New In 2024, Decoding the Perfect Audio Format A Comprehensive Advice Guide

New In 2024, Decoding the Perfect Audio Format A Comprehensive Advice Guide

Ella Lv12

Decoding the Perfect Audio Format: A Comprehensive Advice Guide

How to Choose Best Audio Formats

author avatar

Benjamin Arango

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

The quality of sound that you hear depends on various factors, and an appropriate audio format is one of them. While each type of acoustic file has its own significance, choosing the best audio format as per the target player, expected audience, and/or supporting videos or images (if any) is something that needs much consideration to offer a flawless listening experience.

With that said, here you will learn about some of the most common sound file types, which among them could be the best audio format according to your requirements, and a couple of important points that you must keep in might while picking an extension for your media preparations.

Using Filmora to Record & Edit & Save Audio Easily

Wondershare Filmora is a simple yet robust video editing software that allows you to save a video to mp3 easily. Besides, if you want to remove background noise from audio, or change the audio volume or remove unwanted audio parts from the video, you should definitely try Filmora.

Download Filmora9 Win Version Download Filmora9 Mac Version


Part 1: 10 Most Common Audio Formats

Before listing the most common audio file formats, it is important to understand the categories of the sound files. Every audio format that exists belongs to one (or more) category depending on the way it is being created and the characteristics it has.

In a nutshell, there are three major categories, including:

  • Uncompressed Audio Format
  • Lossless Compressed Audio Format
  • Lossy Compressed Audio Format

Below is a brief introduction of each of the classes listed above along with the audio file types that belong to them:

1. Uncompressed Audio Format

Uncompressed audio is the original sound that has been recorded directly from the source in the analog form, and then converted to a digital signal without any modifications or compressions. Because an uncompressed sound is prepared with no retouching or manipulations, it gives an as-is listening experience. Since no compression is done on such a file either, it occupies a remarkably huge amount of space on your storage media.

Some sound files that fall under this category include:

1) Pulse-Code Modulation (PCM)

A PCM file is the digital version of an analog waveform that is created by recording the audio samples, technically known as pulses. The PCM format is mostly used when creating optical media discs, typically the CDs and DVDs.

2) Waveform Audio File Format (WAV)

Generally used on the Windows platform, this audio format is not a file itself but a container that may contain both compressed or uncompressed files. However, in most cases, it is the latter that a WAV file has, and PCM format is one of them.

You may also interest: YouTube to WAV >>

3) Audio Interchange File Format (AIFF)

AIFF is almost identical to WAV format in its characteristics with the only difference that, unlike the latter, it was developed by Apple somewhere in 1988, and works as a container for both compressed and uncompressed audio files. While the compressed version of the format is called AIFF-C, the term Apple Loop is used when the scenario is otherwise. As it is with WAV, even AIFF files mostly contain uncompressed audio, that usually is PCM.

You may also like: Best AIFF to MP3 Converters >>

4) Data Stream Digital (DSD)

Used by Sony and Phillips, DSD is also not a format itself but a container that can store PCM files to provide decent sound quality. However, due to distortions in the composed audio, DSD files are not much in trend.

2. Lossless Compressed Audio Format

Lossless Compressed audio format is a type of file that is compressed using some advanced methods without compromising with the quality of the sound. This means that when played, you experience the same acoustic excellence as that of the source, i.e. uncompressed audio. However, even though the lossless compressed files are comparatively small in size, they still occupy decent amount of space on the hard drive or any other storage media in use.

Some formats that fall under the lossless compressed category include:

1) Free Lossless Audio Code (FLAC)

At around half the size of the source sound file, FLAC offers the original audio quality without removing any acoustic information during compression. Being an opensource and royalty-free audio format, FLAC is even easier to get, and in most cases is used as an alternative to MP3.

Check some of the best FLAC editor programs >>

2) Apple Lossless Audio Codec (ALAC)

Introduced by Apple Inc. and initially released as a proprietary product, ALAC was made royalty-free and opensource in 2011. Even though ALAC files are larger in size when compared to FLAC, the former format is used in iTunes and iOS as the latter isn’t supported by these platforms.

3. Lossy Compressed Audio Format

These are the highly compressed files that occupy significantly less amount of space on your storage media. However, during the compression process, some acoustic information is lost in order to reduce the file size. Nevertheless, if compressed correctly, the deterioration in the quality is almost negligible, and cannot be experienced unless the listener is quite experienced and the source recording is played next to the compressed audio simultaneously.

Some audio formats that fall under the lossy compressed category include:

1) MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3 (MP3)

This is one of the most common file types and the best audio format for almost all media types that have sound. An MP3 file is free from the noises of the least significant in the composed audio. In addition, all the acoustic information with the frequency that normal human beings fail to catch (below 20Hz and above 20000Hz) is safely erased during compilation and compression. Furthermore, what makes MP3 the best audio file format is its ability to accommodate with almost all the devices of nearly any platform such as Android, Windows, iOS, Mac, etc.

Check this MP3 editor and convert video to MP3 easily.

2) OGG

This one, again, is not in fact an audio format but is a container for audio that generally stores Vorbis files. Although OGG files are way advanced in terms of sound quality and even offer higher compression ratio when compared with MP3, they are not much in use as many platforms and devices don’t support the format till date.

