong option if you want a serious editor and don't want to live inside Adobe's ecosystem. Its transcript/speech-to-text capabilities can be incorporated into the professional editing workflow.

The big advantage is that you get an extremely capable video, audio, color, and effects environment in one application. The downside is that it's less immediately intuitive than Descript for someone whose mental model is "I have a transcript; let me edit the conversation."

One important distinction

There are really two kinds of transcript-based editing:

Descript approach:

The transcript IS your editing interface.

Premiere/Resolve approach:

The transcript is a powerful feature inside a traditional video editor.

For your description, I'd start with the first approach.

What I'd use for an interview podcast

My workflow would be:

1. Record interview
↓
2. Import into Descript
↓
3. Transcript automatically generated
↓
4. Read through interview and delete weak/irrelevant sections
↓
5. Remove filler words and excessive pauses
↓
6. Create the main YouTube episode
↓
7. Pull compelling transcript sections into Shorts/Reels/TikToks
↓
8. Add captions and branding
↓
9. Export

Descript also supports turning transcript material into shorter clips and other written content, which makes it particularly useful if you're trying to turn one interview into a whole content package. www.descript.com

Bottom line: Start with Descript. For an interview-driven podcast channel where the conversation is the primary content, I think it's the best match. If you eventually outgrow it because you want highly sophisticated visuals/audio/color, you can move the finishing work to Premiere or Resolve.

If your workflow is “record a long interview → get a transcript → edit the conversation by cutting text → turn it into a polished YouTube podcast + clips,” I’d narrow it to three serious choices: Descript, Riverside, and Premiere Pro.

My ranking for your use case

🥇 1. Descript — probably what I'd choose

Descript is almost purpose-built for what you're describing. You edit the transcript like a Word/Google Doc, and the corresponding audio/video changes automatically. You can delete a sentence, move a passage, or copy/paste dialogue without manually manipulating the timeline. help.descript.com

That's particularly powerful for interviews because your editing process can become:

Transcript → identify the good answers → delete rambling → reorder sections → clean up filler → add B-roll/captions → export.

It also gives you a traditional timeline when you need more precise visual editing, so you're not permanently stuck in the text interface. help.descript.com

I'd pick Descript if: you're primarily a podcast creator rather than a professional film/video editor.

🥈 2. Riverside — best if you also need recording

If you're recording your interviews remotely, Riverside becomes particularly compelling.

Its editor lets you edit the video by editing the transcript, while keeping speakers separated into individual tracks. It also has tools for removing pauses/filler words, improving audio, changing layouts, captions, and generating clips. riverside.com

Its Magic Clips feature can automatically identify highlights and turn them into social clips, which is useful if your podcast channel needs a constant stream of Shorts/Reels/TikToks. riverside.com

I'd pick Riverside if your workflow is:

Zoom-style interview → recording → transcript → edit → full YouTube episode → Shorts

It's probably the best all-in-one podcast workflow.

🥉 3. Premiere Pro — best if you're already a serious editor

Premiere now has genuine transcript-based editing: you can generate a transcript, edit the text, and Premiere automatically adjusts the corresponding video/audio. Adobe specifically positions this for dialogue-heavy projects. www.adobe.com

But I'd not choose Premiere just because it has text-based editing.

If your main job is turning a 90-minute interview transcript into a 30-minute compelling conversation, Descript is generally a much more natural environment.

Premiere wins once you need things like:

• sophisticated B-roll
• motion graphics
• complex multicam
• detailed audio/video mixing
• advanced color work
• lots of layered footage
• integration with a professional post-production workflow

What I'd actually recommend for a podcast channel

If you're starting/solo: → Descript

If you're recording remotely too: → Riverside

If you already know Premiere: → Premiere Pro

A particularly good workflow could be:

Riverside → Descript → Premiere

Riverside handles recording, Descript handles the “read the interview and make the story” stage, and Premiere handles the final polish.

But if you don't need professional post-production, I'd avoid creating that complexity. Descript alone can take you surprisingly far.

One other interesting option is ScriptCut if your process involves selecting excerpts from large interview libraries and then handing the approved selections to Premiere, Resolve, Final Cut, or Avid; it occupies a slightly different niche from Descript/Riverside. scriptcut.io

For your specific description, my vote is Descript #1, Riverside #2. riverside.com

If you tell me (1) Mac or Windows, (2) whether you're recording in Riverside/Zoom/etc., (3) long-form YouTube only vs. YouTube + Shorts, and (4) whether you have an editor, I can give you a much more specific recommendation and workflow.

If your workflow is “record interview → get transcript → edit the conversation by cutting text → produce a polished podcast video + clips,” my top pick is Descript.

