Extract Audio from Video File - Why is it so difficult?

Okay, so I'm still a n00b but I figured this was something the iMac would have no problem doing. All I want to do is take the audio out of some home videos I have and save them to mp3 (or any music format for that matter) to listen to in iTunes.

On my PC it was a simple two-step process. In MovieMaker I would just drag the video clip into the audio track portion of the timeline and then do a simple "Save Movie File..." and choose the "High-Quality Audio" format which then creates a .wma file that can be imported into iTunes.

According to all the threads created asking the same question I take it a lot of other people are having the same frustrations. I created this thread to try and find one definitive answer once and for all. There has got to be a better way to do this then to have to download two or three different utilities.

Please help...

Okay, so thanks for all the help guys...I really appreciate all the great advice and all.

So anyway, yesterday I had my second procare training and the guy showed me how I could extract the audio from iMovie into a video (one without actual video) and then using QT Pro convert it into an AIF file that I can import into iTunes and covert to MP3, if necessary.

Just thought I'd share with you all since you guys are all so helpful...

you can just play it through quicktime.. and use Audio Hijack to copy the audio.
then you just use itunes to convert to mp3

You probably have got sorted out by now but the iMovie application does exactly that, extracts the audio from the video in to two separate channels (1x video, 1x audio).

I use Garage Band to extract audio from .mov and .mp4 video files (Leopard and iLife 08).

1.) Drag video into Garage Band
2.) Delete video track
3.) Share/Export MP3 audio to desktop
4.) Drag into itunes or ipod

easiest

Hey there,

If you have quicktime Pro, then this is easy. Open the video in Quicktime, press command-J to bring up the movie properties, select the audio track and press 'extract'. Then you can export it (command-E) to whatever format you like.

Best method for extracting the pure audio track: Quicktime Pro.

Just open your video file in there.
Window > Show Movie Properties
Then select the audio track in the top and hit "Extract".

It will create a new QT window with your audio track. From there you can either save it, or export it in a different format.

Edit: Whoopsie! Didn't see your answer there Celldude!

Help! How can I extract video...nothing seems to work right

Please help I cannot extract video.

Do the same thing for video. Hit Command+J in QT pro, select the video track, and hit Extract.

QuickTime

So, as I understand it, there is no way to save a digital voice recording that I made and downloaded, unless I upgrade to QT Pro? Is there any free option out there that works with Macs?
Thank you

I am not quite sure I get the question. Are you simply trying to save a recording that you have made? Most recording programs offer that as an option in the File Menu using either Save or Save As. Can you provide a bit more detail?

This thread is about extracting Audio from a Video file. Is that what you are trying to do or simply save a audio voice recording? If the later, what format is the Voice Recording in?

How do these antique threads keep getting revived? Nor how gabwebs question applies to this ancient thread...

for audio extractor I find iSky fits the bill, nice and simple, can be used to encode it into an mp3

Easiest way to remove audio is with iMovie

Here is a video of how you can easily detach audio from video in imoive.

YouTube - How to Remove Audio from Video