Getting the audio out of a video (MP3, M4A or WAV)
Keep the sound from a recorded meeting, or turn a performance into an audio file. Here is the difference between the three formats and which to pick.
The three formats
| Format | Best for | Size per hour |
|---|---|---|
| MP3 | Plays everywhere. The safe default | About 60MB (128kbps) |
| M4A (AAC) | Better sound at the same size; suits iPhone and Mac | About 60MB (128kbps) |
| WAV | Editing. Uncompressed | About 600MB (16-bit, 44.1kHz) |
- Handing it to someone, or older equipment — MP3
- For yourself, mostly Apple devices — M4A
- Going into editing or transcription — WAV, since nothing is thrown away
How to do it
- Open MP4 to MP3 (or MOV to MP3, or video to M4A).
- Choose your video.
- Choose “Take out just the sound”, pick the format and save.
To keep only part of a long recording, choose “Edit the length” under “How do you want to edit it?” and cut it first. If the sound is too quiet, raise the volume at the same time.
Which quality to choose
- Speech (meetings, interviews) — 96–128kbps is plenty: 40–60MB an hour.
- Music — 192kbps or above.
- For transcription — reliability beats quality; WAV is the safe choice.
It can never sound better than the original. If the video’s audio is 128kbps, saving at 320kbps adds size, not detail.
Differences between browsers
Saving audio uses what your browser provides, so:
- Chrome on Windows can only produce M4A (AAC) at 96, 128, 160 and 192kbps. Choose something else and it switches to the nearest value and tells you on screen.
- Firefox may not be able to produce M4A at all. Use MP3 or WAV there.
- MP3 and WAV work in every browser.
Questions
Is my video uploaded? No. Everything happens inside your browser — it still works if you switch to airplane mode after the page has loaded (why it is safe).
How many files can I do? As many as you like. No limits, no watermarks, no account.
I want to keep the picture but remove the sound. Use mute a video.