Description: Descript Free provides 100 AI credits once, while 60 media minutes renew monthly. Compare the September 2025 change, prices, reset timing and conflicting older wording.
Answer: the 100 AI credits on Descript Free are a one-time lifetime allocation, not a monthly refill. The 60 media minutes do refresh monthly. Both the current plan matrix and the dated official announcement support this distinction as checked October 18, 2026.
Plan-by-plan comparison
| Plan | USD per editor: monthly / annual monthly equivalent | Media per month | AI credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 60 min | 100 once |
| Hobbyist | $24 / $16 | 600 min | 400/month |
| Creator | $35 / $24 | 1,800 min | 800/month |
| Business | $65 / $50 | 2,400 min | 1,500/month |
| Enterprise | Custom quote | By contract | By contract |
Annual equivalents require annual billing; taxes, currency conversion and local checkout terms may differ. Free exports are 720p with a watermark. Hobbyist offers watermark-free 1080p; Creator and Business offer 4K.
When did the rule change?
Descript's September 24, 2025 changelog says Free users moved to the new system the previous day, September 23. Instead of transcription hours and separate AI-action limits, accounts now track media minutes and AI credits. Existing paid customers initially retained their terms. Later migration guidance scheduled Legacy/Sunset accounts for their next renewal after November 17, 2025. Enterprise was excluded from the initial general rollout.
Two separate meters, two different jobs
Media minutes are spent when importing or recording audio and video, even without transcription. Still images count as one second each; a 60-minute Rooms session with five participants consumes 60 minutes, not 300. Unused monthly minutes do not roll over. AI credits cover Underlord, Studio Sound, filler-word removal, generated speech and video. Even chatting with Underlord uses some credits; the model and workload affect the cost. A fresh 60-minute media allowance does not restore the 100 free AI credits.
What time is the monthly reset?
The renewable allowance resets at the start of the billing cycle. In the relevant Drive, open Settings → Plan → Billing cycle to see the date, time and timezone. Do not assume a global midnight. The general usage help broadly describes monthly renewal of both resources, but the Free-specific pricing entry says 100 one-time, supported by the dated September announcement. That specific evidence takes priority over broad help text or older marketing pages that mention 100/month.
What happens after the credits run out?
You can continue using available basic editing tools and the monthly media allowance. For ongoing AI work, compare Hobbyist's 400 monthly credits and Creator's 800. Current pricing reserves top-ups for Creator and Business; the October 9, 2025 announcement says purchased top-ups expire after 12 months, with monthly allowances consumed first.
Bottom line
100 AI credits once; 60 media minutes every month. Recording time and AI processing are different budgets, so check both balances independently.
