# Extract Audio from Video

> Pull the soundtrack out of a video as WAV, Opus, AAC, or M4A. Fast no-re-encode path is used when the source codec and target container are compatible.

Canonical: https://helpers.aibrush.co/en/extract-audio-from-video

## What it does

Drop a video, pick a target audio format, and the tool extracts the audio track. When the source already uses the target codec (e.g. AAC video to .m4a), the export is a packet-level copy — instant and bit-identical.

When formats don't match the tool transcodes. Output bitrate defaults to a sensible 128 kbps for lossy targets and uncompressed PCM for WAV.

## How to use it

1. **Drop the video** — Any common video format with an audio track.
2. **Pick the audio format** — WAV for uncompressed editing, AAC/M4A for broad compatibility, or Opus for the smallest reasonable file.
3. **Process and download** — Fast path completes in a couple of seconds even for long videos. Transcodes show a progress bar.

## When to use it

### Podcast cleanup

Strip the audio from a video recording to publish as an audio-only podcast.

### Music from concert footage

Save just the soundtrack from phone-recorded concert video to listen on the go.

### Transcription input

Most speech-to-text tools want pure audio. Extract and feed straight into Whisper / Otter / etc.

## FAQ

### Will the extracted file be smaller than the original?

Yes — much smaller. Video is the bulk; audio alone is typically 5–15% of the total size.

### Why is my AAC extract instant when others take time?

AAC video to .m4a is a same-codec copy — packets move from one container to another without decoding. Cross-codec extractions re-encode.