Transcript-based editing: the fastest workflow for interview and podcast video

The mental model matches text-driven audio editors, but the sequence in Premiere is the source of truth. Transcript lines carry timecodes anchored to clip positions — edit the story in chat, then land trims on the timeline. Auto-captioning displays text for viewers; transcript editing uses text to decide what stays on the timeline. Keep those roles separate when briefing clients.

Story Cutter is dialogue-only: it does not analyze b-roll, graphics, or silent montage. Plan visual coverage as a second pass in Premiere after the spoken assembly exists.

Window → Text → transcribe → three-dot menu → Export as transcript file → .json. Attach in Story Cutter with the paperclip; confirm the purple pill. Link the sequence you transcribed (filename match auto-links). Do not move clips afterward or timestamps desync.

• Supported: Premiere native JSON with per-clip anchors
• Not supported: SRT, VTT, plain text, Descript/Rev/Otter exports
• Optional: attach PDF, DOCX, TXT, or MD briefs in the same thread

Write one or two sentences with platform, runtime, and story goal — for example a five-minute YouTube tutorial with hook and subscribe CTA, or a sixty-second Reel from the Q&A with energetic pacing. Story Cutter returns a paper cut with verbatim quotes, section labels, and editor notes. Click timestamps to preview, ↓ for single inserts, or Insert Rough Cut for the full string-out with markers.

When one shoot needs TikTok, YouTube, and long-form versions, /batch lists tasks in one message — each line gets its own paper cut and insert button. Constraints stack: timecode ranges, required or excluded topics, named soundbites, tone caps. Example batch from the docs: five-minute YouTube product demo, sixty-second Reel from Q&A, three best hooks — processed sequentially in the same transcript context.

Podcast video often pairs a static wide with clip pulls — transcript search finds moments faster than hunting waveforms. Multicam podcasts should sync stacked angles before export; Insert Rough Cut tries to bring multiple tracks when each angle is its own clip. Single multicam clips on one track count as one layer — stack synced clips for true multi-angle output.

Descript excels as its own editor with a strong text UX. Chat Video Pro fits teams standardized on Premiere who want transcript intelligence without migrating projects or re-exporting XML for color and mix. Compare license and integration on /compare/chat-video-pro-vs-descript; generation economics follow wholesale FAL billing rather than Descript credits.

Because cuts live on your Premiere sequence, send the same project to color and mix without round-tripping through a standalone transcript app. Add Studio B-roll, thumbnails, or Multi-Cam coverage on the same timeline after dialogue is locked.

Story structures by platform, slash command tables, and multicam troubleshooting are maintained in the workflow and Story Cutter Assistant pages.

→ AI story editing workflow: https://docs.chatvideopro.com/workflows/how-to-cut-videos-faster-with-ai-assisted-story-editing-in-premiere-pro — Story Cutter Assistant: https://docs.chatvideopro.com/conversation-starters/story-cutter-assistant