Sometimes the picture in a video does not matter. A recorded lecture, a meeting, an interview or a voice memo may be easier to listen to as audio. Extracting the sound gives you a much smaller file you can play anywhere.
When this is useful
- Listening to a lecture while commuting.
- Saving an interview you recorded on your phone.
- Sending someone the audio of a clip without the large video file.
- Using the sound as a base for a podcast or voice note you plan to trim.
Steps
- Open the Extract Audio from Video tool.
- Add your video.
- Choose MP3, M4A or WAV.
- Download the audio.
The video is processed on your device. Only the processing program is downloaded, once, and your video stays with you.
Which format to pick
- MP3 plays almost everywhere and keeps the file small. A good default.
- M4A is common on Apple devices and gives good quality for its size.
- WAV is uncompressed, so it is much larger. Use it only if you plan to edit the audio further.
If you are unsure, pick MP3.
Make the file even smaller
Speech does not need much space. If the video is long, trim off any sections you do not need with the Trim Audio tool. It lets you set a start and end time and add fades.
If you need another format later
The Convert Audio tool changes the result to MP3 or WAV if an app only accepts one of them.
Quality limits
Extracting audio cannot improve it. If the original recording was noisy or echoey, the audio will be too. For better results next time, record close to the speaker and avoid background noise.
Permission matters
Only extract audio from videos you recorded or have a right to use. Taking the soundtrack from a film, a song video or someone else’s content for sharing or publishing can break copyright. For personal listening of your own material, there is no issue.
Large videos
Big files take longer and use more memory. If your phone struggles, try a computer. You can also trim the video first with the Trim Video tool so only the part you want is processed.
Check the result
Play the audio before you delete the video. Make sure the volume is fine, the sound is complete and the length matches what you expect.