You've been there. You recorded a concert, a lecture, or maybe a hilarious voice note that someone sent as a video, and now you just want the sound. You don't need the 4K footage eating up your storage. You just need the MP3. Or the M4A. Honestly, trying to convert a video to audio on iPhone shouldn't feel like solving a Rubik's cube, but Apple doesn't exactly put a giant "Extract Audio" button in the Photos app.
It's annoying.
Most people think they need to download some sketchy third-party app filled with pop-up ads for mobile games just to rip the audio. They don't. You've already got the tools. Whether it's the built-in Shortcuts app that nobody uses enough or the surprisingly powerful "Files" trick, you can do this in seconds.
Let's get into how this actually works without the fluff.
Why the Apple Ecosystem Makes This Weirdly Difficult
Apple prioritizes file integrity. When you take a video, it’s wrapped in a .MOV or .MP4 container. Taking the audio out involves "demuxing" or transcoding, which is tech-speak for peeling the sound away from the picture.
The iPhone is more than powerful enough to do this. The silicon in your pocket—especially if you're on an iPhone 15 or 16—is faster than most laptops from five years ago. Yet, the Photos app is strictly for viewing and basic trimming. If you want to convert a video to audio on iPhone, you have to step outside the camera roll.
It's a workflow gap.
Some users turn to screen recording. Don't do that. It’s a lossy process. You’re basically recording a recording, which nukes the bit rate and makes everything sound like it was filmed inside a tin can.
The Shortcuts Method: The Pro Way to Convert a Video to Audio on iPhone
If you want a one-tap solution that lives in your Share Sheet forever, the Shortcuts app is your best friend. It’s built by Apple. It’s secure. It doesn't track your data like those "Free MP3 Converter" apps on the App Store do.
Open the Shortcuts app. Hit the plus sign. You’re going to search for an action called "Select Photos." But wait, there’s a better way. Instead of selecting photos, toggle the setting that says "Show in Share Sheet." This is the game-changer. It means you can go to any video in your library, hit the share button, and run this script.
Next, add the "Encode Media" action.
This is where the magic happens. You’ll see a little arrow next to the action—tap it. Toggle on "Audio Only." You can choose between M4A (which is Apple’s standard) or AIFF (which is lossless but huge). For most of us, M4A is perfect. It’s crisp. It’s light. It works everywhere.
Finally, add a "Save File" action. This ensures that once the phone finishes the conversion, it asks you where to put the new audio file. Usually, you’ll want to dump it into the "On My iPhone" folder.
Does it sound complicated? Maybe the first time. But once it's set up, you just tap Share > [Your Shortcut Name] and boom. Audio extracted. No ads. No subscriptions. Just math doing its thing.
Using the Files App "Secret" Shortcut
There is a way to do this that doesn't even require building a shortcut. It’s a bit of a "hidden in plain sight" feature within the Files app.
- Go to your Photos app.
- Select your video.
- Tap Share and choose "Save to Files."
- Open the Files app and find that video.
- Long-press on the file icon.
- Look for "Quick Actions."
- Tap "Convert Image" (even though it's a video, trust me).
Wait, actually, in the latest iOS updates, Apple has been moving these around. Sometimes "Encode Media" shows up right there in the Quick Actions menu if it’s a compatible MP4. If it doesn't show up, the Shortcuts method remains the undisputed king of reliability.
The App Store Minefield
If you absolutely insist on using a third-party app because you hate the idea of setting up a Shortcut, be careful. The App Store is littered with "Video to MP3" converters that are basically wrappers for data mining.
Look for apps like "Media Converter" or "Video to MP3." They work, but they often limit how many files you can convert unless you pay a "Pro" fee. Honestly? It's a ripoff. You’re paying for a GUI that sits on top of basic system commands your iPhone can already execute for free.
If you do use an app, check the "Data Linked to You" section in the App Privacy labels. If a simple audio converter wants your "Contact Info" and "Identifiers," delete it. There is zero reason an audio utility needs to know who your friends are.
