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How to Convert MP4 to MP3 (Keep the Audio Only)

Turn an MP4 video into an MP3 audio file you can play anywhere. Try it with a free account on videos up to 30 seconds; paid plans take up to 60 minutes.

Published ยท 5 min read

To convert an MP4 to MP3, you keep the video's sound and drop the picture, then save that sound as an MP3 file. Our video to MP3 converter does it in one step: choose the MP4, press Start, download the MP3. It's a pro tool; a free account can try it on videos up to 30 seconds, and paid plans take videos up to 500 MB and 60 minutes.

Why convert MP4 to MP3

An MP4 is a video file that holds a picture track and a sound track. When you only care about the sound, the picture is dead weight:

  • A talk, lecture or sermon you want to listen to on a walk or in the car.
  • A recording of your own performance, band practice or choir, to share as audio.
  • An interview or meeting recording you want to transcribe or send to someone who only needs the audio.
  • A voice note that was saved as video, such as a screen recording or a video message.
  • Background music you created for a video, which you now want on its own.

An MP3 is also much smaller. A minute of MP3 at the quality we use is roughly 1.4 MB, where a minute of HD phone video is often tens of megabytes.

Step by step

  1. Open the video to MP3 converter and sign in.
  2. Under Choose a file, pick your MP4. It also takes MOV, MKV, WEBM and most other common video formats. Your browser checks the video's length before uploading; it can't do that for AVI and some other files, which then show "We couldn't read that file."
  3. Press Start. Extracting the audio is quick, usually much faster than the video's length.
  4. Press Download result to save your MP3. It's available for 1 hour.

There's nothing to set. The MP3 is saved at high quality (a variable bitrate averaging around 190 kbps), which sounds great for music, podcasts and voice. If the video has more than one audio track, the first one is used.

Trying it free

Video to MP3 is a pro tool. A free account can try it on videos up to 30 seconds, and you get 5 free tries a day across all our pro tools. That's enough for a short clip, a voice message or a test before you commit. For longer videos, up to 60 minutes and 500 MB, see the plans.

If you have a long video but only need a short part of the sound, trim the video first with trim video, which can also be tried free when the part you keep is 30 seconds or less.

After you have the MP3

  • Cut it down. To keep just one song, a quote or a ringtone-length clip, use the free MP3 cutter. It cuts the MP3 on your device without re-encoding, so there's no further quality loss. See how to make a ringtone from a song.
  • Change the format. Need M4A for Apple devices, WAV for an editor or FLAC for archiving? The audio converter converts MP3 to WAV, M4A (AAC), OGG or FLAC. Converting can't add back detail an MP3 has already dropped, so for the very best quality, keep your original video too.
  • Turn it into text. Use audio to text to transcribe a talk or interview; see how to transcribe audio to text.

MP4 to MP3 on a phone

The converter works in your phone's browser too:

  • iPhone: in the file picker, choose Photo Library to pick a video from Photos, or Choose File to pick one from the Files app. Your MP3 downloads to the Files app (usually the Downloads folder).
  • Android: pick the video from your gallery or Files. The MP3 lands in your Downloads folder, and music apps will find it there.

What about videos on YouTube and other sites?

This tool converts video files you have on your device. It doesn't download from YouTube or other streaming sites, and their terms generally don't allow downloading. Use it for videos you've recorded, made, or have the right to use.

Common problems

  • "That file isn't a video we can read." The file may be damaged, still downloading, or not really a video. Try playing it in a video player first.
  • The MP3 is silent or very quiet. The video's sound may be quiet to begin with. Converting doesn't change the volume; change audio volume can raise it afterwards (a pro tool you can try free with an account).
  • The free try is refused. Free tries are for videos up to 30 seconds. Trim the video first, or upgrade for longer files.

If your goal is pulling sound out of other kinds of video, such as screen recordings or MKV files, our broader guide on extracting audio from video covers more cases.

Your files and privacy

The conversion runs on our servers, so your video is uploaded. It's deleted as soon as it's converted, and your MP3 is available to download for 1 hour, then deleted too.

Convert your MP4

Choose the video, press Start and download the MP3 with the video to MP3 converter. Clips up to 30 seconds can be tried with a free account.

Does converting MP4 to MP3 lose quality?
The sound is re-encoded as a high-quality MP3, so the difference is very hard to hear for music, podcasts and voice. The picture is dropped completely.
How long a video can I convert?
Up to 60 minutes and 500 MB on a paid plan. A free account can try videos up to 30 seconds.
Can I convert MOV, MKV or WEBM to MP3 too?
Yes. The converter takes most common video formats, including MP4, MOV, MKV and WEBM, and always gives you an MP3. AVI files often can't be read in the browser before upload.
Can I choose the bitrate?
No. Every MP3 is saved at the same high quality, a variable bitrate averaging around 190 kbps, which suits music and voice.
Can I get M4A or WAV instead of MP3?
Convert the MP3 afterwards with the audio converter, which outputs WAV, M4A (AAC), OGG or FLAC.

Video tools

Try Video to MP3

Free to try with a free account. Extract the audio track from MP4, MOV, MKV and other videos and download it as a high-quality MP3.

Open Video to MP3

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