MP4 to MP3 converter
Your files are converted on your device. They are never uploaded.
or drop them here
.mp4.m4v.mov.m4a.aac
- Files stay on your device
- Batch + ZIP
- No sign-up, no limits
This converter runs in your browser and needs JavaScript. Turn it on to convert; the steps below explain everything.
Settings
Save the sound of an MP4 video as an MP3 that plays everywhere, without uploading the video.
An MP4 from a phone, a camera or a screen recorder almost always carries its sound as AAC inside the video file. This converter reads that AAC track straight out of the MP4, decodes it and encodes a standard MP3 at the bitrate you choose, leaving the picture behind. Typical uses: a lecture or meeting you recorded on screen, a voice note filmed on your phone, a concert clip, a tutorial you want to hear in the car. Several MP4s can go in at once, and nothing is uploaded: your browser does the whole job.
How to convert MP4 to MP3
- Add one or more MP4 files (MOV and M4A work here too).
- Choose the bitrate: 192 kbps is the default and right for most music and speech; 128 kbps for long talks, 320 kbps if you will edit the audio. Pick Mono for a single voice and set a start and end time to keep only part of it.
- Convert and download the MP3s one by one, or all together as a ZIP.
What happens to quality, size and metadata
The AAC sound inside the MP4 is already compressed, so going to MP3 is a second lossy step. At 192 kbps that loss is very hard to hear; at 128 kbps you may notice it on music with good headphones. A higher bitrate than the original can’t restore detail, it only makes a bigger file. We encode constant-bitrate MP3 with LAME, keep the original sample rate when MP3 allows it (44.1 or 48 kHz for phone videos), and mix 5.1 surround down to stereo. The MP3 gets the file name as its title tag; the video’s other metadata and its picture are not copied. Screen recordings without a microphone or system sound have no audio track to save.
- Test files
- 2
- Average input
- 905 KB
- Average output
- 302 KB
- Size change
- 67% smaller
- Time per file
- 239 ms
MP4 vs MP3
| Full name | MP4 | MP3 |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | MPEG-4 Part 14 | MPEG-1 Audio Layer III |
| Introduced | 2003 | 1993 |
| Defined by | MPEG · ISO/IEC 14496-14 | MPEG · ISO/IEC 11172-3 |
| Compression | Lossy or lossless | Lossy |
| Chrome / Edge | Yes | Yes |
| Safari | Yes | Yes |
| Firefox | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| iPhone / iPad | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| Typical use | Phone videos, screen recordings, downloads from cameras and video for sharing. | Music, podcasts, voice recordings and any audio that has to play on every device. |
MP4 MP4 is a container defined in ISO/IEC 14496-14. It usually holds H.264 or HEVC video and AAC audio, plus chapters and metadata. It is the most widely supported video file: phones, browsers, TVs and social apps all play it.
MP3 MP3 is the lossy audio format standardised by MPEG in ISO/IEC 11172-3 (1993). Its patents have expired, and practically every player, car stereo, phone and editing app plays it. At 192 kbps most listeners cannot tell it from the original on typical speakers or headphones.
Sources for this table
- www.iso.org/standard/79110.html
- www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc4337
- caniuse.com/mpeg4
- developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/Media/Guides/Formats/Containers
- developer.android.com/media/platform/supported-formats
- www.iso.org/standard/22412.html
- www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc3003
- caniuse.com/mp3
Browser support data: caniuse.com, CC BY 4.0.
Without this site
Mac: open the MP4 in QuickTime Player and choose File › Export As › Audio Only; it saves an M4A file (AAC), not MP3. iPhone: the Shortcuts app’s “Encode Media” action with “Audio Only” turned on also produces M4A. Windows 10 and 11 have no built-in way to save a video’s sound as MP3; the free VLC player can, via Media › Convert / Save with the “Audio – MP3” profile. Android has no built-in option either.
Troubleshooting
- “This video has no sound track”. Some screen recordings are made with the microphone off, and some clips are silent. There is no audio to convert; record again with sound on.
- The MP3 is quieter or louder than the video. We don’t normalise volume; the level is exactly that of the video’s soundtrack.
- Very long recordings on a phone. A 3-hour lecture works, but takes a few minutes; keep the screen on and the tab open.
- You only want the original sound, untouched. Use Extract audio (MP4 to M4A): it copies the AAC track without re-encoding.
Questions and answers
How do I convert MP4 to MP3 for free?
Add the MP4 on this page, keep 192 kbps and press Convert. The MP3 is ready in seconds for a short clip and downloads straight to your device. There is no account, watermark or daily limit, and the video is never uploaded.
Does converting MP4 to MP3 lose quality?
A little, because the AAC sound in the MP4 is decoded and compressed again as MP3. At 192 kbps or higher most people can’t hear a difference. If you need the sound with zero loss, extract it as M4A instead, which copies the original AAC data unchanged.
What bitrate should I choose for MP4 to MP3: 128, 192 or 320 kbps?
192 kbps is the best default for music. 128 kbps is plenty for speech, podcasts and lectures and makes files a third smaller. 320 kbps is the MP3 maximum; it is useful if you will edit the audio again, but it can’t be better than the sound in the video, which phones record as AAC at a moderate bitrate.
How do I convert MP4 to MP3 on my phone?
Open this page in Safari (iPhone) or Chrome (Android), tap “Add files” and pick the video from your gallery or Files. The conversion runs in the browser on the phone; the MP3 lands in Downloads. For long videos keep the screen on until it finishes.