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How to Extract Audio from a Video in Your Browser

By Video to MP3 Converter team · Updated 2026-11-01 · 5 min read

Short answer

To extract audio from a video you're watching online, install Video to MP3 Converter, open the video and click its icon. Choose MP3, M4A or WAV and press Convert — the audio is saved to your Downloads folder. For files already on your computer, use a desktop tool such as VLC or Audacity instead.

"Extract audio from video" covers two different jobs. One is a video you are watching on a website — a talk, a music performance, a lesson. The other is a file already on your computer, like a phone recording. A browser extension handles the first one well; for the second, a desktop app is the right tool, and we show both below.

What you need

  • Chrome or Edge on a computer
  • The Video to MP3 Converter extension
  • A page with a video that plays in your browser

Steps

  1. 1

    Open the page with the video

    Go to the page and start the video, so the player has loaded. Then click the Video to MP3 Converter icon in your toolbar.

  2. 2

    Let the panel find the video

    On YouTube the video appears in the panel straight away. On other sites the panel says Find the video on this page with a Try this page button. Press it; the panel looks for the video — Looking for a video on this page… — and shows it under Found on this page.

    If nothing can be found, the panel says This page can't be converted yet. That usually means the site streams protected video; there is a Tell us about this site link so we can look at it.

  3. 3

    Pick a format and convert

    Keep Audio, choose MP3, M4A or WAV with Change, and press the button. The audio is saved to your Downloads folder with a clean file name built from the page's title.

Which sites work?

Most video sites do: YouTube and YouTube Music, plus the many sites where the page plays an ordinary video file or a format our conversion servers recognise. Pages that stream DRM-protected video — Netflix, Disney+, Spotify and similar paid services — can't be converted, and the panel says so instead of failing silently.

Files already on your computer

The extension works on videos you are watching on a website, not on files stored on your computer. For an MP4 from your phone or camera, use one of these free tools:

ToolHowGood for
VLC (Windows, macOS, Linux)Media → Convert / Save → add the file → Profile "Audio – MP3"Quick one-off conversions
Audacity (with FFmpeg library)File → Import → Audio, then File → ExportTrimming and cleaning up the audio
QuickTime Player (macOS)File → Export As → Audio OnlySaving an M4A in two clicks

MP3, M4A or WAV?

MP3 plays everywhere. M4A keeps the site's original audio track without re-encoding, so it is the best quality for its size. WAV is uncompressed — use it when the audio is going into an editor. The details are in the format comparison, and if you are mostly on YouTube, the YouTube walkthrough covers tags, queues and error messages.

Key facts

  • The extension extracts audio from videos playing on websites; it does not convert files stored on your computer.
  • On non-YouTube pages, press "Try this page" in the side panel to find the video.
  • DRM-protected streams (Netflix, Disney+, Spotify and similar) cannot be converted.
  • Output formats: MP3 (128–320 kbps), M4A and WAV; audio up to 2 hours long.

Keep the sound, skip the rest

Install Video to MP3 Converter and extract audio from the next video you watch.

Add to Chrome — It's FreeFree during early access · Chrome and Edge

Questions

Can I extract audio from an MP4 file on my computer?

Not with the extension — it works on videos playing on websites. Use VLC, Audacity or QuickTime Player for local files; all three are free.

Does it work on Vimeo, Facebook or TikTok?

It works on many sites, including many pages on those platforms, but not every page. Press Try this page in the side panel: if the video can be saved, it appears; if not, the panel tells you.

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