My ranking for your use case

🥇 1. Descript — best overall

Descript

This is probably the closest match to what you're describing. Descript automatically transcribes your interview and links every word of the transcript to the underlying audio/video. Delete a sentence from the transcript and the corresponding portion of the video disappears. You can also copy/paste sections of the transcript to rearrange the interview. www.descript.comhelp.descript.com

For a podcast channel, that's extremely useful because you can:

• Read the interview like a document instead of scrubbing through a timeline.
• Search the transcript for specific topics, names, or quotes.
• Remove rambling, repetition, mistakes, and filler words.
• Tighten long answers very quickly.
• Clean up audio with Studio Sound.
• Generate captions.
• Create shorter clips from the interview.
• Produce YouTube-ready video without leaving the application. www.descript.com

The big advantage: you can do your editorial thinking from the transcript rather than from the timeline.

For example, if your guest says:

“So, you know, when I first started the company... um... I think the biggest lesson...”

You can simply edit the transcript down to:

“When I first started the company, the biggest lesson was…”

and let Descript handle the corresponding media edit.

It also has newer AI-assisted editing features, including tools designed to smooth jump cuts and make transcript-driven edits feel more natural. www.descript.com

I'd choose this if you're primarily a podcaster/creator rather than a professional video editor.

🥈 2. Adobe Premiere Pro — best if you want to grow into professional editing

Adobe Premiere Pro

Premiere has become much more interesting for your workflow because it now has Text-Based Editing.

You can automatically transcribe your footage, select text in the transcript to create a rough cut, then refine the result on the traditional timeline. Adobe also supports bulk removal of pauses and filler words. www.adobe.com

So the workflow is essentially:

Transcript → rough cut → timeline → professional finishing

That's better than Descript if you eventually want sophisticated:

• Color grading
• Motion graphics
• Multicam editing
• Audio mixing
• B-roll
• Effects
• Detailed timing
• Complex YouTube productions

The downside is that Premiere still feels like a professional NLE. You're getting transcript editing inside a traditional video editor, rather than a video editor designed around the transcript.

I'd choose Premiere if you already know it or expect to hire/hand off editing to professional editors later.

🥉 3. Riverside — best if you're also recording remote interviews

Riverside

Riverside is particularly compelling if your podcast consists heavily of remote interviews.

Its big advantage is that recording and editing can happen in the same ecosystem. Rather than recording the interview somewhere else and then importing it into an editor, Riverside can handle the recording/transcription/editing workflow.

I'd think of it this way:

Riverside = excellent recording platform + increasingly capable editor

Descript = excellent transcript editor + video/audio production platform

If you're already happy with your recording setup, I'd lean Descript.

4. DaVinci Resolve — powerful but probably overkill

DaVinci Resolve

Resolve is fantastic if your podcast eventually becomes a highly produced video show. Its strengths are professional editing, color, audio, and effects.

But if your primary editing question is:

“Which parts of this 90-minute interview should I keep?”

I'd rather do that in Descript than Resolve.

What I'd actually recommend for a podcast channel

I'd use this workflow:

Riverside → Descript → YouTube

1. Record: Riverside
2. Transcribe: automatically
3. Editorial cut: Descript transcript
4. Remove filler/rambling: Descript
5. Audio cleanup: Descript
6. Add B-roll/captions/branding: Descript
7. Create Shorts/clips: Descript
8. Export: YouTube + podcast platforms

There is also a strong argument for using Premiere instead of Descript for the final finishing stage once your production gets more sophisticated.

My bottom line

If you're a solo podcast creator: → Descript

If you're building a professional production operation: → Premiere Pro

If remote interviews are central to your workflow: → Riverside + Descript

If you want maximum professional post-production control: → Premiere Pro or DaVinci Resolve

For interview transcripts specifically, though, Descript is the one I'd start with. Its core workflow is literally designed around the thing you're trying to do: edit the video by editing the interview transcript. help.descript.com

If you tell me (1) Mac or Windows, (2) solo or with an editor, (3) YouTube long-form vs Shorts, and (4) roughly how many interviews you publish per month, I can narrow this down to the best $0 / ~$20 / professional setup for you.

If your podcast channel is built around long-form interviews + transcripts, I’d put Descript at the top of the list.

My ranking for your use case

🥇 1. Descript — my pick

Descript is almost tailor-made for what you're describing.

