Video & audio converter
MP4 to WAV Converter
Extract the audio from an MP4 video as an uncompressed 16-bit WAV file, ready for editing or transcription software. Free, with no sign-up.
Tested by Thiago · Updated
Free, no sign-up · Sent over HTTPS · Files are deleted from our server automatically after 30 minutes
How to convert MP4 to WAV
- Add your files: drag them into the box above, or click "Choose files".
- Click "Convert to WAV" and wait a few seconds while we process them.
- Download your WAV files. Uploaded files are deleted right away, and converted files are removed from our server after 30 minutes.
Why convert MP4 to WAV?
WAV is uncompressed audio: nothing is thrown away, which makes it the preferred format for audio editing, sound design, transcription software and professional tools. Converting MP4 to WAV extracts the soundtrack of your video as a 16-bit PCM file that any audio editor can open.
- You want to edit the sound of a video in Audacity, Adobe Audition or another audio editor.
- A transcription or speech-to-text tool asks for WAV input.
- You need an uncompressed copy of your audio for archiving or production.
- You recorded an interview or a class on your phone and want to clean up the sound in an audio editor before publishing it.
What the WAV from a phone video looks like
We tested with two clips filmed on a phone. Both had stereo sound recorded at 48 kHz, and the WAV kept exactly that: 48 kHz, two channels, 16 bits. That works out to 11.5 MB for every minute of video. A video whose sound is at 44.1 kHz gives slightly less, 10.6 MB per minute.
Compared with the video itself the WAV is small, because the picture is what takes up space. A 30-second clip of 72 MB produced a 5.8 MB WAV. In other words, the 100 MB upload limit is reached by the video long before the WAV gets large.
Before you load the WAV into another program
- Sample rate: the WAV keeps the rate of the video. If a speech-recognition or phone system asks for something like 16 kHz mono, set that in the program that needs it; this converter does not resample.
- Lining up with the picture: the WAV runs for the full length of the soundtrack, so after editing you can place it back on the video timeline from the very start.
- Videos with several audio tracks: only one track is extracted. If you need a specific language or commentary track, export it from your video editor instead.
- Videos without sound: a screen recording or clip with no audio track cannot be converted and ends with an error.
Tips for the best result
- WAV files are big: about 10 MB for every minute of stereo audio.
- Converting to WAV does not improve the audio in the video; it just stores it without further losses.
- If you only want to listen to the audio, MP4 to MP3 makes a much smaller file.
About these formats
MP4: The most widely supported video format. It plays on phones, browsers, TVs and social networks, with good quality at a reasonable size.
WAV: An uncompressed audio format with full quality. Files are large, which makes WAV the usual choice for editing and music production.
Frequently asked questions
What kind of WAV do you create?
Standard 16-bit PCM WAV, which every audio program supports, at the original sample rate of the video.
Why is the WAV so much larger than the MP4?
The audio in an MP4 is compressed; WAV stores it uncompressed, which takes much more space.
Is the whole video duration converted?
Yes, the full soundtrack is extracted.
Does MP4 to WAV lose quality?
No more than the video already lost. The compressed sound in the MP4 is decoded once and stored without any new compression, so the WAV sounds exactly like the audio you hear when playing the video.
My video is larger than 100 MB. What can I do?
Trim it first, for example in your phone's gallery, and convert the part you need. The video compressor would also make it smaller, but it re-encodes the sound too, which is not ideal if you plan to edit the audio.