In this guide
Import an unprotected local video into Audacity, installing its optional FFmpeg library if your format requires it. Export the audio separately and verify the resulting file; extraction keeps sounds already mixed in the soundtrack together.
To extract audio from a video in Audacity, import a supported local video with File → Import → Audio, listen to the resulting waveform, then choose File → Export Audio to create a WAV or MP3. Many video formats require Audacity's optional FFmpeg library. Keep the original video and reopen the exported audio to verify its duration and sound.
Audacity imports the soundtrack, not an editable video picture. If speech, music and effects are mixed together in that soundtrack, they remain together in the audio export. Separating one sound is a different task.
Before you start
- Use a local video file you have permission to work with and retain an unchanged copy.
- Play the original first. Confirm that it contains the dialogue or soundtrack you need, and note the start and end if the audio will return to a video editor.
- Allow enough disk space for the audio export. A WAV can be much larger than the compressed soundtrack in the video.
- For protected or unsupported media, use a source file and workflow you are authorized to access. Renaming the file does not decode it.
1. Import the video's audio
- Open Audacity and create a new project. Choose File → Import → Audio, then select the video file; alternatively, try opening it from the file menu.
- If Audacity reports that it cannot import the format, follow its FFmpeg installation instructions for your operating system and Audacity version. Restart Audacity if instructed and retry the same local file.
- Look for the imported audio waveform and play a few points, including the beginning and ending. A waveform by itself does not prove that the intended soundtrack was selected.
Audacity's import manual says the optional FFmpeg library can import audio from most unprotected video files. Support varies with platform, format and codec; the manual notes that Mac can import some Apple formats without FFmpeg. Installing FFmpeg is not a guarantee that every video will open.
2. Export an audio file
- If you only need an excerpt, select it deliberately and check the beginning and end. Keep the full-length source when timing is important.
- Choose File → Export Audio. In the export dialog, select the intended full project or selection, destination and format. Confirm the exact options in your installed version.
- Choose WAV for a common uncompressed working file, or MP3 for a smaller listening copy. MP3 is lossy; WAV does not restore detail already lost in the source.
- Export, open the saved file in another player or project and listen to the start, a middle passage and the end. Check that the file is the intended duration.
A saved .aup3 project keeps editable Audacity project information; it is not the same as an audio file for a video editor or phone. Audacity's saving and exporting guide describes the difference. If you have extra comparison tracks in the project, check the export scope and mute or remove unwanted tracks so they do not get mixed into the result.
If Audacity cannot open the video
| Symptom | What to check |
|---|---|
| Format not recognized | Check that a compatible FFmpeg library is installed and recognized in Audacity's Libraries preferences. Consult the official installation guidance for your platform and version. |
| No waveform or silence | Play the original video and verify it actually has the intended audio. Try another authorized source or a supported export from the editor that created it. |
| Wrong language or commentary | The video may contain multiple audio streams. Check the stream choices in your editor or use the stream-inspection method in the general extraction guide; do not assume the first soundtrack is correct. |
| Audio drifts or starts late in the edit | Compare the exported file against the original video at both ends. Source offsets, edits and encoding delay can affect alignment; consult the audio replacement guide. |
Audacity's Libraries preferences documentation explains how to check or locate the FFmpeg library. Avoid installing an unverified download merely because it appears in a search result; follow the official instructions.
A browser option for short files
If you only need the soundtrack from a short MP4 or MOV, try the free video audio extractor. It processes supported files locally in the browser and exports WAV or MP3 without an account. Inputs are limited to 50 MiB and five minutes, the output must also fit 50 MiB, and browser codec support varies. It does not let you select a particular audio stream. Compare the result with the original and use Audacity or another editor if you need a longer file, more editing control or a different stream.
Can Audacity extract only the voice from a video?
Importing and exporting normally keeps the soundtrack as a mix. If you need only the spoken voice or a particular effect, start with separate original tracks when possible; otherwise compare a source-isolation estimate and listen for bleed or missing details. See how to isolate voice in Audacity for the difference between channel selection, noise reduction and separation.