Convert video to WAV

Why WAV for editing

MP3 and AAC throw away part of the sound to save space. Each time you edit and re-export a compressed file, more is lost. WAV stores the audio as uncompressed 16-bit PCM, so the file you bring into Audacity, Premiere, DaVinci Resolve, Reaper or another editor is the same quality as the audio decoded from the video.

WAV is also the safe choice for speech-to-text tools, noise reduction and audio analysis, which often accept WAV first.

How to extract WAV from a video

1. Drop a video file (MP4, MOV, MKV, WEBM) in the area above. WAV is already selected.
2. When the waveform appears, drag across the part you need, or keep the full range.
3. Zoom with the mouse wheel and drag the white handles for precise start and end points.
4. Click Save audio. In most cases WAV saves at once, because it needs no encoding.

The video is decoded in your browser and is not uploaded.

Things to know

• File size: stereo 16-bit WAV at 48 kHz is about 11 MB per minute. A one-hour recording is about 660 MB. Select only the part you need when you can.
• Quality: converting to WAV does not improve the sound. It only stops further loss. The audio in the video is the upper limit.
• Channels: mono audio stays mono. Files with more than two channels are saved as stereo.
• Fades: leave fade in and fade out off if you plan to edit the file. You can add fades later in your editor.

WAV, MP3 or M4A

Use WAV when the file is a step in an editing workflow. Use MP3 or M4A when the file is the final result you want to listen to or share. Both are about 10 times smaller than WAV.

Lining up audio with the video

If you plan to place the WAV back under the same video in an editor, keep the full range selected. The file then starts at 0:00, exactly like the video, so the two line up without manual syncing. If you select a range, note the start time shown in the start field. You can type the same time in your editor to place the clip.