Extract audio from video without uploading it anywhere
The Video to Audio converter takes the soundtrack out of a video file and gives you an audio file you can play, edit or share. Drop in an MP4, WebM, MOV or M4V — a lecture recording, a phone video of a concert, an interview, a voice-over you recorded with your camera — and download the audio as lossless WAV or a compact WebM/Opus or M4A file.
Unlike upload-based converters there is no file-size queue, no waiting for a server and no copy of your video left behind: the file is read and decoded by your own browser. Choose a start and end time to extract only the part you need, then tidy it further in the Audio Cutter.
How to use the Video to Audio
- Drop a video onto the box or click to pick one. A badge shows whether it can be decoded instantly or will be captured in real time.
- Optionally set Start and End times (for example 1:05 to 2:30) to extract just one section.
- Choose the Output format: WAV for editing, WebM/Opus or M4A for a small shareable file.
- For WAV, pick mono or a lower sample rate if you want a smaller file; the output size is shown live.
- Press Extract audio. The file downloads automatically when it is ready.
Video to Audio features
Two extraction paths
The audio stream is decoded directly from the file where the browser allows it — far faster than real time. Otherwise the video is played silently and its sound captured.
Trim while extracting
Set a time range so you only get the clip you need, with the exact length and estimated size shown before you start.
Lossless WAV or compact Opus/AAC
WAV keeps every sample; WebM/Opus (Chrome, Edge, Firefox) and M4A/AAC (Safari) are around 1 MB per minute.
Mono and downsampling options
Halve the WAV size with mono, or drop to 22.05 kHz or 16 kHz for speech recordings destined for transcription.
Progress and cancel
A progress bar shows how far along the job is, and you can cancel at any time without leaving a half-written file.
Which video formats work?
Extraction depends on what your browser can decode, not on this tool. Across Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari that reliably includes MP4 and MOV with H.264 video and AAC audio (what phones and most cameras produce), WebM with Opus or Vorbis, and MP4 files whose audio is MP3. Firefox and Safari can also decode FLAC- and ALAC-in-MP4 soundtracks in some versions.
Files that usually fail are AVI, WMV, FLV, MKV with uncommon codecs, and any video whose audio is AC-3 or DTS (common on ripped discs). HEVC/H.265 video with AAC audio often works for audio even when the picture cannot be shown, because only the audio track is decoded. If a file is rejected, convert it with a desktop tool such as HandBrake or VLC first.
Fast decode vs real-time capture
When you open a file, the tool first asks the browser to decode the complete audio track with decodeAudioData. Chrome and Firefox do this for most MP4 and WebM files in a few seconds regardless of length, which is why the badge says Fast decode. Encoding to Opus or AAC afterwards still happens at playback speed, because browsers only expose their encoders through the real-time MediaRecorder API — WAV output is instant.
If direct decoding is refused (Safari with some MP4 files, or files above 400 MB that would not fit in memory), the tool falls back to real-time capture: the video plays with the sound routed to a recorder instead of your speakers. This takes exactly as long as the selected range, so trim first and keep the tab in the foreground — mobile browsers pause background video.
WAV file size guide
For a one-hour lecture you plan to transcribe, mono 16 kHz WAV or Opus is plenty. Keep stereo 48 kHz only for music you intend to edit. See the Data Storage Converter if you need to translate between MB and GB.
| Video length | WAV stereo 48 kHz | WAV mono 16 kHz | Opus / AAC 128 kbps |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 minute | 11.5 MB | 1.9 MB | ≈ 1 MB |
| 10 minutes | 115 MB | 19 MB | ≈ 9.6 MB |
| 1 hour | 691 MB | 115 MB | ≈ 58 MB |
Video to Audio FAQ
Is this video to audio converter free?
Yes, completely free with no account, no watermark and no limit on how many videos you convert. Everything runs in your browser.
Can I convert MP4 to MP3 here?
This tool saves WAV (lossless), WebM/Opus and M4A/AAC, which play in every modern player and messaging app. For an MP3 file, use the video to MP3 converter, which adds an MP3 encoder (LAME) to your browser and lets you pick the bitrate.
Why does extraction take as long as the video?
Browsers only expose their Opus and AAC encoders in real time, and some files cannot be decoded faster than real time. Choose WAV with a fast-decoded file for instant results, or trim the range to the part you need.
Is there a file size limit?
Files up to about 400 MB are decoded in memory. Larger files are handled by the real-time path, which streams the video instead of loading it all at once, so even multi-gigabyte recordings work — they just take as long to extract as they are to play.
Does it work on iPhone and Android?
Yes. On Android, Chrome decodes most MP4 and WebM files directly. On iPhone and iPad, Safari uses real-time capture more often and saves compressed audio as M4A; keep the page in the foreground until it finishes.
Will the audio quality be reduced?
WAV output is a bit-exact copy of the decoded soundtrack. Opus or AAC output is re-encoded at 128 kbps, which is transparent for speech and very close to the original for music.