Sometimes, you want to convert your video and just keep the audio and save it as an MP3. It’s simple to extract music from videos. You don’t have to download any additional software to do it if your computer already has VLC Media Player installed. The convert feature that comes with the free player allows you to remove the video part and just keep the audio or the music. That means you can remove all those moving images and just save it as an MP3 or any other audio format like WAV, FLAC or OGG. This is a great feature if you want to just keep the music from the music videos. You’d be reducing the file size drastically.
To just keep the audio (music) of video files using VLC Media Player:
- Click on Media > Convert/Save [CTRL + R].
- Click on Add.
- Browse and open your video file.
- Click on Convert/Save.
- Under Settings, in Profile choose Audio – MP3.
- Hit Browse and give a destination file name with the extension ending in .mp3.
- Click Start.
The conversion process will begin immediately. You will notice the audio extraction process happen as it is indicated by the player’s progress slider. Once the slider reaches the end, you can browse to and locate the destination audio file. The size will be low and the MP3 file can be easily copied to your smartphone, music player or any other mobile audio playing device.
The conversion from video to audio is not just limited to MP3 format. You must have noticed other formats in the convert dialog. The profiles that come by default are Vorbig (OGG), FLAC and CD. You can also select WAV as the encapsulation in the conversion profile editor. There are also several audio codecs like MPEG Audio, MPEG 4 Audio (AAC), A52/AC-3, Vorbis, Flac, Opus, Speex and WMA2. These are advanced audio formats and just MP3 would be enough for the most of us.
View Comments (97)
The audio conversion is buggy. Often the first second or so of audio is missing, and quite often the last minute or so is missing too. Incredibly irritating. Some flac files it simply can't convert without missing audio.
In "Media -convert -profile -Audio -Mp3 edit profile Audio codec" select codec to mp3. then save
Does this work for converting an m4v file? I've tried multiple times and it doesn't seem to do anything...
Use the dropdown next to Profile to select Audio-MP3. By default the profile is empty when you use Convert for the first time--that tends to confuse.
So I converted a video to mp3, using VLC, and VLC cannot play the mp3. Neither can the music app on my phone. How can I fix this?
Did you remember to add .mp3 to the end of the filename as per the instructions?
I did a conversion and forgot the .mp3 ~ renamed the file by adding ot and it worked fime :)
Thanks VLC,
Had a mountain of old rave vids, wanted a quick way to .mp3 for listening in the workshop.
Also have orig audio files/CDs etc but, all over the place in myriad folders :)) the vids were all in one folder Yay.
Had issues at first,re read the instructions over and over annnnnd over :))
Profile change function DOH!! :)) once I figured that it was easy.
my only gripe is having to then copy(D&D) them to new folder.As I'd requested multiple files it could not send all to a new destination folder.No worries,even upped the Hrtz came out nice and crisp.
Thanks
I searched the internet thoroughly but could not find a detailed explanation, what the options and parameters in the "Profile edition" dialogue mean. Would be nice if somebody would add such informations to vlchelp.
MP3 file I convert from MP3 on MAC is alway empty. At the time of conversion I save the file as .mp3. After saving I don't see the process bar is progressing. I can see the .mp3 file on the destination folder (desktop) but it has 0 bytes and duration also 00:00
Yup! Same here. I think the feature is bugged. Couldn't get it to work even after several help videos.
Sorry I meant to say MP3 file I convert from MP4"...
Doest this feature still work? I am trying to convert yt video to mp3 but nothing happens, not even an error. I have swaped youtube.luac to youtube.lua I downloaded from vlc's github and now I can play youtube videos in vlc but conversion still doesn't work. When I try to convert yt video to mp3 after swaping youtube.lua then yt video is just being played and 0b file is being created, nothing else.
Yes! i did this yesterday!
You've likely moved on by now, but just in case this helps somebody else... Yes this still works (v3.0.16).
I recorded a local copy to mp4 first (not sure if the extra step is necessary but it's what I did)
Then when converting the local mp4 to mp3 it wasn't working for me with the default settings, but under the conversion settings there is a checkbox for "Display the output". I'm not sure why but when I check this box the conversion works. I've tried multiple times with and without that checked and It is definitely needed.
Thank you. Who would have thunk it!!!!!!
Yes, this "Display the output" option fixed it for me *at last*, thanks!
Well done. Thanks for posting. "Display the output" is the difference and makes it work.
I converted a video to audio, the file type is listed as mp3 - but it won't play in an audio player, and if I try to play it in a video player, it plays as a video...
You have to add .mp3 at the and of your song name in destination file part.
Thank you so much, ALIREZA.
Thanks for the solid. I am doing that right now.
Dear Alireza, thank you SO MUCH, this is the most valuable piece of information. I kept on converting and the file extension kept on showing "opus". After reading your comment I changed the file extension to .mps and it works! I am a transcriber and you just saved me hours. Thank you again, many blessings.