You import the interview, it automatically transcribes it, and then the transcript effectively becomes your editing timeline. Delete a sentence from the transcript and the corresponding video/audio disappears. Cut and paste sections of text and the media follows. help.descript.com

That makes a workflow like this extremely fast:

Interview → transcript → find the good answers → delete weak sections → rearrange → remove filler words → add captions/B-roll → export

It also has a traditional timeline when you need more precise control, plus AI editing features and tools specifically useful for podcast/video content. help.descript.com

Descript

I'd choose it if: you're primarily editing talking-head interviews and want to spend your time choosing what was said rather than dragging clips around a timeline.

🥈 2. Riverside — especially if you also record your interviews there

Riverside is a particularly good alternative because it combines recording, transcription, editing and clip creation.

Its editor lets you search the transcript, select text, and remove that portion from the video. It also maintains separate tracks for speakers, which is useful for two-person interviews. riverside.com

Its AI tools can also generate full episodes, 3–10 minute segments, short clips and hooks, which is useful if your goal is to turn one interview into lots of YouTube/Shorts content. support.riverside.comriverside.com

Riverside

I'd choose it if: you want one platform for recording the podcast + editing the episode + making social clips.

🥉 3. Premiere Pro — if you eventually want professional-level control

Adobe Premiere Pro now has genuine transcript-based editing. You can edit the transcript and Premiere automatically adjusts the corresponding clips in the timeline. helpx.adobe.com

The big advantage is that once you've finished the transcript edit, you're already in a full professional NLE. You get much more control over:

• multicam
• B-roll
• graphics
• color
• audio mixing
• effects
• complex timelines
• precise finishing

The downside: it's substantially more complicated than Descript.

Adobe Premiere Pro

What I'd actually recommend for a podcast channel

If your typical episode is something like:

60–120 minute interview → YouTube episode → 5–15 Shorts → podcast audio

I'd use Descript as the primary editor.

A really efficient workflow would be:

1. Record the interview.
2. Import the video into Descript.
3. Let it transcribe everything.
4. Read/search the transcript rather than scrubbing through the video.
5. Highlight the strongest sections.
6. Remove rambling, repetition, filler and dead space.
7. Assemble the final interview.
8. Create shorter clips from the strongest answers.
9. Add captions/B-roll.
10. Export the full YouTube episode and vertical clips.

The important distinction is that Descript is best when your creative process starts with the words. Premiere is better when your creative process starts with the visual timeline.

One caveat

If you're already recording everything in Riverside, I wouldn't necessarily add Descript immediately. Riverside's current editor has become quite capable, including transcript editing, AI cleanup, clips, captions and timeline editing. support.riverside.comriverside.com

My simple recommendation:

• Starting from scratch: Descript
• Already recording in Riverside: Riverside
• Want maximum professional control: Premiere Pro
• Want the easiest transcript-first workflow: Descript

If you tell me how you currently record your interviews (Zoom, Riverside, cameras + audio recorder, etc.) and whether your main output is YouTube long-form, Shorts, or both, I can recommend the exact editing workflow and software stack I'd use for your channel.

If your workflow is interview transcript → find the best answers → cut the video → turn the episode into clips, I’d put Descript at #1.

My ranking for a podcast/interview channel

🥇 1. Descript — best overall for your use case

Descript

This is the one I'd start with.

You upload your interview, it transcribes it, and the transcript effectively becomes your editing interface. Delete a sentence from the transcript and the corresponding audio/video disappears; cut and paste portions of the transcript to rearrange the conversation. www.descript.comhelp.descript.com

For a podcast channel, that's particularly useful because you can:

• Search the transcript for specific topics/keywords.
• Highlight the strongest answers and remove everything else.
• Remove "um," "uh," filler words, pauses, etc.
• Clean up audio with Studio Sound.
• Create different versions/clips from the same interview.
• Add captions and layouts.
• Have AI help identify interesting moments for social clips.
• Keep a conventional timeline available when you need finer control. www.descript.com

The killer feature: if you're thinking "I know the guest said something about X, let me find it in the transcript" rather than "let me scrub through 90 minutes of footage," Descript is exceptionally well suited.

🥈 2. Premiere Pro — best if you want professional-level finishing

Adobe Premiere Pro

Premiere now has Text-Based Editing, so you don't have to give up transcript editing just because you want a traditional professional NLE. You can transcribe your footage, select/edit text, and have Premiere create or modify the corresponding video cuts. www.adobe.com

I'd choose Premiere if your podcast eventually involves:

• Complex multicam editing
• Lots of B-roll
• Advanced graphics
• Detailed color correction
• Professional audio workflows
• An editor/production team
• More elaborate YouTube productions

The downside is that Descript feels much more natural for transcript-first editing. Premiere is ultimately a professional timeline editor that has excellent transcript functionality.

