Convert MP4 to Audio
Pick your output format. The video track is discarded; only the audio is saved.
Which audio format should you choose?
MP4 to MP3 — best for sharing and compatibility
MP3 plays on every device, car audio system, and media player. Use 192–320 kbps for good quality. Some re-encoding quality loss occurs since the MP4 source contains AAC.
MP4 to WAV — best for editing
WAV is uncompressed PCM. Every DAW, audio editor, and sampler accepts WAV. File size is large but editing quality is maximum. Perfect if you're going to process the audio further.
MP4 to M4A — best for Apple devices
If the MP4 contains AAC audio (most do), extracting to M4A simply rewraps the existing audio stream — no re-encoding, no quality loss. Ideal for iPhone, Mac, and Apple Music playback.
How the extraction works
An MP4 file is a container holding separate video and audio streams — and the audio is a tiny fraction of the total size. This converter opens the container in your browser using FFmpeg compiled to WebAssembly, discards the video stream, and saves just the audio in the format you pick. Your original MP4 is never modified, and because everything runs locally, the video is never uploaded to a server — a 2 GB recording stays on your machine.
The audio inside an MP4 is almost always AAC. That is why the output choice matters: extracting to M4A keeps the audio in its native family, extracting to WAV decodes it once into uncompressed PCM for editing, and extracting to MP3 re-encodes it for maximum compatibility. Pick the target from the grid above and the right converter handles the rest.
What people extract audio from
Lectures, webinars & meetings
A recorded class or Zoom session is usually worth keeping for its words, not its slides. Extract the audio and listen to it like a podcast, or feed it to a transcription tool.
Music and performances
Concert clips, rehearsal videos, and DJ sets recorded as MP4 become playlist-ready audio files — at a hundredth of the storage.
Screen recordings & tutorials
Narrated screen captures often outlive their visuals. Pull the narration out as audio for notes, documentation, or re-use in another edit.
Voice recorded as video
Phones default to video even when only the sound matters — an interview, a memo, a kid's first words. Extract the audio and file it properly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this MP4 audio extractor free?
Yes. AudioUtils is free. The free tier extracts a 10-second audio preview. Pro ($9/mo) removes the limit so you can extract audio from full-length MP4 files up to 500 MB.
What audio formats can I extract from an MP4?
AudioUtils can extract audio from MP4 files as MP3, WAV, or M4A. MP3 gives universal compatibility. WAV gives uncompressed audio for professional editing. M4A gives you the native Apple format and is often a lossless extraction if the MP4 already contains AAC audio.
Does extracting audio from MP4 lose quality?
MP4 files typically contain AAC audio. Extracting to M4A rewraps that audio without re-encoding — no quality loss. Extracting to WAV decodes to uncompressed PCM — also no quality loss (but a much larger file). Extracting to MP3 re-encodes from AAC to MP3, which introduces a small generation loss. For best quality, extract to M4A or WAV.
Can I extract audio from a YouTube video saved as MP4?
Yes, if you already have the MP4 file saved locally. AudioUtils processes files in your browser — just open the saved MP4 and extract the audio. Note that downloading YouTube videos may violate YouTube's Terms of Service; check the content's license before saving or redistributing.
What is the difference between MP4 and M4A?
Both are MPEG-4 containers. MP4 typically contains both video and audio tracks. M4A is the audio-only variant, introduced by Apple to distinguish pure audio files from video. When you extract audio from an MP4 and save it as M4A, you're getting just the audio track in the same container format.
How large will the extracted audio file be?
Much smaller than the video. A 500 MB MP4 typically yields a 5-15 MB MP3 or M4A, because the video stream is the overwhelming majority of the file. WAV output is larger — about 10 MB per minute — since it is uncompressed.
Is my video uploaded to a server?
No. The extraction runs entirely in your browser using FFmpeg compiled to WebAssembly. The MP4 is read from your disk into your browser's memory, processed there, and the audio offered back as a download — nothing leaves your device, which matters for private footage.
Does this work on phones and large files?
Yes — modern iOS (15.4+) and Android browsers run the extraction locally. Processing speed depends on your device; a typical clip takes seconds. The free tier accepts files up to 20 MB; Pro raises the limit to 500 MB for full-length recordings.