You’ve just finished hosting a livestream video podcast, and you nailed it. You asked sharp questions and didn’t talk too much, your guest had inspiring insights, and not a single tornado swept you both away to a land of witches and scarecrows.
Now you’ve got to edit the video—and, for your subscribers on podcast apps, you’ll need to split the audio from the video. Lucky for you, there are many apps that make this achievable in minutes. This guide shares how to do it.
Can you extract audio from a video?
It is possible to separate audio from video in a file where the two are combined. Most audio extraction tools will do the work for you. The tricky part is choosing the right software for your needs.
Suppose you’re just looking to rip some audio from online videos for social media purposes. In that case, you might be able to use some more barebones audio extractors that support limited video formats. But if you’re looking to use audio from a video for your podcast, you may need a more comprehensive tool like Descript.
How to extract audio from video: 4 easy steps
These steps may vary depending on the tool you choose, the operating system you’re working with, and the video and audio files you’re using. But this is the basic process for splitting audio from video.
Step 1: Choose a tool
Do the research and find the audio extraction tool compatible with the video format you want to extract audio from (MP4, MOV, FLV, AVI, etc.). The software should also let you save the audio in the audio file format you need (MP3, AAC, WAV, etc.). For most podcast hosting platforms, this is MP3.
Step 2: Open the video file
Most audio extraction tools have a “select file,” “choose file,” or “import video” button built into the dashboard. Choose the video file you want to extract audio from—that will usually put the file in a timeline that you can edit.
Step 3: Extract the audio
When you're done editing, there will usually be an option to save the video as an audio file. You might see this labeled as "save as an audio file" or "split audio." Check the software's tutorials, FAQs, or help page to find what terminology it uses.
Step 4: Confirm and save
Finally, confirm the audio file you want to save and choose the right file format. Then, find the file on your computer and check the audio has been successfully isolated from the original video.
7 software recommendations to extract audio from video
1. Descript
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Descript is all-in-one audio and video editing software that lets you extract audio from video files. Simply download the Mac or Windows version, import your video file, and choose the audio file under Export.
Aside from helping you split audio from video, Descript offers a bunch of magical features designed to speed up the video editing process, including:
- Automated transcriptions (which you can edit to edit your video)
- Voice-cloning technology to fix audio mistakes
- Automatic filler word removal
- Studio Sound to remove unwanted background noise
- A built-in library of background music and sound effects
2. Wondershare
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Wondershare offers a variety of video and creativity applications, several of which can strip audio from video. Filmora, for example, is Wondershare’s full-featured video editing software that offers this option.
You can extract the audio from a video by importing the video file, right-clicking, and selecting the appropriate Detach Audio option. If you do not need the extra video editing functions, Wondershare also makes UniConverter for converting audio and video files quickly.
3. VLC Media Player
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VLC Media Player is a free and open-source media player that has been around since 2001. VLC remains relevant and robust through steady development and supports almost every audio and video codec out there.
VLC provides advanced functions like downloading YouTube videos and creating video loops, making VLC a popular media player for audio and video-savvy users, content creators, and video editors.
To extract audio from video in VLC Media Player, find the Convert/Save option in the Media menu and select the video files you wish to convert. From there, you can convert to the audio format of your choice, including MP3 and FLAC.
4. Apple iMovie
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iMovie is an application that comes preloaded onto most Mac machines. It’s a decent video editing software for novice content creators, though other options on this list provide more robust editing solutions. For pulling audio from video files, iMovie is fully capable.
To extract audio from a video using Apple’s iMovie, select the Share/Export button from the top right. Click the File option to export a video and select Audio Only as the format.
5. Audacity
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Audacity is a free, open-source audio editing program for a variety of platforms. This freeware staple is known for its regular updates, straightforward interface, and strong following. It may take some time to get used to the interface if you aren't familiar with audio or video editing.
To get audio from a video in Audacity, open the video file in question. Be patient; it might take a moment to open, depending on the file size and length of the video. Once opened, select Export under File to export just the audio.
6. REAPER
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REAPER is a digital audio workstation (DAW) with powerful recording, editing, and music production capabilities. While REAPER has many features for professionals making music, the process of extracting audio from a video is pretty simple.
Import your video file into REAPER by dragging it into the software. Click the Export option, find the desired audio format, and save the audio.
