By the end of this guide you will have taken a raw podcast recording, cut the ums, long pauses and false starts, cleaned up the sound and exported a finished episode. To edit a podcast with AI, you upload the recording to a tool that detects filler and silence for you, review what it suggests, and keep editing by hand only where the tool gets it wrong.
The main choice is how you want to edit: by deleting words in a transcript, by reviewing automatic cuts on a waveform, or by letting the tool pick short clips from a long recording. This guide compares six tools from our Audio and voice category so you can match the approach to your show.
Key takeaways
- Upload the recording, let the AI mark fillers and silences, review the suggestions, then enhance the audio and export. Always listen to the result before you publish.
- The main decision is the editing style: transcript editing (Descript, Riverside), waveform review of suggested cuts (Resound), or rough-cut and clip tools (Gling, Recast Studio, Montage).
- Check what the tool detects. Resound finds sounds like um and ah but not phrases like "you know", and its filler detection is tuned for English.
- Free plans are small: for example 60 media minutes a month on Descript, or 20 minutes of processed audio on Resound.
What you need before you start
- A recording. One file or separate tracks per speaker, exported as WAV or MP3 if your recorder allows it. Separate tracks make cuts cleaner when people talk over each other.
- An account with your chosen tool. Five of the six tools here list a web app. Gling's listing does not name a platform, so check its site.
- Headphones. You will listen to the edit, not just read it.
- Time. A first pass on a typical episode takes under an hour once you know the tool. Reviewing every suggested cut takes longer for long episodes.
- Difficulty. Easy for the one-click filler tools, moderate for transcript editors and multitrack projects.
- Consent. If guests or callers did not agree to being recorded and edited, sort that out before you publish.
Which kind of AI tool fits this job
Choose by how you like to work rather than by feature lists.
Transcript editors, for people who think in words. Descript transcribes your recording and lets you change the media by editing the text, so deleting a word removes that moment from the timeline. Its listing names Studio Sound, Remove Filler Words and Shorten Word Gaps among its tools. Riverside records each participant locally in separate tracks, then offers a text-based editor, AI filler word and silence removal and audio improvement. It suits you if you also want to record the interview in the same place.
A dedicated audio cleaner, for people who want to review every cut. Resound finds ums, ahs and long silences and suggests the edits. You decide whether to cut or keep each one, or cut them all at once. It also has an Enhance feature that mixes and masters the audio. It does not record or transcribe.
Rough-cut tools that come from video. Gling removes silences, filler words and bad takes from talking-head and tutorial recordings, then exports to MP4, MP3 or XML for Premiere, Final Cut Pro and DaVinci Resolve. Use it when you already finish in a full editor.
Repurposing tools for the promotional side. Recast Studio and Montage take a long recording and find strong moments for short clips, with transcript-based editing. They are a second step after the full episode is edited, not a replacement for it.
Step 1: Prepare the recording
A clean source file makes every later step faster.
- Gather the final recording. If you have separate tracks per speaker, keep them separate and note which is which.
- Cut obvious dead material by hand: pre-show chat, a long intro tangent or a restart you already know about.
- Export or download the file in a common format such as WAV or MP3.
- Write down the names and terms in the episode so you can spot mistakes later.
Check it worked by playing the opening and closing minutes of the file you plan to upload.
Step 2: Choose a tool and check the plan
Pick one tool and confirm its free or paid plan can handle your episode.
- Decide whether you want to edit text (Descript, Riverside), review cuts on a waveform (Resound) or start from a rough cut (Gling).
- Compare the plan limits with your episode length. Descript's Free plan includes 60 media minutes a month and 100 one-time AI credits. Resound's Free tier processes 20 minutes of audio.
- Note what the tool does not do. Resound does not transcribe, and Montage and Recast Studio are aimed at clips.
- Use the comparison table further down for pricing and stated limits.
Check it worked by confirming your episode length fits within the plan you picked.
Step 3: Upload and let the AI find the filler
You want a first automatic pass that marks the fillers, pauses and retakes.
- Create a project and upload your file or tracks.
- Wait for processing. Transcript tools also transcribe the audio at this point.
- Run the filler and silence detection. In Descript this is Remove Filler Words and Shorten Word Gaps. In Riverside it is the AI filler word and silence removal. In Resound the tool lists suggested edits first, and you choose what to apply.
- If your show is not in English, check the language support first. Resound says its filler detection is optimized for English, though its silence detection and Enhance work in any language.
Check it worked by seeing the detected fillers and pauses marked in the transcript or on the waveform.
Step 4: Review the suggested cuts
Automatic cuts can remove the pauses that make a conversation sound natural, so review before you accept them.
- Listen to a sample of the suggestions in context, not just the isolated sound.
- Keep pauses that carry meaning, such as a beat before a punchline or a thoughtful answer.
- Accept the cuts in bulk if you trust the result. Resound lets you cut all suggestions in one click, and also lets you trim by hand by dragging on the waveform.
- Fix the edits the tool cannot see: retakes, wrong answers and sections the guest asked you to remove.
Check it worked by listening to three or four cut points back to back and hearing no clipped words.
Step 5: Edit the structure
With the filler gone, shape the episode so it holds a listener's attention.
