howtosimply.com/guides/how-to-extract-the-audio-from-a-video-on-a-mac/ · Checked October 2026 · MacBook Neo · macOS 27.0.1

In this guide

Choose File, Export As, Audio Only
Name it and click Save
Find the .m4a file
If you do not see this option
If this does not work
Good to know
Sources

Quick answer

Open the video in QuickTime Player and choose File, Export As, Audio Only. Name the file, pick a folder and click Save. You get an .m4a audio file in the folder you picked; the video itself stays as it was.

3 of 3 steps with real screenshots · 2 official sources below

Device: Mac
Shown on: macOS 27.0.1 (MacBook Neo)
App: QuickTime Player
Path: QuickTime Player › File › Export As › Audio Only
Real screenshots: 3 of 3 steps
Checked: October 2026
Sources: 2 official, linked below

Step by step

Tap the picture to see it full size
Choose File, Export As, Audio Only
Open the video in QuickTime Player. In the File menu, point to Export As. Ours listed 4K and 1080p dimmed, then 720p, 480p and Audio Only.
Done
Tap the picture to see it full size
Name it and click Save
Type a name next to Export As and choose a folder from the Where menu. Click Save.
Done
Tap the picture to see it full size
Find the .m4a file
Open the folder in Finder. Ours held Sample clip.m4a, 15 KB, kind Apple MPEG-4 audio, beside the original 167 KB .mov, which was unchanged.
Done

If you do not see this option

Some sizes are dimmed? Apple says resolutions larger than your movie are dimmed. Ours was a small clip, so 4K and 1080p were grey. Audio Only is not affected. Source: Export movies to other file formats and resolutions
No export options at all? Apple says the recording may be copyright-protected and cannot be distributed. Source: Export movies to other file formats and resolutions

If this does not work

Need an MP3? QuickTime only saves Audio Only as an Apple MPEG-4 audio file with an AAC track (.m4a), per Apple. Most players, phones and editors open .m4a. Source: Export movies to other file formats and resolutions
Audio Only is greyed out? Apple says a copyright-protected recording cannot be exported. Videos you recorded yourself are not affected. Source: Export movies to other file formats and resolutions

About this guide

QuickTime Player, which comes with every Mac, can save just the sound of a video. No other app is needed.

The screenshots are from our MacBook Neo with macOS 27.0.1 in dark mode, taken on 25 October 2026. We used a short test clip we made with a spoken sentence and deleted it afterwards.