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How to Extract Audio from an iPhone Video (No Extra Apps Needed)

How Do You Extract Audio from Video on iPhone?

You can extract audio from an iPhone video in three ways. In iMovie, tap the clip, tap Actions, then Detach. In the Shortcuts app, build a shortcut around the Encode Media action with the audio-only option on. Or open the video file in your browser and convert it straight to MP3.

Your friend's video caught the whole song at the concert, and you only want the sound.

iMovie and Shortcuts are free Apple apps. The browser method needs nothing to install.

Detach the Audio in iMovie

Many guides mention a "Detach Audio" button. Apple's own steps are slightly different:

  1. Open a project in iMovie and select the video you want to extract audio from.
  2. Tap the video clip in the timeline to open the inspector at the bottom of the screen.
  3. Tap the Actions button, then tap Detach.

A blue audio clip now sits beneath the video clip, per Apple's iMovie guide. You can move it, delete it or edit it without touching the picture. Deleting that clip is one way to remove audio from a video on iPhone.

The catch: iMovie saves projects as videos. One workaround from Apple's community forum is to trim the video part down to one second, then save the project to Photos. Fine for editing the sound, clumsy for getting an audio file.

How to Extract Audio into Its Own File with Shortcuts

Shortcuts can save audio from video as a real audio file. Its Encode Media action re-encodes a video and can convert it to audio only.

  1. Open the Shortcuts app and tap + to create a new shortcut.
  2. Type "Encode" in the search bar and add Encode Media. Turn on Audio Only.
  3. Add a second action to save the extracted audio in the Files app.
  4. In the shortcut's settings, turn on Show in Share Sheet, then tap Done.

Now open any video on your iPhone in Photos, tap Share and select your shortcut. Apple doesn't document which audio format this action outputs, so check the file extension before you send it anywhere.

Skip the Manual Steps: Convert the Video Straight to MP3

You can also download an app to extract audio from the App Store, but many are free with ads or ask for a subscription. Online tools for extracting audio from videos are quicker to reach. Many upload your video to a server first, which matters for private family clips.

The third way skips both. Open Safari and save the sound of an iPhone video as MP3. Vidmini reads the MOV file on your device, so nothing is uploaded.

You pick the MP3 bitrate, from 128 to 320 kbps. There is no account and no watermark. On a phone, the only limit is free memory and storage.

Which Audio Format Should You Keep: M4A, MP3, or AAC?

AAC is a codec (the method that compresses the sound). M4A is the file that usually holds it. Apple notes that AAC plays natively on iPhone and iPad, so an M4A is fine if the audio stays on Apple devices.

MP3 is the safer choice for other players and upload forms. According to Apple's iTunes import settings, stereo MP3 files most commonly use 128 to 192 kbps.

If you already have an M4A from iMovie or Shortcuts, you can convert that M4A to MP3 without re-recording anything.

Where the Extracted Audio File Goes

A shortcut saves the audio where its save action points, usually a folder in the Files app or iCloud Drive. An MP3 downloaded from your browser also shows up in Files. From there, AirDrop it or attach it to a message.

To extract audio from video on Mac instead, the Apple forum answer is QuickTime Player: File > Export As > Audio Only.

iMovie is the exception: its result lands in Photos as a video, since that's what iMovie exports.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why isn't my shortcut showing up in the Share Sheet?

Open the shortcut, tap its settings and check that Show in Share Sheet is on.

Can you extract audio from video on other iOS devices, like an iPad?

Yes for the browser method: it runs in recent Safari and Chrome, on mobile and desktop. The iPad versions of iMovie and Shortcuts may place buttons differently.

What are common uses for extracted audio?

Keeping a song from a concert clip, reusing a voice note, cutting a podcast excerpt, or saving sound effects for social media edits.