- In a transcript editor, delete whole sentences or tangents the way you would in a document. Descript and Riverside both work this way.
- Move or trim sections that run long.
- On multitrack projects, make sure edits stay in sync across tracks. Resound's paid plans add multitrack editing and keep edits in sync across tracks.
- Add music, ads or a short intro in your usual editor if the AI tool does not handle them.
Check it worked by playing the whole edit at normal speed and noting where it drags.
Step 6: Clean up and level the audio
Now fix the sound. This is where an AI mix can save time, though you still make the final call.
- Turn on audio enhancement. Descript lists Studio Sound, Riverside lists AI audio improvement, and Resound's Enhance removes background noise, evens out levels and aims at streaming loudness standards. Gling lists speech audio enhancement.
- Compare the enhanced version against the original on headphones and on a phone speaker.
- Back the effect off or turn it off for any voice that sounds processed or thin.
Check it worked by listening to a quiet passage and a loud passage and hearing a similar level.
Step 7: Export and keep your files
Save the episode in the format your host or editor needs, and keep your own copy.
- Export MP3 or WAV for your podcast host. Resound exports MP3, WAV, AAF for Pro Tools or Logic Pro, and MP4. Gling exports MP4 or MP3, or XML for Premiere, Final Cut Pro and DaVinci Resolve.
- If you plan to finish elsewhere, export the format your editor opens.
- Save the project and the final file to your own storage. Resound deletes exported projects after 1 to 60 days depending on the plan.
- Upload to your podcast host and play the live file once.
Check it worked by playing the published episode from the host's page rather than from your computer.
Tools for this job compared
| Tool | Good fit for | Pricing | Stated limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Descript | Editing audio and video by editing the transcript, on the web | Freemium, paid from $16/mo (checked 24 Oct 2026) | Free plan has 60 media minutes a month and 100 one-time AI credits; unused minutes do not roll over |
| Riverside | Recording and editing interviews in one web studio | Freemium, paid from $24/mo (checked 24 Oct 2026) | Free plan: 2 hours of multi-track recording, up to 720p and a watermark; AI Credits run out |
| Resound | Reviewing and cutting ums and silences, then mixing and mastering | Freemium, paid from $15/mo (checked 24 Oct 2026) | No recording or transcription; filler detection optimized for English; exported projects are deleted after 1 to 60 days |
| Gling | Rough cuts of spoken video, exported to your editor | Freemium | Free plan processes 1 hour a month with watermarked MP4; unused hours do not carry over |
| Recast Studio | Turning long recordings into clips and show notes | Free trial, paid from $14/mo (checked 24 Oct 2026) | Free Trial gives 60 credits once; one credit equals one minute of uploaded media |
| Montage | Scored clip candidates from long recordings | Freemium | Free tier gives 90 minutes once; free exports include a Montage branded outro |
Prices and plan limits change, so confirm the current terms on each vendor's site before you subscribe.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Accepting every cut without listening. Detection tools mark pauses and sounds, not meaning, so a dramatic pause can disappear. Fix it by auditioning a sample of cuts before you apply them in bulk.
- Expecting a filler tool to catch everything. Resound, for example, finds sounds like um and ah but not phrases like "you know", and tunes its filler detection for English. Fix it by doing a manual pass for repeated phrases.
- Over-processing the voice. Heavy noise removal and levelling can leave speech sounding thin. Fix it by comparing against the original and lowering or skipping the effect.
- Choosing a clip tool to edit the full episode. Recast Studio, Montage and similar tools are built around short clips. Fix it by editing the full episode first and repurposing second.
- Losing the project after export. Some services delete projects after a set time, and free plans have caps. Fix it by saving the source files and the final export yourself.
How we put this together
This is an evidence-based guide built from each tool's listing in our directory, which is compiled from the vendor's own site and pricing page. It is not a review based on using the tools. We don't rank tools, and nobody paid to be included. Some outbound links may be affiliate links; see our disclosure.
Frequently asked questions
Can I edit a podcast with AI for free?
Partly. Descript's Free plan includes 60 media minutes a month, Resound's free tier covers 20 minutes of processed audio, Gling's Free plan processes 1 hour a month with watermarked MP4 exports, and Riverside's Free plan includes 2 hours of multi-track recording. A weekly full-length show will probably outgrow these.
Does AI remove filler words accurately?
Treat it as a first pass: no listing here claims to catch every filler, and automatic cuts can remove things you wanted to keep. Resound says it detects sounds like um and ah rather than phrases like "you know". Treat the result as a first pass and listen to it before publishing.
Do I need a transcript to edit a podcast with AI?
No. Descript and Riverside edit through a transcript, but Resound works on the audio waveform and does not transcribe at all. Choose the style you find quicker to review.
Can I record and edit in the same tool?
Yes, with some. Riverside records each participant locally in separate tracks and has an editor, and Descript lists Rooms for recording remote guests. Resound does not record audio.
Is it fine to edit what a guest said?
Only within what they agreed to. Cutting ums is routine, but removing or rearranging content can change meaning, so keep the sense of their answers and share major edits with the guest if you promised a preview.
Compare more options in our Audio and voice category. If you need the words as text first, see How to transcribe a podcast with AI.
