How to extract audio from a video (step by step)

Learn how to extract audio from a video using VLC media player or Shotcut. The steps on this page work on Windows, Linux, and macOS.

VLC

VLC media player is a free and open-source cross-platform multimedia player for Microsoft Windows, Linux, and macOS. It plays most video and audio files, and it offers a lot of extra features, like, for example, converting videos. VLC website

1. Open VLC media player.

2. Click on Media located in the top left corner.

3. Click on Convert / Save.

Access the Convert/Save option in VLC media player

A “Open Media” window will appear.

4. In this window, you click on the Add button.

Add button in Open Media window in VLC media player

A “Select one or multiple files” window will appear.

5. In this window, you go to the location on your computer where the video file you want to extract the audio from is.

6. Select the video file.

7. Click on the Open button.

Open video file in VLC media player

8. Click on the Convert/Save button at the bottom of the window.

Convert/Save button in VLC media player

A “Convert” window will appear.

9. At Profile, you click on the selection menu button and select Audio - MP3 or Audio - FLAC or Audio - Vorbis (OGG).

Select an audio format in VLC media player

10. Click on the tool button next to the profile selection menu button.

The Edit selected profile button in VLC media player

A “Profile edition” window will appear.

11. Click on Audio codec.

12. Change Bitrate to 320 kb/s.

Audio codec settings in VLC media player

13. Click on the Save button at the bottom of the window.

14. Click on the Browse button.

The Browse button in VLC media player

A “Save file” window will appear.

15. Within this window, you select a location on your computer where you want to save the audio file.

16. At File name, you type a name for the audio file.

17. Click on the Save button.

Save file window in VLC media player

18. When you're ready, you click on the Start button.

The Start button in VLC media player

VLC media player will now extract the audio from your video.

Actually, it will convert your video file to an audio file.

You can see the progress of the process at the bottom of VLC.

Progress bar in VLC media player

Shotcut

Shotcut is a free and open-source cross-platform video editor for Microsoft Windows, Linux, and macOS. Shotcut website

1. Open Shotcut.

2. Click on Open File in the top left corner.

Open File button in Shotcut

A “Open File” window will appear.

3. In this window, you go to the location on your computer where the video file you want to extract the audio from is.

4. Select the video file.

5. Click on the Open button.

Open File window in Shotcut

The video will start playing immediately. You can pause the video by clicking on the pause button below the video.

Pauze video in Shotcut

6. Drag the video to the timeline.

Drag video to timeline in Shotcut

7. In the timeline section, you right-click on the video and then click on Detach Audio.

Detach Audio in Shotcut

An audio bar will appear below the video.

8. In the Output section located at the left side, you right-click on the video track and then click on Remove Track.

Remove video track in Shotcut

9. When you're done editing the video, you click on Export at the top.

Export button in Shotcut

A “Export” panel will appear.

10. In the Presets section, you select an audio format, like MP3, ALAC, FLAC, WAV, WMA, etc.

11. If you want more advanced settings, like bitrate settings or other settings, you click on the Advanced button.

11. When you're done, you click on the Export File button.

Export settings in Shotcut

A “Export File” window will appear.

13. Select a location on your computer where you want to save the audio file.

14. At File name, you type a name for the audio file.

15. Click on the Save button.

Export File window in Shotcut

Shotcut will now extract the audio from your video.

Actually, it will convert your video file to an audio file.

You can see the progress of the process at Jobs located in the top right corner.

Progress bar in Shotcut