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What About Voice Memos?
Sometimes the easiest way to convert a video to audio on iPhone is to just... record it. But again, we run into the quality issue.
If you have a video playing on another device, using Voice Memos is fine for a quick capture. But if you’re trying to get a high-quality song or a clear interview snippet, internal conversion is always superior. Internal conversion is digital-to-digital. No room for background noise or microphone distortion.
Bitrates and File Formats: What Actually Matters
When you convert, you’ll likely see options for .m4a, .mp3, or .wav.
- M4A (AAC): This is the iPhone's native language. High quality, low file size. Perfect for 99% of people.
- MP3: The universal standard. Use this if you’re planning to move the file to an old Windows PC or a weird car stereo from 2010.
- WAV: Uncompressed. It’s huge. Unless you’re a music producer about to drop this into Logic Pro, it’s overkill.
Most people don't realize that the iPhone’s internal AAC encoder is actually world-class. It’s the same tech behind Apple Music’s streaming. You aren't losing much audible quality by sticking with the default settings.
Troubleshooting the "No Audio" Glitch
Every now and then, you’ll try to convert a video to audio on iPhone and end up with a silent file. It’s frustrating.
This usually happens because of "Protected Content." If you tried to screen record a snippet of a Netflix show or a Disney+ movie, the audio is encrypted. The conversion will fail, or it'll result in a 0kb file. There’s no easy way around this due to DRM (Digital Rights Management).
Another culprit is the "Low Power Mode." Sometimes, if your phone is at 10% battery, iOS throttles background processes. Converting a 10-minute video is CPU-intensive. Plug it in, turn off Low Power Mode, and try again.
Why You Should Care About Metadata
When you rip audio from a video, the resulting file often has a generic name like "IMG_4921.m4a."
If you're building a library of sounds, use the Files app to rename them immediately. Long-press, tap "Rename," and give it a real title. You can also use apps like "Evertag" if you really want to get nerdy and add album art or artist names to the metadata of your newly converted audio.
The Desktop Alternative (When the iPhone Isn't Enough)
If you have fifty videos to convert at once, doing it on an iPhone is a nightmare. It's tedious.
In that case, AirDrop those files to a Mac. On a Mac, you don't even need extra software. You just right-click the video file, go to "Encode Selected Video Files," and choose "Audio Only." It’s built into the operating system. It’s lightning-fast.
Windows users can use VLC Media Player. It’s free, open-source, and has been the gold standard for "converting stuff to other stuff" since the early 2000s. Just go to Media > Convert/Save.
Actionable Next Steps for Better Audio
If you're ready to start cleaning up your media library, here is exactly how to handle your files for the best results:
- Audit your library: Find those long videos that you only keep for the sound.
- Setup the Shortcut: Spend the three minutes it takes to build the "Video to Audio" Shortcut. It’s a permanent upgrade to your phone's capabilities.
- Choose M4A: Don't waste space with WAV unless you have a specific professional reason.
- Delete the original: Once you've verified the audio file works, delete that massive 2GB video file to reclaim your iCloud space.
- Organize in Files: Create a dedicated "Audio Extractions" folder in your iCloud Drive so you can access these sounds from your iPad or Mac later.
The power to convert a video to audio on iPhone is essentially the power to curate your own private podcast or soundboard. It’s one of those little "power user" skills that makes the device feel like a tool rather than just a glowing rectangle you scroll through. Stop downloading weird apps. Use the system. It’s faster, cleaner, and honestly, just a better way to live with your tech.
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Once you have your audio files saved, you might want to explore the "Voice Isolation" feature in the latest iOS versions. If your extracted audio has a lot of background hiss or wind noise, running it through an AI noise remover can make that "iPhone concert video" sound like a studio recording. But that’s a rabbit hole for another day. For now, get those files converted and clear out your storage.