Copying versus re-encoding
Video files already contain an encoded audio stream, usually AAC. Extracting to a lossy format re-encodes it, which costs a small amount of quality; extracting to WAV gives you a lossless copy of that already-compressed audio at a much larger size.
For speech, any modern setting is transparent. For music, extract at the highest quality available if you plan to edit afterwards.
Common uses
Podcast production from recorded video calls, lecture notes, music practice references and transcription pipelines that only accept audio input.
Frequently asked questions
Which audio format should I pick?
- MP3 for sharing and playback anywhere, WAV if you are going to edit the result.
Does it work with large videos?
- Up to 100 MB per file; longer videos take proportionally longer to process.
Is the video uploaded anywhere?
- No — extraction happens inside your browser.