You want the sound from a video as an audio file: a talk or lecture to listen to on the go, a song from your own performance, an interview for a podcast, a voice message someone sent as a video. The video already carries its sound as a separate stream, so pulling it out is quick and doesn't need any editing skills. Here's how on each kind of device.

#MP3 or M4A?

You'll usually end up with one of two audio file types. M4A (AAC audio) is what Apple's built-in tools produce; it plays on every Apple device and most modern ones. MP3 plays on literally everything - car stereos, old music players, every phone and computer. If the file is going somewhere you don't control, choose MP3. Audio codecs explained covers the differences in more detail.

Pick your route

The quickest way on each device

DeviceBuilt-in or free routeYou get
Any computerWave, in your browserMP3
MacQuickTime Player → Export As → Audio OnlyM4A
WindowsVLC → Convert / Save → Audio - MP3MP3
iPhone / iPadShortcuts app → Encode Media (Audio Only)M4A
AndroidNo built-in option - a trusted app, or a computerVaries
Every route here works on your own device. None of them uploads your video anywhere.

#On any computer: in your browser

The fastest route on Windows, Mac, Linux or a Chromebook is Wave's MP4 to MP3. Drop the video onto the page and save the MP3 - there's nothing to install, and the video is never uploaded, which matters for private recordings. It handles MOV, MKV, WebM, AVI, WMV and most other video types too (the Video to MP3 page takes any of them). The MP3 is written at 192 kbps, which sounds the same as the original on normal speakers and headphones, and if the video's sound is already MP3, Wave copies it out untouched. For a video with several audio tracks, it takes the main one.

#On a Mac: QuickTime Player

  1. Open the video in QuickTime Player (it's already on every Mac).
  2. Optional: choose Edit → Trim to keep only the part you want.
  3. Choose File → Export As → Audio Only, pick a name and location, and save.

You get an M4A file, which plays in Music, on iPhones and on most modern devices.

#On Windows: VLC

  1. Install VLC (free) if you don't have it, and open it.
  2. Choose Media → Convert / Save, click Add, pick your video, then click Convert / Save.
  3. Under Profile, choose Audio - MP3.
  4. Click Browse, choose where to save, and give the file a name ending in .mp3.
  5. Click Start. The progress bar at the bottom of VLC shows when it's done.

#On iPhone or iPad: the Shortcuts app

There's no "save audio" button in Photos, but Apple's free Shortcuts app can do it. You build the shortcut once, then use it from the Share button whenever you need it:

  1. Open Shortcuts, tap + to make a new shortcut, and name it something like "Extract Audio".
  2. Add the action Encode Media. Tap the arrow next to it to show its options and turn on Audio Only (the format is M4A).
  3. Add the action Save File, so you can choose where the audio goes.
  4. In the shortcut's settings, turn on Show in Share Sheet.
  5. Now, in Photos, open a video, tap Share, choose Extract Audio, and pick a folder in Files.

To keep only part of the sound, trim the video first in Photos (Edit, then drag the ends of the timeline).

#On Android

Android doesn't have a built-in way to save a video's sound on its own. Your options are an audio-extractor app from the Play Store - choose one with plenty of reviews, and be wary of apps asking for permissions they don't need - or copying the video to a computer and using one of the routes above.

#Will the audio sound worse?

Not noticeably. The sound in most videos is already compressed (usually AAC), and converting it to a 192 kbps MP3 keeps everything you can hear on normal speakers and headphones. The only time quality is worth thinking about is if you'll edit the audio heavily afterwards - in that case, keep the original video too.

#Only extract what you're allowed to use

Your own recordings, videos you've been given permission to use, and lectures or meetings you're entitled to keep are all fine. Pulling the soundtrack out of films, music videos or streaming content for redistribution isn't, and downloading from streaming sites usually breaks their terms of service.

#The short version

  • Any computer: drop the video onto Wave's MP4 to MP3 page and save the MP3 - nothing is uploaded.
  • Mac: QuickTime Player → File → Export As → Audio Only.
  • Windows: VLC → Media → Convert / Save → Audio - MP3.
  • iPhone: build a Shortcuts shortcut with Encode Media set to Audio Only.
  • Android: a trusted app, or move the video to a computer.