How to Extract Audio From a Video and Save It as MP3
Recorded a lecture, an interview or a band rehearsal on your phone? Often you only need the sound — to listen on the go, transcribe or edit in an audio app. Extracting the audio track and saving it as MP3 takes a few seconds and makes the file far smaller.
Step by step
- Open Video to MP3.
- Drop in your video — MP4, MOV, WebM and MKV are supported.
- Choose the quality (see below) and download the MP3.
The audio is decoded and encoded inside your browser, so even long recordings of private meetings never leave your device.
Which bitrate should you choose?
Bitrate decides how much data is used for each second of sound. Higher means better quality and a bigger file:
| Bitrate | Good for | Size per minute |
|---|---|---|
| 96 kbps | Speech, lectures, podcasts | ~0.7 MB |
| 128 kbps | General listening | ~1 MB |
| 192 kbps | Music (the default) | ~1.4 MB |
| 256–320 kbps | Music you care about | ~1.9–2.4 MB |
For voice recordings, choose 96 kbps and Mono — speech sounds just as clear and the file is half the size. For music, 192 kbps is transparent for most listeners.
A higher bitrate cannot add quality that wasn’t there to begin with. If the video’s own audio is low quality, 320 kbps only makes the file bigger.
Only need part of it?
Extract the audio first, then open the MP3 in the MP3 cutter. Drag the handles on the waveform to keep just the section you want, add a fade in or out, and save. The same tool powers the ringtone maker, which creates a short clip that’s ready to use as a ringtone.
Other formats
MP3 plays everywhere, which is why it’s the default. If you prefer something else, the audio converter saves WAV (uncompressed, for editing), M4A/AAC (great on Apple devices) or OGG.
Large videos and browser support
Because the work happens on your computer, speed depends on your device rather than an internet upload. Hour-long recordings take a little while on older phones but work fine on most laptops. The tool uses your browser’s built-in media decoders, so the very latest Chrome, Edge or Safari gives the best results. If a video won’t open, it’s usually an unusual codec — converting it with the video converter first often helps.
Quick answer
Drop your video into Video to MP3, pick 192 kbps for music or 96 kbps mono for speech, and download.