Alternatives
Seagull Studio: a local alternative to Descript Overdub
Descript is a video and podcast editor that also clones your voice. Overdub and AI Speech sit inside that editor and spend a shared pool of AI credits. Seagull Studio is not an editor. It is a native macOS app that clones a voice from 10 seconds and generates speech on your Apple Silicon Mac, offline after the model downloads, for $11.99 once. Use this page if you came from Overdub. If you came to replace Descript entirely, you are looking at the wrong tool.
What is each product?
Descript edits video by editing a transcript. Transcription, Studio Sound, filler-word removal, screen recording, Underlord, avatars and dubbing are the product. Custom voice clones and text-to-speech are AI features on that same bill, not a standalone voice app.
Seagull Studio is a native macOS app for local voice cloning and text-to-speech that runs entirely on Apple Silicon, with no subscription and no cloud synthesis. Record or import 10 seconds, pick a model, generate, export WAV or MP3. There is no multicam timeline and no transcript view.
How do they differ?
| Seagull Studio | Descript | |
|---|---|---|
| Main job | Local voice cloning and TTS | Video / podcast editor with AI speech inside it |
| Where synthesis happens | On your Mac | In Descript's cloud, inside the project |
| Works offline | Yes, after the model is downloaded | Not as a local generator; the product is an online editor |
| Voice clone | From 10 seconds, unmetered after unlock | Custom clones on paid plans; generation spends AI credits |
| Price | $11.99 once | Free; Hobbyist $16/mo; Creator $24/mo; Business $50/mo (annual) |
| What the meter tracks | Nothing after unlock | Media hours and a shared AI-credit pool |
| Transcript editing, Studio Sound, clips | No | Yes — that is the reason to pay |
| Platform | macOS 14+ on Apple Silicon | Mac, Windows, and the web editor |
| Privacy | Data Not Collected; samples stay local | Cloud projects; SOC 2 Type II; Enterprise training opt-out |
What does Descript cost?
| Plan | Annual price | Media + AI |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 60 media minutes / month, 100 AI credits one-time |
| Hobbyist | $16/mo ($24 month-to-month) | 10 media hours, 400 AI credits / month |
| Creator | $24/mo ($35 month-to-month) | 30 media hours, 800 AI credits / month |
| Business | $50/mo ($65 month-to-month) | 40 media hours, 1,500 AI credits / month |
Those AI credits are shared. Studio Sound, Underlord, avatars, regenerate and speech all draw from the same bucket. A month of heavy Overdub can empty a plan that still looks fine for editing. Seagull Studio does not share a bucket with anything: after 20 free generations, $11.99 unlocks unmetered local output.
You can use both. Clone and generate in Seagull Studio, then drop the WAV into Descript and edit by transcript. That keeps the voice on your Mac until you choose to import a finished take.
Where Descript is better
- The editor. Cutting a podcast by deleting sentences is still Descript's reason to exist. Seagull Studio will not do that.
- Repairing a take. Regenerate a flubbed word in the same voice, in place, on the timeline. That is Overdub's actual job.
- The rest of the AI kit. Studio Sound, filler-word removal, eye contact, clips, dubbing, avatars. One subscription covers a lot of finishing work.
- Windows and collaboration. Seagull Studio is one person on one Apple Silicon Mac.
Where Seagull Studio is better
- Local synthesis. The clone and the script never have to leave the machine. Data Not Collected.
- Offline. After the model download, generation works with the network off.
- No credit arithmetic. Retakes do not compete with Studio Sound for the same monthly pool.
- One price for the voice job. $11.99 once if you do not need the editor.
Which should you pick?
Pick Seagull Studio if Overdub is the only Descript feature you wanted, you work on a Mac, and you would rather own a generator than rent credits.
Pick Descript if you publish video or podcasts in that editor and Overdub is a convenience inside a workflow you already pay for.
Pick both if you like Descript's cutting room and want the sensitive voice work to happen locally first.
Side-by-side generation examples are coming soon — the same script through Seagull Studio and Descript AI Speech, so you can hear the difference instead of taking anyone's word for it.
What you need to run Seagull Studio
macOS 14 or later on an Apple Silicon Mac; Intel Macs are not supported. The app is 377.5 MB. Models range from about 0.7 GB to 13 GB. Export WAV or MP3 and import those files into Descript if you still want the transcript editor.
Questions, answered.
Is Seagull Studio a Descript alternative?
Only for the voice-cloning slice. Descript is a video and podcast editor; Overdub and AI Speech are features inside that editor, metered with AI credits. Seagull Studio is a Mac app that clones a voice and generates speech locally. It does not replace Descript's timeline, transcription, or Studio Sound.
Does Descript clone your voice?
Yes. Paid Descript plans include custom voice clones and AI Speech. Generation spends AI credits from a monthly pool that is also used by Studio Sound, Underlord, and other AI tools. Seagull Studio clones from 10 seconds and does not meter output after the $11.99 unlock.
Which is cheaper?
If you only need local voice cloning, Seagull Studio at $11.99 once is cheaper than any Descript plan. If you need to edit a podcast by editing a transcript, Descript Hobbyist at $16 a month billed annually is buying a different product, and comparing the two on price alone is misleading.
Does Seagull Studio work offline?
Yes, after a model is downloaded. Descript's editor and AI features are built around a cloud account; you should not expect Overdub to replace a local, offline generator.
Can I use Seagull audio inside Descript?
Yes. Generate WAV or MP3 in Seagull Studio and import the file into Descript like any other take. That is a reasonable split: clone locally, edit in Descript.
What Mac does Seagull Studio need?
macOS 14 or later on Apple Silicon. Intel Macs are not supported.