🥉 3. DaVinci Resolve

Resolve is another excellent choice if you're building toward a more sophisticated production workflow. Its transcript/speech-to-text capabilities can fit into a traditional professional editing environment.

I'd pick it over Descript if video quality and advanced post-production are more important than speed of transcript-based editing.

What I'd actually do for a podcast

For a typical 60–90 minute interview, I'd use:

Interview recording → Descript → transcript edit → rough cut → clips → YouTube

The workflow would be:

1. Transcribe the entire interview.
2. Read/search the transcript rather than scrubbing through the recording.
3. Delete tangents, repetition, bad answers, long pauses, etc.
4. Rearrange sections if necessary.
5. Remove filler words.
6. Do a second pass watching the actual video.
7. Add B-roll, graphics, captions and branding.
8. Make 5–15 short clips from the strongest sections.
9. Export the full YouTube episode and Shorts/Reels/TikToks.

Descript is specifically built around this kind of workflow, including podcast editing and transcript-based video editing. www.descript.com

One important distinction

If by "working with interview transcripts" you mean you already have a written transcript and want to select portions of it to automatically locate and cut the corresponding video, I'd lean very strongly toward Descript.

If you mean you want to do the initial interview selection from transcripts but then hand the project to a professional editor, I'd consider Descript + Premiere. Descript can serve as the fast transcript/rough-cut stage, while Premiere handles the final polish. Descript also supports moving projects into professional editing applications. www.descript.com

Bottom line: For a solo podcaster or small YouTube team doing interview-heavy content, start with Descript. It's probably the closest match to "I want to edit my video the way I edit a Word document." www.descript.comhelp.descript.com

If you tell me (1) whether your interviews are single-camera or multicam, (2) whether you publish to YouTube, and (3) roughly how long each interview is, I can narrow this down to the best 2–3 software stack for your exact workflow, including cost.

If your workflow is interview → transcript → cut the conversation down → turn it into a polished YouTube/podcast video, I’d put Descript at #1.

My ranking for your use case

🥇 Descript — the one I'd choose

Descript

Descript is almost tailor-made for what you're describing. It transcribes the interview and links the transcript directly to the audio/video, so you can edit the conversation by editing the words. Delete a sentence from the transcript and the corresponding footage disappears; cut and paste text and the media follows. www.descript.com

For a podcast channel, that's enormously useful because your workflow can be:

Raw 60-minute interview → transcript → read through it → delete boring sections → tighten answers → remove "um/uh" → rearrange sections → add B-roll → captions → export.

You don't have to constantly hunt through a timeline for the part where the guest said something interesting.

It also has podcast-specific features such as multi-track editing, filler-word removal, collaboration, AI audio enhancement, captions, and layouts for video podcasts. www.descript.com

One particularly useful newer capability is Smooth Jump Cuts, which is designed to make aggressive transcript-based cuts look/sound more natural. www.descript.com

🥈 Premiere Pro — if you want to become a serious video editor

Adobe Premiere Pro

Premiere now has genuine transcription-based editing. You can generate a transcript, select/delete/rearrange text, and have Premiere modify the underlying timeline accordingly. www.descript.comwww.adobe.com

I'd choose Premiere over Descript if your channel eventually needs:

• sophisticated B-roll
• complex multicam editing
• advanced color grading
• elaborate graphics
• detailed audio mixing
• After Effects integration
• maximum control over the final edit

The downside is that it's substantially more complicated. For simply turning an interview transcript into a compelling episode, Descript is faster to work in.

🥉 Riverside — particularly good for remote interviews

Riverside

If you're also recording your interviews remotely, Riverside is worth considering. Its strength is the recording side of the workflow; Descript's strength is the editing side.

A very good setup is:

Riverside → record interview → Descript → edit transcript → YouTube/podcast

That's especially compelling if you're interviewing guests remotely and want a reliable recording plus a fast text-based editing workflow.

What I'd actually recommend for your channel

If you're primarily doing long-form interview podcasts, I'd start with:

Riverside + Descript

Use Riverside for recording and Descript for post-production.

If you're already getting good recordings from another source, just start with Descript.

And if you expect the channel to become a highly produced visual show—lots of B-roll, graphics, motion design, multiple cameras, etc.—I'd eventually graduate to Premiere Pro after doing the initial transcript/rough cut.

Bottom line: If the phrase "I want to edit my interview by reading the transcript rather than scrubbing through an hour of video" describes your workflow, Descript is the best fit. www.descript.com

If you tell me (1) Mac or Windows, (2) typical interview length, (3) solo or remote guests, and (4) whether you're making YouTube long-form + Shorts, I can recommend the exact software stack and workflow I'd use for your podcast.