FFmpeg recipe
FFmpeg: Extract Audio as MP3 from Any Video
When you need MP3 specifically (for podcasts, voice memos, ringtones), re-encode the source audio. 192 kbps is sonically transparent for music; 128 kbps for voice.
Command
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vn -c:a libmp3lame -b:a 192k -y output.mp3Prefer no terminal?
Use the Video to MP3 in your browser
What each flag does
| -i | Input file. Can be a video, audio, or image. Repeat for multiple inputs. |
|---|---|
| -vn | Strip video (no video in output) — useful for audio-only extraction. |
| -b:a | Audio bitrate, e.g. 192k. |
| -c:a libmp3lame | MP3 encoder. Pin this rather than letting ffmpeg pick. |
Notes & gotchas
- For voice-only content, drop to 128k or even 96k to save space.
- Add -ar 44100 -ac 2 to force 44.1 kHz stereo if the source has unusual sample rate / channel layout.
Related recipes
Extract audio · MP4
Pull the audio track out of an MP4 with FFmpeg. Stream-copy is lossless and instant.
Remove silence · Audio / video
Auto-cut silent gaps from a recording with FFmpeg silenceremove filter. Kills dead air in podcasts and meetings.
Normalize loudness · Audio / video
Normalize audio loudness to broadcast standards with FFmpeg loudnorm filter. -16 LUFS for podcasts, -23 for TV.
Trim · MP4
Trim an MP4 with FFmpeg using stream-copy for lossless, instant output. Copy-paste command with explanations.