MOV to MP3 the sound of your iPhone video, no MP4 step.
To convert MOV to MP3, pick the .mov file, leave the format on MP3 and download the audio. No need to make it an MP4 first: we read only the soundtrack, whether the video is HEVC or H.264. The MP3 comes out at a constant 192 kbps, named after the video, free and with no sign-up.
Free, no sign-upLarge video: extracting can take a few minutes. Keep this tab open until it finishes.
How to convert a MOV video to MP3
- 01
Bring the .mov here
On a computer, drag in the file you moved off the iPhone by AirDrop, cable or iCloud. On the iPhone itself, tap the upload area and pick the video.
- 02
Check the channels
Stereo is the default and fits almost everything. If the video was shot with a mic plugged into one side only, pick mono so the voice plays in both ears.
- 03
Convert and download
The button shows the percentage and the time left. When it's done, download the .mp3 with the same name as the .mov.
Why iPhone videos come as MOV files
MOV is Apple's video format, and it's what the iPhone camera records. Inside the file there are two tracks: the picture, in HEVC under High Efficiency or H.264 under Most Compatible, and the sound, almost always AAC. Plenty of Windows apps choke on HEVC and won't open the video, which is where the idea of converting to MP4 first comes from.
To get the audio out, you don't need that step. We read only the sound track and skip the picture, so the video codec, the resolution and slow motion don't matter. That's why a huge 4K video becomes a small MP3: the picture is nearly all of the file's weight.
| 1 minute of iPhone video | MOV (approx.) | MP3 192 kbps |
|---|---|---|
| 1080p at 30 fps, High Efficiency | 60 MB | 1.4 MB |
| 4K at 30 fps, High Efficiency | 170 MB | 1.4 MB |
| 4K at 60 fps, High Efficiency | 400 MB | 1.4 MB |
How to get the MOV off your iPhone with the original sound
How you move the video to your computer changes what arrives. AirDrop to a Mac, a USB cable with the Photos app on Windows, or a download from iCloud Photos all deliver the original MOV, with the audio as it was recorded. Sending the video to yourself over WhatsApp or email usually recompresses it into an MP4 with lower quality picture and sound.
If you want to keep the audio of a talk, a class or a service filmed on a phone, start from the original file. The difference shows up most in music and in recordings with lots of room sound, like a choir or a band.
- Mac: AirDrop, or Photos, File, Export Unmodified Original
- Windows: USB cable and the Photos app, or the iPhone's DCIM folder
- iCloud: download from iCloud Photos on the web, which gives the original
- On the iPhone: open this page and pick the video from your library
Camera MOV files: uncompressed sound and extra channels
Many cameras and video recorders also save MOV, and some store the sound as uncompressed PCM instead of AAC. That audio works the same way here and is the best starting point for an MP3, since it hasn't been through any compression yet.
Some cameras record four channels, for example the built-in mic and a lavalier on separate tracks. When a file has more than two channels, we fold them into stereo. If only one of those channels carried the voice, the result can come out quieter: after converting, raise it with the normalize audio tool.
More than MOV to MP3. Your phone video becomes text and clips.
See also
Frequently asked questions
How do I convert MOV to MP3 for free?
Pick the .mov file on this page, leave the format on MP3 and click convert. The audio comes out as a 192 kbps MP3 with the same name as the video. It's free, with no sign-up, no watermark and no usage limit.
Do I need to convert the MOV to MP4 first?
No. The converter reads the MOV's audio track directly and leaves the picture alone. Converting the video to MP4 first only costs time, and it can make the sound worse if that app recompresses the audio.
Does it work with HEVC (High Efficiency) iPhone videos?
Yes. HEVC is the picture codec, and the picture is left out of the conversion. iPhone sound is AAC in both High Efficiency and Most Compatible, so you get the same MP3 either way.
Can I convert MOV to MP3 on the iPhone itself?
You can. Open this page on the iPhone, tap the upload area and choose the video from Photos or Files. For long 4K videos, a computer usually finishes faster.
How long does a 20-minute 4K video take?
A few minutes. A MOV like that is over 3 GB, but only the sound is processed, and the final MP3 is about 29 MB. The button shows the percentage and the time left, and you can cancel at any point.
Why does the MP3 only play in one ear?
The video was shot with an external mic wired to a single channel, which is common with lavaliers on an adapter. Convert again with mono: both sides become one and the voice plays in both ears.
Can I transcribe the MOV video?
Yes. Upload the .mov to FilmScribe without converting it. We transcribe it word by word, with who spoke and when, and you download TXT, PDF or SRT, or an MP3 of only the passages you pick.
Your iPhone video, as text. And as clips ready to post.
Upload the .mov straight from your phone. We transcribe it with speakers and timestamps, and you download the text, MP3 snippets or captioned vertical clips.
See the result on your own recording before adding a card.