3) AU

AU is a format by Sun, DEC, and NeXT. It is yet another container that can hold both lossless and lossy files. AU files are mostly used in UNIX.

What’s the difference between common audio file formats like MP3, WAV, and FLAC? Watch the video below to learn more.


Part 2: How to Choose Best Audio Format?

If you are a media creator, and are into the business of preparing audio and video content for your clients or directly for the audience, it is imperative to understand what could be the best audio file format to compose the audiovisual files. Here are a few tips that you must keep in mind in this context before proceeding:

  • Uncompressed Audio

If the media type you are about to create is expected to be used for further editing before exporting to a different format, using an uncompressed audio format would be best as it offers a smooth and flawless post-production experience without giving much overhead to the processor.

  • Lossless Compressed Audio

If your audiences own highly sophisticated audio players with Hi-Fi speaker systems, and they are also good at recognizing and understanding the differences between poor and optimal audio quality, using lossless compressed audio format would be a good choice as it gives decent sound quality in smaller file size.

  • Compressed Audio

If you are preparing a media for home users and casual listeners, you can safely use an audio format that has been prepared using a higher compression ratio. In such a scenario, MP3 is the best audio format that not only offers the decent sound quality, it also occupies less amount of space on your storage media, thus enabling you to save more files at a given time.

Part 3: Which Audio File Formats Does YouTube Support?

At the time of this writing, YouTube supports two types of formats namely MPEG-2 and MPEG-4. Although both of these are video containers, they also hold audio files. Details about both these types are as follows:

  • MPEG-2
    • Audio Bitrate: 128kbps or above
    • Audio Codec: Dolby AC-3 or MPEG Layer II
  • MPEG-4
    • **Video Codec:**264
    • Audio Bitrate: 128kbps or above

Since many people nowadays produce videos in MP4 due to its wide range of supported devices and players and the fact that the container is used by majority of users worldwide, MPEG-4 with audio format could be mostly seen on YouTube.

Part 4: Audio Format in Filmora

Being one of the most versatile post-production tools preferred by many professional editors worldwide, Filmora comes with a variety of audio formats from all the three categories discussed above. Furthermore, Filmora also displays relevant information about each of the file types it offers.

 Filmora9 Export Settings

The following table shows a list of formats and the details that Filmora supports:

Video Format Corresponding Audio Encoder Audio Type
MP4 Lossy Compressed
WMV WMA8, WMA9 Uncompressed
AVI MP3, PCM Lossy Compressed, Uncompressed
MOV Lossy Compressed
F4V Lossy Compressed
MKV MP3 Lossy Compressed
TS MPEG-2 Audio Lossy Compressed
3GP Lossy Compressed
MPEG-2 MPEG-2 Audio Lossy Compressed
WEBM Vorbis Lossy Compressed

author avatar

Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

The quality of sound that you hear depends on various factors, and an appropriate audio format is one of them. While each type of acoustic file has its own significance, choosing the best audio format as per the target player, expected audience, and/or supporting videos or images (if any) is something that needs much consideration to offer a flawless listening experience.

With that said, here you will learn about some of the most common sound file types, which among them could be the best audio format according to your requirements, and a couple of important points that you must keep in might while picking an extension for your media preparations.

Using Filmora to Record & Edit & Save Audio Easily

Wondershare Filmora is a simple yet robust video editing software that allows you to save a video to mp3 easily. Besides, if you want to remove background noise from audio, or change the audio volume or remove unwanted audio parts from the video, you should definitely try Filmora.

Download Filmora9 Win Version Download Filmora9 Mac Version


Part 1: 10 Most Common Audio Formats

Before listing the most common audio file formats, it is important to understand the categories of the sound files. Every audio format that exists belongs to one (or more) category depending on the way it is being created and the characteristics it has.

In a nutshell, there are three major categories, including:

  • Uncompressed Audio Format
  • Lossless Compressed Audio Format
  • Lossy Compressed Audio Format

Below is a brief introduction of each of the classes listed above along with the audio file types that belong to them:

1. Uncompressed Audio Format

Uncompressed audio is the original sound that has been recorded directly from the source in the analog form, and then converted to a digital signal without any modifications or compressions. Because an uncompressed sound is prepared with no retouching or manipulations, it gives an as-is listening experience. Since no compression is done on such a file either, it occupies a remarkably huge amount of space on your storage media.

Some sound files that fall under this category include:

1) Pulse-Code Modulation (PCM)

A PCM file is the digital version of an analog waveform that is created by recording the audio samples, technically known as pulses. The PCM format is mostly used when creating optical media discs, typically the CDs and DVDs.

2) Waveform Audio File Format (WAV)

Generally used on the Windows platform, this audio format is not a file itself but a container that may contain both compressed or uncompressed files. However, in most cases, it is the latter that a WAV file has, and PCM format is one of them.

You may also interest: YouTube to WAV >>

3) Audio Interchange File Format (AIFF)

AIFF is almost identical to WAV format in its characteristics with the only difference that, unlike the latter, it was developed by Apple somewhere in 1988, and works as a container for both compressed and uncompressed audio files. While the compressed version of the format is called AIFF-C, the term Apple Loop is used when the scenario is otherwise. As it is with WAV, even AIFF files mostly contain uncompressed audio, that usually is PCM.

