How to extract audio from video in VLC

Extract audio in VLC on Windows

1. Open VLC and choose Media > Convert / Save, or press Ctrl+R.
2. On the File tab, select Add and choose your video. Then select Convert / Save at the bottom.
3. In the Convert window, open the Profile list and choose Audio - MP3.
4. Next to Destination file, select Browse, pick a folder and type a name that ends in .mp3 (for example, interview.mp3). Do not reuse the video’s own file name and extension.
5. Select Start. The seek bar in VLC’s main window moves while it converts; when it stops, the MP3 is in the folder you chose.

How long the conversion takes depends on your computer and the length of the video, so an hour-long recording can take a few minutes. Nothing plays on screen while VLC works.

When it finishes, open the MP3 in VLC or any music player and skip to the end. If the length matches the video and you hear sound at the start, middle and end, the conversion worked. The original video is not changed.

Extract audio in VLC on a Mac

The Mac version has a different window for the same feature. Labels have moved between VLC releases, so match the descriptions below to what you see.

1. Open VLC and choose File > Convert / Stream.
2. Drag the video into the window, or select Open media and choose it.
3. Under Choose Profile, pick Audio - MP3.
4. Select Save as File, then Browse. Type a name ending in .mp3, choose a folder and confirm.
5. Start the conversion with the button at the bottom right of the window and wait for VLC to finish.

Choose the right profile

VLC’s profiles are presets for format and quality. For audio, Audio - MP3 suits most people. Audio - FLAC gives a lossless file, which is much larger and only worth it if you plan to edit the sound. The exact list depends on your VLC version.

To change the MP3 bitrate, select the wrench icon (Edit selected profile) next to the profile list and open the Audio codec tab. 128 kb/s works for speech; 192 kb/s or more is better for music. An MP3 at 128 kb/s takes about 1 MB per minute.

Fix common problems

• The file has no extension or opens as text: type .mp3 at the end of the name yourself before starting.
• The MP3 is empty, very short or stops after a few seconds: update VLC to the latest version from videolan.org, choose the Audio - MP3 profile again without editing it, and try once more.
• There is no sound at all: the video may not have an audio track. Tools > Codec Information (Windows) lists the streams in the file.
• The original video disappeared: you probably saved over it. Always pick a new name for the output.

Other ways to extract audio

VLC’s standard profiles always encode the sound again. To keep the original audio track exactly, FFmpeg can copy it without conversion (most phone videos contain AAC, which fits an M4A file):

ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vn -c:a copy output.m4a

On a Mac, QuickTime Player can also save the sound through File > Export As > Audio Only, which creates an M4A file with AAC audio.