Convert MOV to MP3 - extract audio
iPhone recordings, screen captures, GarageBand exports - Wave pulls the AAC audio out of any MOV and re-encodes it to a 192 kbps MP3. Locally, in your browser. MOV and MP4 hold almost identical structures - see MP4 vs MOV for the container background.
What actually changes
Almost every consumer MOV holds AAC audio. MP3 is a different codec so extraction is always a re-encode via LAME. The video track is discarded - Wave never has to decode a single frame, so extract runs faster than a full video conversion.
If the source is a screen capture or a long recording, this is often the fastest way to get a share-friendly audio file. An hour of MOV audio typically re-encodes in well under a minute on any modern laptop.
iPhone video recording produces AAC-LC audio at 48 kHz stereo, typically 128-256 kbps depending on the model and mode. Since iOS 14, iPhone Pro models can also record in 4K Dolby Atmos with spatial audio, which encodes as 5.1 AAC channels internally; Wave downmixes those to stereo before the MP3 encode. Voice memos from macOS QuickTime, GarageBand exports, and screencasts from Snagit and CleanShot X all follow the same AAC pattern.
ProRes-in-MOV files (from cinema cameras and post-production) typically pair the video with linear PCM audio at 24 bits and 48 kHz, sometimes multi-track. Wave decodes PCM cleanly and re-encodes to MP3 at 192 kbps - the file size drops substantially and the audible quality on typical playback gear is preserved. The video track is discarded during extract regardless of codec, so ProRes's huge video bitrate has no effect on extract time.
Three steps.
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Step 1
Drop the MOV onto the card.
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Step 2
Pick MP3 as the output format.
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Step 3
Convert. Save the MP3.
Answers, specifically.
Why MP3 and not the source AAC?
Wave outputs MP3 for audio, always. A remux to .m4a would sometimes be faster, but keeping the choice to one universally-playable format is the whole point of the audio shortcut - no format picker, no compatibility gotchas.
Will voice recordings still sound clear?
Yes. 192 kbps MP3 is well above the transparency threshold for voice.
How long does an hour-long MOV take?
Roughly 15–45 seconds on a modern laptop; longer on slower devices.
Do I need to trim the video track first?
No. Wave discards the video track automatically during extraction.
What about Voice Memo files?
Apple Voice Memos save as .m4a, not .mov. Drop those onto the same converter and pick MP3 - the path works identically.
iPhone Cinematic mode MOVs - anything special?
The audio track is standard AAC and extracts normally. The Cinematic mode's depth-map data lives in a separate metadata track that Wave discards; only the audio comes across. If you need the depth data for post-production, keep the MOV.
The video was recorded with an external mic. Which track is picked?
iPhones with an external mic still record a single audio track (the OS mixes the mic input into the recording). GarageBand and pro NLE exports sometimes produce multi-track MOVs; Wave picks the default-flagged track, which is usually the primary mix.
Does spatial audio come through as stereo or something else?
Wave downmixes the spatial-audio channels to stereo before MP3 encoding. Spatial audio is a rendering scheme that assumes specific playback hardware (AirPods, HomePods with head tracking); MP3 has no way to carry that, so the downmix is the honest choice for a portable audio file.