You may also like: Best AIFF to MP3 Converters >>

4) Data Stream Digital (DSD)

Used by Sony and Phillips, DSD is also not a format itself but a container that can store PCM files to provide decent sound quality. However, due to distortions in the composed audio, DSD files are not much in trend.

2. Lossless Compressed Audio Format

Lossless Compressed audio format is a type of file that is compressed using some advanced methods without compromising with the quality of the sound. This means that when played, you experience the same acoustic excellence as that of the source, i.e. uncompressed audio. However, even though the lossless compressed files are comparatively small in size, they still occupy decent amount of space on the hard drive or any other storage media in use.

Some formats that fall under the lossless compressed category include:

1) Free Lossless Audio Code (FLAC)

At around half the size of the source sound file, FLAC offers the original audio quality without removing any acoustic information during compression. Being an opensource and royalty-free audio format, FLAC is even easier to get, and in most cases is used as an alternative to MP3.

Check some of the best FLAC editor programs >>

2) Apple Lossless Audio Codec (ALAC)

Introduced by Apple Inc. and initially released as a proprietary product, ALAC was made royalty-free and opensource in 2011. Even though ALAC files are larger in size when compared to FLAC, the former format is used in iTunes and iOS as the latter isn’t supported by these platforms.

3. Lossy Compressed Audio Format

These are the highly compressed files that occupy significantly less amount of space on your storage media. However, during the compression process, some acoustic information is lost in order to reduce the file size. Nevertheless, if compressed correctly, the deterioration in the quality is almost negligible, and cannot be experienced unless the listener is quite experienced and the source recording is played next to the compressed audio simultaneously.

Some audio formats that fall under the lossy compressed category include:

1) MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3 (MP3)

This is one of the most common file types and the best audio format for almost all media types that have sound. An MP3 file is free from the noises of the least significant in the composed audio. In addition, all the acoustic information with the frequency that normal human beings fail to catch (below 20Hz and above 20000Hz) is safely erased during compilation and compression. Furthermore, what makes MP3 the best audio file format is its ability to accommodate with almost all the devices of nearly any platform such as Android, Windows, iOS, Mac, etc.

Check this MP3 editor and convert video to MP3 easily.

2) OGG

This one, again, is not in fact an audio format but is a container for audio that generally stores Vorbis files. Although OGG files are way advanced in terms of sound quality and even offer higher compression ratio when compared with MP3, they are not much in use as many platforms and devices don’t support the format till date.

3) AU

AU is a format by Sun, DEC, and NeXT. It is yet another container that can hold both lossless and lossy files. AU files are mostly used in UNIX.

What’s the difference between common audio file formats like MP3, WAV, and FLAC? Watch the video below to learn more.


Part 2: How to Choose Best Audio Format?

If you are a media creator, and are into the business of preparing audio and video content for your clients or directly for the audience, it is imperative to understand what could be the best audio file format to compose the audiovisual files. Here are a few tips that you must keep in mind in this context before proceeding:

  • Uncompressed Audio

If the media type you are about to create is expected to be used for further editing before exporting to a different format, using an uncompressed audio format would be best as it offers a smooth and flawless post-production experience without giving much overhead to the processor.

  • Lossless Compressed Audio

If your audiences own highly sophisticated audio players with Hi-Fi speaker systems, and they are also good at recognizing and understanding the differences between poor and optimal audio quality, using lossless compressed audio format would be a good choice as it gives decent sound quality in smaller file size.

  • Compressed Audio

If you are preparing a media for home users and casual listeners, you can safely use an audio format that has been prepared using a higher compression ratio. In such a scenario, MP3 is the best audio format that not only offers the decent sound quality, it also occupies less amount of space on your storage media, thus enabling you to save more files at a given time.

Part 3: Which Audio File Formats Does YouTube Support?

At the time of this writing, YouTube supports two types of formats namely MPEG-2 and MPEG-4. Although both of these are video containers, they also hold audio files. Details about both these types are as follows:

  • MPEG-2
    • Audio Bitrate: 128kbps or above
    • Audio Codec: Dolby AC-3 or MPEG Layer II
  • MPEG-4
    • **Video Codec:**264
    • Audio Bitrate: 128kbps or above

Since many people nowadays produce videos in MP4 due to its wide range of supported devices and players and the fact that the container is used by majority of users worldwide, MPEG-4 with audio format could be mostly seen on YouTube.

Part 4: Audio Format in Filmora

Being one of the most versatile post-production tools preferred by many professional editors worldwide, Filmora comes with a variety of audio formats from all the three categories discussed above. Furthermore, Filmora also displays relevant information about each of the file types it offers.

