In this guide
To make a video silent, mute or remove its audio in a video editor and play the exported file with device volume on. Muting a mixed soundtrack silences speech, music and effects together; use separate original tracks or test source isolation when you need to keep a voice.
To remove sound from a video, open it in a video editor, mute the video clip’s audio or detach and remove its audio, then export a new file. Play the saved video with your device volume on to check the result. Keep the original in case you need its soundtrack later.
Muting the clip silences everything in that soundtrack, including speech, music and effects. If your goal is to keep the speaker while reducing a competing sound, look for separate original tracks or test a source-isolation workflow instead.
Choose the outcome you need
| Goal | Action | What to verify |
|---|---|---|
| A silent video | Mute every relevant video and audio clip, or remove their timeline audio before export. | No other music, voiceover or effects track remains audible. |
| Video with new music | Mute the original clip and add a separate music track in the editor. | The new track starts at the intended cue and the original is not doubled. |
| Keep speech, reduce music | Mute a separate music track if available; otherwise compare a voice-isolation estimate. | Words, pauses and wanted ambience can change during separation. |
| Save the soundtrack as audio | Detach or extract the soundtrack instead of muting the final video. | The resulting audio contains the whole mix unless sources were already separate. |
Mute a video on a computer with Clipchamp
- Import the video. Create a project in Clipchamp for personal accounts and place the video on the timeline.
- Mute the clip. Select it and click the speaker symbol on the clip. Microsoft says the symbol changes to a crossed speaker when muted. Alternatively, use the Audio tab and turn down its volume.
- Check other tracks. Separate voiceover, music or effects clips can still play. Mute or remove each one if the whole video must be silent.
- Export and test. Export a new video, open it in a player and listen with the device volume on. Check the beginning, middle and end.
To move or delete the soundtrack independently, select the clip, open its Audio tab and choose Detach audio; select the new audio clip and delete it if appropriate. Microsoft’s Clipchamp instructions describe both methods. Detaching makes an editable soundtrack clip; it does not split a mixed voice from music.
Mute a video on iPhone with iMovie
- Open an iMovie movie project and add the video.
- Tap the video clip on the timeline, tap its Audio control and tap the mute button beside the volume slider.
- Check any separate music or voiceover tracks, then export and play the finished video with your device volume on.
Apple documents these controls in its iMovie audio guide. For detaching a clip and other details, see how to remove audio from an iPhone video.
Mute a video on Android with Google Photos
Open the video in Google Photos and use its mute control if available on your device. Google documents an Audio → Mute workflow for supported Pixel 8 and later devices and a separate mute control for non-Pixel devices. Save the edited copy using the available control and play it to verify the result. Device and app versions can differ; see Google’s current video-editing instructions and the Android walkthrough.
How to remove background music but keep the voice
First inspect the original project. If music and voice are separate clips, mute the music clip and export while keeping the voice. If they are already combined in the video’s soundtrack, a mute control cannot choose only the music.
The music-removal workflow can test a named sound on a supported file. An isolated voice or music-reduced remainder is an estimate: music can remain, and wanted words or room sound can be altered. Listen through overlapping speech, pauses and transitions against the original. AI downloads require an account and sufficient credits, with the cost shown before download. The result is audio; place it back in your video editor and check sync.
Check the file you actually share
- Play the exported copy rather than the original project or a muted editor preview.
- Turn the playback device volume on. Listen at several points, especially where a separate music or voiceover clip starts.
- If you want a replacement soundtrack, confirm only the intended audio is audible and that it aligns with the picture.
- If a delivery specification requires a video file with no audio stream, inspect the exported file in an editor or media inspector. An inaudible track and an absent audio stream are not necessarily the same thing; use an export or remux option that explicitly omits audio when required.
Common questions
Does muting a video delete the original audio file?
Usually it changes the clip in the project or saved copy; behavior varies by application. Keep the source file and check the exported result rather than assuming the original was deleted.
Can I mute only part of a video?
In a timeline editor, split the clip around the intended section and mute that section, or use supported volume controls. Preview the boundaries and check any other tracks. A simple phone mute control may affect the whole clip.
Can I use Saturalabs to make a silent video?
Saturalabs offers audio extraction and isolation workflows; it does not export a muted video. Use a video editor for the silent video, or test isolation separately when the goal is to retain a voice.