---
title: 'How to extract audio from ANY video with FFmpeg'
source: 'https://youtube.com/watch?v=knWs6YU1EKU'
video_id: 'knWs6YU1EKU'
date: 2026-07-28
duration_sec: 174
---

# How to extract audio from ANY video with FFmpeg

> Source: [How to extract audio from ANY video with FFmpeg](https://youtube.com/watch?v=knWs6YU1EKU)

## Summary

This tutorial demonstrates how to use FFmpeg to extract audio from a video file with a single command. It covers extracting audio in various formats like MP3, WAV, and M4A, and explains the difference between transcoding and stream copying.

### Key Points

- **FFmpeg for audio extraction** [0:00] — FFmpeg is the tool for extracting audio from video files for podcasting, transcription, or AI workflows.
- **Installation** [0:38] — On Mac, install FFmpeg via 'brew install ffmpeg' or from source at ffmpeg.org.
- **Basic command for MP3 extraction** [0:51] — Command: 'ffmpeg -i video.mp4 -q:a 0 -map a output.mp3' extracts audio at highest quality.
- **Extracting to WAV** [1:40] — Change output extension to .wav to get uncompressed audio.
- **Extracting to M4A (AAC)** [1:55] — Change output extension to .m4a for AAC audio.
- **Stream copy without transcoding** [2:02] — Use '-c:a copy' to copy the audio stream without re-encoding, which is faster. Example: 'ffmpeg -i video.mp4 -c:a copy output.m4a'.

### Conclusion

FFmpeg provides full control for extracting audio from videos, whether for voiceovers, podcast clips, or repurposing content. The tool is simple and efficient.

## Transcript

Working on a podcast, transcription or
AI workflow? Well, then FFmpeg is the
tool for you. In this quick tutorial,
we're going to look at how we can
extract audio from a video file in just
one single command. The audio format and
codec can be wave, AAC audio, MP3,
anything that you would like. Let's get
into it. So, of course, I have my video
here. Here's how you upload a tutorial
similar to this one. And let's say I
want to transcribe this to Spanish,
transcribe it to French, any other
language. I would extract it here and
set it off to, you know, my third party
service. So again, this is using ffmpeg.
I have it installed here. If you don't
have it installed, you can, if you're on
Mac, you can simply do brew install
ffmpeg. You could also install from
source um from ffmpeg.org. It's just a
little bit more complicated.
I'm already in this current working
directory over here um with my video
titled extract audio. So ffmpeg
I which is for input video.mpp4
and uh Q colon a zero. So this just kind
of means the quality of the audio codec
zero which is just the highest. And then
we're going to map just the audio
stream. That's going to be a we're going
to send it to our folder here as an MP3.
All righty. So, see how it looks.
And there you have it. Here's how you
upload and play back a video using MX
in. You can hear it, too. So, the reason
why we would do this is just it's super
simple. You see, it's very quick. We can
also
set this to wave, which is kind of an
uncompressed audio format. So we could
also this way.
That's a way. Here's how you upload and
play back a video using and then last
one would be
in an M4A which is AAC audio.
So these are all transcoding. If I
wanted to just simply map the output, I
could actually see C for the audio codec
map zero
A. Oh, I missed copy here. And if I just
wanted to do audio, let's say copy. I
know that it's AAC, so I could put it as
a M4A. And this is going to not
transcode. This will just stream copy it
out.
You see, it's much quicker. And it's the
actual Here's how you It's the same
stream that's in this original file
here. Here's how you upload and play
back.
So whether you're saving voiceovers,
pulling podcast clips, or repurposing
reels, FFmpeg gives you full control.
Like this tip? Subscribe for more
byite-sized FFmpeg guides. Thanks for
watching.