 Filmora9 Export Settings

The following table shows a list of formats and the details that Filmora supports:

Video Format Corresponding Audio Encoder Audio Type
MP4 Lossy Compressed
WMV WMA8, WMA9 Uncompressed
AVI MP3, PCM Lossy Compressed, Uncompressed
MOV Lossy Compressed
F4V Lossy Compressed
MKV MP3 Lossy Compressed
TS MPEG-2 Audio Lossy Compressed
3GP Lossy Compressed
MPEG-2 MPEG-2 Audio Lossy Compressed
WEBM Vorbis Lossy Compressed

author avatar

Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

The quality of sound that you hear depends on various factors, and an appropriate audio format is one of them. While each type of acoustic file has its own significance, choosing the best audio format as per the target player, expected audience, and/or supporting videos or images (if any) is something that needs much consideration to offer a flawless listening experience.

With that said, here you will learn about some of the most common sound file types, which among them could be the best audio format according to your requirements, and a couple of important points that you must keep in might while picking an extension for your media preparations.

Using Filmora to Record & Edit & Save Audio Easily

Wondershare Filmora is a simple yet robust video editing software that allows you to save a video to mp3 easily. Besides, if you want to remove background noise from audio, or change the audio volume or remove unwanted audio parts from the video, you should definitely try Filmora.

Download Filmora9 Win Version Download Filmora9 Mac Version


Part 1: 10 Most Common Audio Formats

Before listing the most common audio file formats, it is important to understand the categories of the sound files. Every audio format that exists belongs to one (or more) category depending on the way it is being created and the characteristics it has.

In a nutshell, there are three major categories, including:

  • Uncompressed Audio Format
  • Lossless Compressed Audio Format
  • Lossy Compressed Audio Format

Below is a brief introduction of each of the classes listed above along with the audio file types that belong to them:

1. Uncompressed Audio Format

Uncompressed audio is the original sound that has been recorded directly from the source in the analog form, and then converted to a digital signal without any modifications or compressions. Because an uncompressed sound is prepared with no retouching or manipulations, it gives an as-is listening experience. Since no compression is done on such a file either, it occupies a remarkably huge amount of space on your storage media.

Some sound files that fall under this category include:

1) Pulse-Code Modulation (PCM)

A PCM file is the digital version of an analog waveform that is created by recording the audio samples, technically known as pulses. The PCM format is mostly used when creating optical media discs, typically the CDs and DVDs.

2) Waveform Audio File Format (WAV)

Generally used on the Windows platform, this audio format is not a file itself but a container that may contain both compressed or uncompressed files. However, in most cases, it is the latter that a WAV file has, and PCM format is one of them.

You may also interest: YouTube to WAV >>

3) Audio Interchange File Format (AIFF)

AIFF is almost identical to WAV format in its characteristics with the only difference that, unlike the latter, it was developed by Apple somewhere in 1988, and works as a container for both compressed and uncompressed audio files. While the compressed version of the format is called AIFF-C, the term Apple Loop is used when the scenario is otherwise. As it is with WAV, even AIFF files mostly contain uncompressed audio, that usually is PCM.

You may also like: Best AIFF to MP3 Converters >>

4) Data Stream Digital (DSD)

Used by Sony and Phillips, DSD is also not a format itself but a container that can store PCM files to provide decent sound quality. However, due to distortions in the composed audio, DSD files are not much in trend.

2. Lossless Compressed Audio Format

Lossless Compressed audio format is a type of file that is compressed using some advanced methods without compromising with the quality of the sound. This means that when played, you experience the same acoustic excellence as that of the source, i.e. uncompressed audio. However, even though the lossless compressed files are comparatively small in size, they still occupy decent amount of space on the hard drive or any other storage media in use.

Some formats that fall under the lossless compressed category include:

1) Free Lossless Audio Code (FLAC)

At around half the size of the source sound file, FLAC offers the original audio quality without removing any acoustic information during compression. Being an opensource and royalty-free audio format, FLAC is even easier to get, and in most cases is used as an alternative to MP3.

Check some of the best FLAC editor programs >>

2) Apple Lossless Audio Codec (ALAC)

Introduced by Apple Inc. and initially released as a proprietary product, ALAC was made royalty-free and opensource in 2011. Even though ALAC files are larger in size when compared to FLAC, the former format is used in iTunes and iOS as the latter isn’t supported by these platforms.

3. Lossy Compressed Audio Format

These are the highly compressed files that occupy significantly less amount of space on your storage media. However, during the compression process, some acoustic information is lost in order to reduce the file size. Nevertheless, if compressed correctly, the deterioration in the quality is almost negligible, and cannot be experienced unless the listener is quite experienced and the source recording is played next to the compressed audio simultaneously.

Some audio formats that fall under the lossy compressed category include:

1) MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3 (MP3)

This is one of the most common file types and the best audio format for almost all media types that have sound. An MP3 file is free from the noises of the least significant in the composed audio. In addition, all the acoustic information with the frequency that normal human beings fail to catch (below 20Hz and above 20000Hz) is safely erased during compilation and compression. Furthermore, what makes MP3 the best audio file format is its ability to accommodate with almost all the devices of nearly any platform such as Android, Windows, iOS, Mac, etc.

Check this MP3 editor and convert video to MP3 easily.

2) OGG

This one, again, is not in fact an audio format but is a container for audio that generally stores Vorbis files. Although OGG files are way advanced in terms of sound quality and even offer higher compression ratio when compared with MP3, they are not much in use as many platforms and devices don’t support the format till date.

