The fastest way to get audio from a video

You can extract the audio from a video file using free software that runs on your computer — you do not need to upload the video anywhere or pay for a service. The process takes a few minutes and produces an audio file (usually MP3 or WAV) that plays on any device that handles music files.

The method depends on what you have on your computer already. If you use Windows, the easiest route is VLC media player, which is free and handles almost every video format. On Mac, QuickTime comes built in and can do the job with a few extra steps. On any computer, FFmpeg is the most powerful option but requires typing commands — it is faster once you learn it, but slower to set up the first time.

This guide covers the three most practical routes. Pick the one that matches what you have or what you are comfortable learning.

Key Takeaways

  • VLC media player (free, Windows and Mac) is the simplest option for most people and requires no typing or command lines.
  • QuickTime on Mac can extract audio but requires converting the video to a different format first, which adds an extra step.
  • FFmpeg (free, all systems) is the fastest once installed but requires you to type a command in the terminal or command prompt.
  • The audio file you create will be the same length as the original video and will contain all sound from the video track.
  • You can choose the audio quality (bitrate) when you export — higher quality makes a larger file.

Using VLC media player on Windows or Mac

VLC is free software that plays videos and can also convert them. Download it from videolan.org if you do not have it. Once installed, open VLC and go to the Media menu at the top, then click Convert / Save.

A window will open. Click the Add button and find the video file on your computer. Select it and click Open. You will see the file listed in the window. At the bottom, click the dropdown that says Convert and choose an audio format — Audio - MP3 is the most common choice because it plays on everything. Then click the folder icon next to the dropdown to choose where you want to save the audio file. Give it a name and click Save.

Back in the convert window, click Convert / Save at the bottom right. VLC will start extracting the audio. You will see a progress bar. When it finishes, the audio file will be in the folder you chose. This usually takes a few minutes depending on how long the video is.

Using QuickTime on Mac

QuickTime comes with every Mac. However, QuickTime cannot directly export audio from a video — it can only export video in different formats. To work around this, you need to convert the video to an audio-only format first, which QuickTime can then save.

Open your video in QuickTime. Go to File at the top, then Export As. A dropdown menu will appear asking what format to export to. Look for Audio Only or a format that says AIFF or WAV. Choose one of these. Give the file a name, pick where to save it, and click Save. QuickTime will extract the audio and save it as a separate file.

If you do not see an Audio Only option, your version of QuickTime may not support direct audio export. In that case, use VLC instead — it is free and works the same way on Mac as it does on Windows.

Using FFmpeg on Windows, Mac, or Linux

FFmpeg is a command-line tool that is faster and more powerful than VLC, but it requires typing a command. If you are comfortable opening a terminal or command prompt, this is the quickest method once it is set up.

First, download and install FFmpeg. On Windows, go to ffmpeg.org, click Download, and follow the instructions for your system. On Mac, the easiest way is to use Homebrew — if you have it installed, type brew install ffmpeg in the terminal. If you do not have Homebrew, install it first from brew.sh.

Once FFmpeg is installed, open the terminal (Mac or Linux) or command prompt (Windows). Navigate to the folder where your video file is. On Mac or Linux, type cd followed by the path to the folder. On Windows, type cd followed by the drive letter and path. Then type this command:

ffmpeg -i inputvideo.mp4 -q:a 0 -map a output.mp3

Replace inputvideo.mp4 with the actual name of your video file and output.mp3 with the name you want for the audio file. Press Enter. FFmpeg will extract the audio and show you a progress bar. When it finishes, the audio file will be in the same folder as the video.

Choosing audio quality and file format

When you export audio, you can choose the quality, which affects file size. Higher quality means a larger file but better sound. MP3 is the most common format because it plays on phones, computers, and most audio players. WAV and AIFF are higher quality but create much larger files. FLAC is a middle ground — better quality than MP3 but smaller than WAV.

In VLC, the quality setting is usually automatic and set to a reasonable middle ground. If you want to change it, look for a Bitrate option in the convert window — 192 kbps is good for music, 128 kbps is fine for speech or podcasts. In FFmpeg, the command above uses the highest quality MP3 setting. To use a lower quality, replace -q:a 0 with -b:a 192k (for 192 kbps) or -b:a 128k (for 128 kbps).

What to do if the video file will not convert

Some video files use formats that older versions of VLC or QuickTime do not recognize. If you get an error message, try updating your software first. In VLC, go to Help and look for Check for Updates. On Mac, go to System Settings, then General, then Software Update.

If updating does not work, try FFmpeg instead — it handles almost every video format that exists. If you do not want to use FFmpeg, you can also convert the video to a more common format (like MP4) using VLC first, then extract the audio from the converted file. To do this in VLC, go to Media, then Convert / Save, choose your video, and at the bottom select Video - H.264 + MP3 (MP4) as the output format. Convert it, then extract audio from the new MP4 file using the same steps above.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will the audio quality be as good as the original video?

Yes. The audio track in a video file is the same audio that plays when you watch the video. Extracting it does not change the quality — you are just separating it from the video picture. The only way quality changes is if you choose a lower bitrate when you export, which compresses the audio to make the file smaller.

Can I extract audio from a video on my phone?

Not easily with free tools. Most phone apps that claim to extract audio require payment or upload your video to the internet. On a computer, the methods in this guide are free and keep your file private. If you need to work with a video on your phone, transfer it to a computer first, extract the audio, then transfer the audio file back to your phone.

What if I want to extract only part of the video?

VLC and FFmpeg can both trim audio to a specific time range. In VLC, after you select the video in the convert window, click Tools at the top, then Preferences, then Input / Codecs, and look for a Start time and Stop time option. In FFmpeg, add -ss 00:05:30 -to 00:10:45 to your command (replacing the times with the start and end points you want) before the output filename.

Can I extract audio from a video I found online?

Technically yes, but you should check the copyright first. If the video is your own or you have permission from the creator, you can extract the audio. If it is someone else's work, extracting and using the audio without permission may violate copyright law. Many websites have terms of service that forbid downloading or converting their videos.

What is the difference between MP3 and WAV?

MP3 is compressed, which makes the file smaller but loses some audio detail. WAV is uncompressed, so it keeps all the original audio but creates much larger files — a 10-minute video might produce a 100 MB WAV file but only a 10 MB MP3 file. For most purposes (music, podcasts, videos), MP3 is fine. Use WAV only if you plan to edit the audio in a music program and need the highest quality.