Video Editing

How to Remove Audio from Video (Mute Video or Extract Audio)

Q: How do I remove audio from a video?

There are two interpretations: (1) Mute the video — create a silent video file with no audio track at all. In FFmpeg: ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -an -c:v copy output.mp4. The -an flag removes the audio stream; -c:v copy copies the video without re-encoding (instant). (2) Extract audio — save the audio track as a separate file. In FFmpeg: ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vn -c:a copy output.m4a. The -vn flag removes the video; -c:a copy copies the audio without re-encoding.

Q: How do I mute a video online without software?

Browser-based video editors like Clideo, Kapwing, and VEED.IO can remove audio from video online. The process: upload your video, find the audio settings, disable or remove the audio track, and download the muted video. Note that these tools re-encode the video, which slightly reduces quality. For lossless muting (no quality loss), use FFmpeg with the -an -c:v copy flags.

Q: Does removing audio from a video reduce file size?

Yes, but usually not dramatically. Audio tracks in typical video files account for 5–15% of total file size. A 100 MB video might become 87–95 MB when the audio is removed. The video stream dominates file size. To significantly reduce video file size, you need to re-encode the video stream (at the cost of some quality), not just remove the audio.

Q: How do I extract audio from a video as MP3?

In FFmpeg: ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vn -acodec libmp3lame -q:a 2 output.mp3. The -vn flag drops the video; -acodec libmp3lame encodes to MP3; -q:a 2 sets VBR quality (~190kbps). For lossless extraction when the video has AAC audio: ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vn -acodec copy output.m4a — this copies the audio without re-encoding.

Q: Can I remove audio from video on iPhone?

Yes. On iPhone: open the video in the Photos app, tap Edit, then tap the speaker icon (top left of the editing screen) to mute the audio. Tap Done to save. The muted video saves alongside the original (Photos keeps the original). For more control, use iMovie (free from Apple) which lets you remove, replace, or adjust the audio track.

May 18, 2026 · 7 min read · Convertlo Team

"Remove audio from video" actually describes two different tasks with different tools and outcomes. The first: create a silent video — the same video file but with the audio track stripped out completely. The second: extract the audio as a separate file (MP3, WAV, AAC) while keeping the video intact. This guide covers both, with methods ranging from FFmpeg commands to browser tools and mobile apps.

Task A: Mute the Video

Create a silent video file. The video plays normally but with no sound. Use case: background looping videos for websites, silent social media B-roll, removing copyrighted audio before uploading to YouTube.

Task B: Extract the Audio

Save the audio track as a separate MP3, WAV, or AAC file. Use case: extracting a song from a music video, creating podcast audio from a recorded video call, pulling a soundtrack from a film clip.

Method 1: FFmpeg (Best Quality, Instant, Free)

FFmpeg is the gold standard for both tasks because it can copy streams without re-encoding — meaning no quality loss and near-instant processing regardless of file size.

Mute a Video (Remove Audio Track)

ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -an -c:v copy output.mp4

Flags explained:

-an — audio none: removes the audio stream entirely
-c:v copy — copy video codec: copies the video stream without re-encoding (zero quality loss, instant)

The output file contains only the video track. File size is typically 5–15% smaller than the original (audio track removed).

Extract Audio from Video

ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vn -c:a copy output.m4a

Flags explained:

-vn — video none: removes the video stream
-c:a copy — copy audio codec: copies the audio without re-encoding
output.m4a — if the original video has AAC audio (most MP4s do), .m4a is the correct container

Extract as MP3 (Re-encode Required)

ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vn -acodec libmp3lame -q:a 2 output.mp3

This re-encodes to MP3. -q:a 2 sets VBR quality (~190kbps). Note: extracting as MP3 from an AAC source involves quality loss — prefer -c:a copy to a .m4a file if you want lossless extraction, then convert to MP3 separately only if needed.

Method 2: Browser-Based (No Install)

For both muting and audio extraction without installing software, browser tools work on any operating system:

Clideo.com: Video Muter tool — upload video, click Mute, download. Re-encodes the video (slight quality reduction).
Kapwing.com: Video editor with audio removal. Free tier watermarks output.
VEED.IO: Upload video → Audio → Delete Audio. No watermark on short clips.
Online Audio Extractor (audio.online-convert.com): Extracts audio track to MP3/WAV.

Extract Audio from Video — Free

Convert MP4 to MP3 or extract audio from any video format directly in your browser. No upload to external servers.

MP4 → MP3 MP4 → WAV

Method 3: Desktop Apps

VLC Media Player (Free)

VLC can mute/strip audio during conversion: Media → Convert/Save → Add your file → Profile (select a video profile) → Edit Profile → Audio Codec tab → uncheck "Audio" → Save → Start. VLC re-encodes the video.

iMovie (macOS/iOS — Free)

Import the video clip → click the clip in the timeline → press V to toggle audio visualization → drag the volume slider to 0% or click the audio icon to detach and delete. For iOS: Photos app → Edit → speaker icon (top left) to mute.

Windows Photos (Windows 10/11)

Open video in Photos → Edit & Create → Edit → click the sound icon to mute. Limited compared to dedicated tools but works for simple muting without any install.

Batch Processing: Mute Multiple Videos

To mute an entire folder of videos at once using FFmpeg in a shell loop:

for f in *.mp4; do ffmpeg -i "$f" -an -c:v copy "muted_$f"; done

This processes every .mp4 in the current folder, creating a muted copy prefixed with "muted_". The -c:v copy flag makes each conversion nearly instantaneous regardless of video length — it's copying streams, not re-encoding.

Use Cases and the Right Method for Each

Background website video: Use FFmpeg -an -c:v copy. Instant, lossless. Then also add muted attribute to your HTML <video> tag.
YouTube upload (remove copyrighted music): Use FFmpeg to mute, then add your own music in YouTube Studio's audio editor after upload.
Create podcast from video recording: Extract audio with FFmpeg -c:a copy to keep original quality, then edit in Audacity or Descript.
Instagram Reel (replace audio): Mute the video, then use Instagram's built-in audio selector to add a track from their library when posting.
iPhone video (quick mute): Photos app → Edit → speaker icon. Done in seconds, no third-party app needed.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I remove audio from a video?

Two approaches: (1) Mute the video — FFmpeg command: ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -an -c:v copy output.mp4. The -an flag removes audio; -c:v copy means zero quality loss and instant processing. (2) Extract audio — FFmpeg: ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vn -c:a copy output.m4a. The -vn flag removes video; -c:a copy extracts audio losslessly.

How do I mute a video online without software?

Browser tools like Clideo, Kapwing, and VEED.IO can remove audio online. They re-encode the video (slight quality reduction) but require no install. For zero quality loss, use FFmpeg locally.

Does removing audio from a video reduce file size?

Yes, but typically only 5–15% since video dominates file size. A 100 MB video might become 87–95 MB after muting. To significantly reduce size, re-encode the video stream (at a cost of some quality).

How do I extract audio from a video as MP3?

FFmpeg: ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vn -acodec libmp3lame -q:a 2 output.mp3. For lossless extraction (better quality), use ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vn -c:a copy output.m4a to copy the original AAC audio without re-encoding.

Can I remove audio from video on iPhone?

Yes. Open the video in Photos → Edit → tap the speaker icon (top left) to mute. Tap Done to save. Photos keeps the original; the muted version is saved as an edited copy. For more control, iMovie (free) lets you remove or replace audio tracks.