3) AU

AU is a format by Sun, DEC, and NeXT. It is yet another container that can hold both lossless and lossy files. AU files are mostly used in UNIX.

What’s the difference between common audio file formats like MP3, WAV, and FLAC? Watch the video below to learn more.


Part 2: How to Choose Best Audio Format?

If you are a media creator, and are into the business of preparing audio and video content for your clients or directly for the audience, it is imperative to understand what could be the best audio file format to compose the audiovisual files. Here are a few tips that you must keep in mind in this context before proceeding:

  • Uncompressed Audio

If the media type you are about to create is expected to be used for further editing before exporting to a different format, using an uncompressed audio format would be best as it offers a smooth and flawless post-production experience without giving much overhead to the processor.

  • Lossless Compressed Audio

If your audiences own highly sophisticated audio players with Hi-Fi speaker systems, and they are also good at recognizing and understanding the differences between poor and optimal audio quality, using lossless compressed audio format would be a good choice as it gives decent sound quality in smaller file size.

  • Compressed Audio

If you are preparing a media for home users and casual listeners, you can safely use an audio format that has been prepared using a higher compression ratio. In such a scenario, MP3 is the best audio format that not only offers the decent sound quality, it also occupies less amount of space on your storage media, thus enabling you to save more files at a given time.

Part 3: Which Audio File Formats Does YouTube Support?

At the time of this writing, YouTube supports two types of formats namely MPEG-2 and MPEG-4. Although both of these are video containers, they also hold audio files. Details about both these types are as follows:

  • MPEG-2
    • Audio Bitrate: 128kbps or above
    • Audio Codec: Dolby AC-3 or MPEG Layer II
  • MPEG-4
    • **Video Codec:**264
    • Audio Bitrate: 128kbps or above

Since many people nowadays produce videos in MP4 due to its wide range of supported devices and players and the fact that the container is used by majority of users worldwide, MPEG-4 with audio format could be mostly seen on YouTube.

Part 4: Audio Format in Filmora

Being one of the most versatile post-production tools preferred by many professional editors worldwide, Filmora comes with a variety of audio formats from all the three categories discussed above. Furthermore, Filmora also displays relevant information about each of the file types it offers.

 Filmora9 Export Settings

The following table shows a list of formats and the details that Filmora supports:

Video Format Corresponding Audio Encoder Audio Type
MP4 Lossy Compressed
WMV WMA8, WMA9 Uncompressed
AVI MP3, PCM Lossy Compressed, Uncompressed
MOV Lossy Compressed
F4V Lossy Compressed
MKV MP3 Lossy Compressed
TS MPEG-2 Audio Lossy Compressed
3GP Lossy Compressed
MPEG-2 MPEG-2 Audio Lossy Compressed
WEBM Vorbis Lossy Compressed

author avatar

Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

The quality of sound that you hear depends on various factors, and an appropriate audio format is one of them. While each type of acoustic file has its own significance, choosing the best audio format as per the target player, expected audience, and/or supporting videos or images (if any) is something that needs much consideration to offer a flawless listening experience.

With that said, here you will learn about some of the most common sound file types, which among them could be the best audio format according to your requirements, and a couple of important points that you must keep in might while picking an extension for your media preparations.

Using Filmora to Record & Edit & Save Audio Easily

Wondershare Filmora is a simple yet robust video editing software that allows you to save a video to mp3 easily. Besides, if you want to remove background noise from audio, or change the audio volume or remove unwanted audio parts from the video, you should definitely try Filmora.

Download Filmora9 Win Version Download Filmora9 Mac Version


Part 1: 10 Most Common Audio Formats

Before listing the most common audio file formats, it is important to understand the categories of the sound files. Every audio format that exists belongs to one (or more) category depending on the way it is being created and the characteristics it has.

In a nutshell, there are three major categories, including:

  • Uncompressed Audio Format
  • Lossless Compressed Audio Format
  • Lossy Compressed Audio Format

Below is a brief introduction of each of the classes listed above along with the audio file types that belong to them:

1. Uncompressed Audio Format

Uncompressed audio is the original sound that has been recorded directly from the source in the analog form, and then converted to a digital signal without any modifications or compressions. Because an uncompressed sound is prepared with no retouching or manipulations, it gives an as-is listening experience. Since no compression is done on such a file either, it occupies a remarkably huge amount of space on your storage media.

Some sound files that fall under this category include:

1) Pulse-Code Modulation (PCM)

A PCM file is the digital version of an analog waveform that is created by recording the audio samples, technically known as pulses. The PCM format is mostly used when creating optical media discs, typically the CDs and DVDs.

2) Waveform Audio File Format (WAV)

Generally used on the Windows platform, this audio format is not a file itself but a container that may contain both compressed or uncompressed files. However, in most cases, it is the latter that a WAV file has, and PCM format is one of them.

You may also interest: YouTube to WAV >>

3) Audio Interchange File Format (AIFF)

AIFF is almost identical to WAV format in its characteristics with the only difference that, unlike the latter, it was developed by Apple somewhere in 1988, and works as a container for both compressed and uncompressed audio files. While the compressed version of the format is called AIFF-C, the term Apple Loop is used when the scenario is otherwise. As it is with WAV, even AIFF files mostly contain uncompressed audio, that usually is PCM.