7. Online Audio Converter
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There are also online solutions for extracting audio from videos without installing additional software. One of these is Online Audio Converter from 123apps, which is a free web-based application that allows you to upload video content and convert it to audio.
Upload your file using the Open Files button, select your preferred audio format, and hit Convert. Easy peasy.
4 factors to consider when choosing an audio extractor
Supported formats and quality
Before you settle on an audio extractor, confirm that it can read the video file format you want to extract audio from and save the extracted audio in the file format you want. In other words, the software needs to be able to read the video file you import into the software, and it needs to be able to save the audio in the desired output format.
You also want to consider what sort of audio quality you need. An MP3 file format is fine for online videos, but if you need something better quality, you'll need an audio extractor that can at least create WAV files.
Ease of use
Take into account how comfortable you are with the program you choose. For example, if you aren't tech-savvy, opt for a more user-friendly program with fewer features.
Also, read reviews to see what sort of customer support or tutorials the program has. There will always be a learning curve with any new software, so you'll want resources to help you navigate how you use the audio extractor you choose.
Speed and efficiency
Some programs require a lot of memory or processing power or take ages to import and export files. How often you'll need to extract audio—and how powerful your computer is—will play into what sort of audio extraction tool is right for you.
Additional features
You may not need additional features—all you want is an audio extractor. But if you’re looking for other tools, like an audio or video editor, you may want to look for programs that are more of an all-in-one solution, like Descript.
Rather than switching between multiple programs, finding one app or software that can do it all will make your life easier and save you a lot of time.
Extract audio from videos with Descript
Descript is more than just an audio extractor. It’s a one-stop shop for all of your video and audio editing needs—including audio extraction. Here’s a step-by-step guide showing how easy it is to separate audio from video using Descript.
1. Install and open Descript
If you don’t already have Descript installed, sign up to download the software. It’s free to get started. The free plan includes up to one hour of transcription a month. Once you set up an account, you’ll see a button to download and install the application (it’s a powerful tool, so it only works on desktop).
2. Create a new project
From Descript’s dashboard, press the + New button and select Project from the dropdown menu. You will be prompted to give your new project a name. Once you do, press the Create Project button.
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3. Import the video file
In your newly created project, drag and drop the video file into the box with the microphone icon. Alternatively, you can press the Choose a File button to browse to the video file location.
4. Export the audio file
Once the file loads, on Windows, click on the File menu at the top of the application and select Export. On Mac, click the Share button, then the Export tab. In the File Export group, select the Audio button.
Select your preferred audio file format—such as M4A, WAV, or MP3 format. MP3 and M4A will be smaller files with the MP3 file being the most universally compatible with devices. WAV files are much larger in size but offer lossless audio quality.
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Bonus: Edit audio without editing video in Descript
If you want to extract audio to edit it without editing the video, Descript makes that easy, too.
Open your project and select Project Files in the sidebar on the left. Hover your cursor over the video file and right click. Now choose Detach audio.
You'll see the audio and video waveforms stacked right below the video window. You can make changes to the audio without changing the video. This option is great for adding a voiceover, music, or other sound to your video.
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Or you can create a whole new Composition (file) with just the audio. Just right click on the audio waveform, and click Copy. Now click File at the top of the Sidebar, select New, and choose Composition.
Paste your audio file next to where it says Speaker. You’ll see the transcript from your video, and below that, the waveform. Edit either or both to your heart’s desire.
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Along with an audio extractor, Descript also has an online transcription tool, and features like text-to-voice, filler word removal, and AI Voices to generate voices on-demand. If you're looking for a tool to extract audio from video and edit, optimize, and publish that audio, check out Descript.
How to extract audio from video FAQs
How can I convert video to audio on mobile?
Converting a video file into an audio file using a mobile device will vary depending on whether you’re using a device that uses iOS (iPhone) or an Android OS. You can use Audio Extractor from the Google Play Store, or the MP3 Converter app from the App Store.
Can I retrieve sound from video?
You can use an online audio extractor app like Descript to retrieve sound from video. Simply add your video file and export it as an audio file.
How do I extract background music from a video?
- Open Descript’s video editor
- Import or choose MP4 video file you want to extract music from
- Use the audio extraction tool to remove background music
- Export the new file in your preferred file format
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