You may also like: Best AIFF to MP3 Converters >>

4) Data Stream Digital (DSD)

Used by Sony and Phillips, DSD is also not a format itself but a container that can store PCM files to provide decent sound quality. However, due to distortions in the composed audio, DSD files are not much in trend.

2. Lossless Compressed Audio Format

Lossless Compressed audio format is a type of file that is compressed using some advanced methods without compromising with the quality of the sound. This means that when played, you experience the same acoustic excellence as that of the source, i.e. uncompressed audio. However, even though the lossless compressed files are comparatively small in size, they still occupy decent amount of space on the hard drive or any other storage media in use.

Some formats that fall under the lossless compressed category include:

1) Free Lossless Audio Code (FLAC)

At around half the size of the source sound file, FLAC offers the original audio quality without removing any acoustic information during compression. Being an opensource and royalty-free audio format, FLAC is even easier to get, and in most cases is used as an alternative to MP3.

Check some of the best FLAC editor programs >>

2) Apple Lossless Audio Codec (ALAC)

Introduced by Apple Inc. and initially released as a proprietary product, ALAC was made royalty-free and opensource in 2011. Even though ALAC files are larger in size when compared to FLAC, the former format is used in iTunes and iOS as the latter isn’t supported by these platforms.

3. Lossy Compressed Audio Format

These are the highly compressed files that occupy significantly less amount of space on your storage media. However, during the compression process, some acoustic information is lost in order to reduce the file size. Nevertheless, if compressed correctly, the deterioration in the quality is almost negligible, and cannot be experienced unless the listener is quite experienced and the source recording is played next to the compressed audio simultaneously.

Some audio formats that fall under the lossy compressed category include:

1) MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3 (MP3)

This is one of the most common file types and the best audio format for almost all media types that have sound. An MP3 file is free from the noises of the least significant in the composed audio. In addition, all the acoustic information with the frequency that normal human beings fail to catch (below 20Hz and above 20000Hz) is safely erased during compilation and compression. Furthermore, what makes MP3 the best audio file format is its ability to accommodate with almost all the devices of nearly any platform such as Android, Windows, iOS, Mac, etc.

Check this MP3 editor and convert video to MP3 easily.

2) OGG

This one, again, is not in fact an audio format but is a container for audio that generally stores Vorbis files. Although OGG files are way advanced in terms of sound quality and even offer higher compression ratio when compared with MP3, they are not much in use as many platforms and devices don’t support the format till date.

3) AU

AU is a format by Sun, DEC, and NeXT. It is yet another container that can hold both lossless and lossy files. AU files are mostly used in UNIX.

What’s the difference between common audio file formats like MP3, WAV, and FLAC? Watch the video below to learn more.


Part 2: How to Choose Best Audio Format?

If you are a media creator, and are into the business of preparing audio and video content for your clients or directly for the audience, it is imperative to understand what could be the best audio file format to compose the audiovisual files. Here are a few tips that you must keep in mind in this context before proceeding:

  • Uncompressed Audio

If the media type you are about to create is expected to be used for further editing before exporting to a different format, using an uncompressed audio format would be best as it offers a smooth and flawless post-production experience without giving much overhead to the processor.

  • Lossless Compressed Audio

If your audiences own highly sophisticated audio players with Hi-Fi speaker systems, and they are also good at recognizing and understanding the differences between poor and optimal audio quality, using lossless compressed audio format would be a good choice as it gives decent sound quality in smaller file size.

  • Compressed Audio

If you are preparing a media for home users and casual listeners, you can safely use an audio format that has been prepared using a higher compression ratio. In such a scenario, MP3 is the best audio format that not only offers the decent sound quality, it also occupies less amount of space on your storage media, thus enabling you to save more files at a given time.

Part 3: Which Audio File Formats Does YouTube Support?

At the time of this writing, YouTube supports two types of formats namely MPEG-2 and MPEG-4. Although both of these are video containers, they also hold audio files. Details about both these types are as follows:

  • MPEG-2
    • Audio Bitrate: 128kbps or above
    • Audio Codec: Dolby AC-3 or MPEG Layer II
  • MPEG-4
    • **Video Codec:**264
    • Audio Bitrate: 128kbps or above

Since many people nowadays produce videos in MP4 due to its wide range of supported devices and players and the fact that the container is used by majority of users worldwide, MPEG-4 with audio format could be mostly seen on YouTube.

Part 4: Audio Format in Filmora

Being one of the most versatile post-production tools preferred by many professional editors worldwide, Filmora comes with a variety of audio formats from all the three categories discussed above. Furthermore, Filmora also displays relevant information about each of the file types it offers.

 Filmora9 Export Settings

The following table shows a list of formats and the details that Filmora supports:

Video Format Corresponding Audio Encoder Audio Type
MP4 Lossy Compressed
WMV WMA8, WMA9 Uncompressed
AVI MP3, PCM Lossy Compressed, Uncompressed
MOV Lossy Compressed
F4V Lossy Compressed
MKV MP3 Lossy Compressed
TS MPEG-2 Audio Lossy Compressed
3GP Lossy Compressed
MPEG-2 MPEG-2 Audio Lossy Compressed
WEBM Vorbis Lossy Compressed

author avatar

Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Benjamin Arango

“Mac Users’ Top 4 Choices for Exquisite Music Editing Software “

A good music editor for your Mac can do everything you need: record voiceover files, cut, delete, insert audio clips, add voice effects, add sound effects, perform a spectrographic analysis, and much more. And why do you need to do those things with a music editor? Some of the most common music editor projects include:

  • Find music online and edit to share to phone and other devices
  • Trim audio and music files
  • Create custom ringtones
  • Create and share custom music and audio files
  • Add music and sound effects to video files

So how do you choose a music editor for Mac that can do everything you want? In this article, we will share with you some music editors that you can use on Mac computer. Let’s move on.

Section 1. Free Music Editors for Mac

Free-to-use is great, especially when you get all the performance and features you need in a music editor. Two free music and audio editors for Mac we recommend are:

1. Audio Editor: OcenAudio

OcenAudio has a very extensive toolkit of audio editing capabilities and tools. Still, one of its best features is that it’s easy on your memory: you can edit even very large files without requiring external memory resources.

OcenAudio supports MP3, WAV, FLAC, WMA, and many other audio formats.

ocenaudio

2. MP3 Editor: Audacity

Audacity is free and also has to go for it, a simple and intuitive interface that is easy for beginners. It also has a surprisingly extensive list of features, options, and effects, including spectrographic analysis, undo/redo function, and more.

Audacity supports many formats, including WAV, AIFF, FLAC, MP2, MP3, and OGG.

Audacity

Section 2. Professional Quality Music Editors for Mac

Pay music editing programs for Mac offer a serious boost in performance and an increased number of supported formats and output options.

Two pay music and audio editors for Mac we recommend are:

3. Music Editor: Wondershare Filmora Video & Audio Editor for Mac [Free]

Wondershare Filmora Video & Audio Editor for Mac is often aimed at users who want to edit videos, but this program also offers professional quality performance for editing music and audio. Novice users will appreciate the price and the intuitive interface that allows a gentle learning curve.

Advanced users will like the extensive features and supported formats, including a music library feature. It has slightly fewer features and supported formats than Adobe Audition, but if you don’t need those extra bells and whistles, this is the music editor for Mac for you.

Try It Free

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

Try It Free

For macOS 10.12 or later

If you are using a windows, check this tutorial instead: Windows Video Editing Software .

4. Sound Editor: Adobe Audition

Adobe Audition comes with a high price at $20/mo. However, users who demand the best will find the cost worth it for a license. It has the most extensive audio and music editing toolset, and it supports the widest range of formats.

A complete range of tutorials also supports adobe Audition to help you get the most from your investment. The fact it takes a while to work through the tutorials and get up to speed might be the only drawback.

Adobe Audition

Section 3. How to choose Music Editor for Mac users?

Choosing a music editor for Mac, including the ability to edit and output to MP3 and MP4 formats, depends entirely on your needs. If your needs are modest and limited features or functionality work for you, several free-to-use options will get the job done. If you need more robust functionality and professional quality, a pay program will offer more satisfying performance. Keep in mind the following questions when making your choice:

  • How often do I need to edit music and audio?
  • Do I need simple trim and edit features, or also audio effects?
  • What formats are my source files, and what formats do I want to output to?
  • What is my budget, and how can I balance performance and price?

With Filmora, you can edit music and audio files with ease. Besides basic cutting features, you can apply fade-in and fade-out effects, adjust the audio volume. What’s more, you can remove the background noise in the audio to get a clear sound.

Versatile Video Editor - Wondershare Filmora

An easy yet powerful editor

Numerous effects to choose from

Detailed tutorials provided by the official channel

Try It Free Try It Free Download Filmora9 Mac Version

So how do you choose a music editor for Mac that can do everything you want? In this article, we will share with you some music editors that you can use on Mac computer. Let’s move on.

Section 1. Free Music Editors for Mac

Free-to-use is great, especially when you get all the performance and features you need in a music editor. Two free music and audio editors for Mac we recommend are:

1. Audio Editor: OcenAudio

OcenAudio has a very extensive toolkit of audio editing capabilities and tools. Still, one of its best features is that it’s easy on your memory: you can edit even very large files without requiring external memory resources.

OcenAudio supports MP3, WAV, FLAC, WMA, and many other audio formats.

ocenaudio

2. MP3 Editor: Audacity

Audacity is free and also has to go for it, a simple and intuitive interface that is easy for beginners. It also has a surprisingly extensive list of features, options, and effects, including spectrographic analysis, undo/redo function, and more.

Audacity supports many formats, including WAV, AIFF, FLAC, MP2, MP3, and OGG.

Audacity

Section 2. Professional Quality Music Editors for Mac

Pay music editing programs for Mac offer a serious boost in performance and an increased number of supported formats and output options.

Two pay music and audio editors for Mac we recommend are:

3. Music Editor: Wondershare Filmora Video & Audio Editor for Mac [Free]

Wondershare Filmora Video & Audio Editor for Mac is often aimed at users who want to edit videos, but this program also offers professional quality performance for editing music and audio. Novice users will appreciate the price and the intuitive interface that allows a gentle learning curve.

Advanced users will like the extensive features and supported formats, including a music library feature. It has slightly fewer features and supported formats than Adobe Audition, but if you don’t need those extra bells and whistles, this is the music editor for Mac for you.

Try It Free

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

Try It Free

For macOS 10.12 or later

If you are using a windows, check this tutorial instead: Windows Video Editing Software .

4. Sound Editor: Adobe Audition

Adobe Audition comes with a high price at $20/mo. However, users who demand the best will find the cost worth it for a license. It has the most extensive audio and music editing toolset, and it supports the widest range of formats.

A complete range of tutorials also supports adobe Audition to help you get the most from your investment. The fact it takes a while to work through the tutorials and get up to speed might be the only drawback.

Adobe Audition

Section 3. How to choose Music Editor for Mac users?

Choosing a music editor for Mac, including the ability to edit and output to MP3 and MP4 formats, depends entirely on your needs. If your needs are modest and limited features or functionality work for you, several free-to-use options will get the job done. If you need more robust functionality and professional quality, a pay program will offer more satisfying performance. Keep in mind the following questions when making your choice:

  • How often do I need to edit music and audio?
  • Do I need simple trim and edit features, or also audio effects?
  • What formats are my source files, and what formats do I want to output to?
  • What is my budget, and how can I balance performance and price?

With Filmora, you can edit music and audio files with ease. Besides basic cutting features, you can apply fade-in and fade-out effects, adjust the audio volume. What’s more, you can remove the background noise in the audio to get a clear sound.

Versatile Video Editor - Wondershare Filmora

An easy yet powerful editor

Numerous effects to choose from

Detailed tutorials provided by the official channel

Try It Free Try It Free Download Filmora9 Mac Version

So how do you choose a music editor for Mac that can do everything you want? In this article, we will share with you some music editors that you can use on Mac computer. Let’s move on.

Section 1. Free Music Editors for Mac

Free-to-use is great, especially when you get all the performance and features you need in a music editor. Two free music and audio editors for Mac we recommend are:

1. Audio Editor: OcenAudio

OcenAudio has a very extensive toolkit of audio editing capabilities and tools. Still, one of its best features is that it’s easy on your memory: you can edit even very large files without requiring external memory resources.

OcenAudio supports MP3, WAV, FLAC, WMA, and many other audio formats.

ocenaudio

2. MP3 Editor: Audacity

Audacity is free and also has to go for it, a simple and intuitive interface that is easy for beginners. It also has a surprisingly extensive list of features, options, and effects, including spectrographic analysis, undo/redo function, and more.

Audacity supports many formats, including WAV, AIFF, FLAC, MP2, MP3, and OGG.

Audacity

Section 2. Professional Quality Music Editors for Mac

Pay music editing programs for Mac offer a serious boost in performance and an increased number of supported formats and output options.

Two pay music and audio editors for Mac we recommend are:

3. Music Editor: Wondershare Filmora Video & Audio Editor for Mac [Free]

Wondershare Filmora Video & Audio Editor for Mac is often aimed at users who want to edit videos, but this program also offers professional quality performance for editing music and audio. Novice users will appreciate the price and the intuitive interface that allows a gentle learning curve.

Advanced users will like the extensive features and supported formats, including a music library feature. It has slightly fewer features and supported formats than Adobe Audition, but if you don’t need those extra bells and whistles, this is the music editor for Mac for you.

Try It Free

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

Try It Free

For macOS 10.12 or later

If you are using a windows, check this tutorial instead: Windows Video Editing Software .

4. Sound Editor: Adobe Audition

Adobe Audition comes with a high price at $20/mo. However, users who demand the best will find the cost worth it for a license. It has the most extensive audio and music editing toolset, and it supports the widest range of formats.

A complete range of tutorials also supports adobe Audition to help you get the most from your investment. The fact it takes a while to work through the tutorials and get up to speed might be the only drawback.

Adobe Audition

Section 3. How to choose Music Editor for Mac users?

Choosing a music editor for Mac, including the ability to edit and output to MP3 and MP4 formats, depends entirely on your needs. If your needs are modest and limited features or functionality work for you, several free-to-use options will get the job done. If you need more robust functionality and professional quality, a pay program will offer more satisfying performance. Keep in mind the following questions when making your choice:

  • How often do I need to edit music and audio?
  • Do I need simple trim and edit features, or also audio effects?
  • What formats are my source files, and what formats do I want to output to?
  • What is my budget, and how can I balance performance and price?

With Filmora, you can edit music and audio files with ease. Besides basic cutting features, you can apply fade-in and fade-out effects, adjust the audio volume. What’s more, you can remove the background noise in the audio to get a clear sound.

Versatile Video Editor - Wondershare Filmora

An easy yet powerful editor

Numerous effects to choose from

Detailed tutorials provided by the official channel

Try It Free Try It Free Download Filmora9 Mac Version

So how do you choose a music editor for Mac that can do everything you want? In this article, we will share with you some music editors that you can use on Mac computer. Let’s move on.

Section 1. Free Music Editors for Mac

Free-to-use is great, especially when you get all the performance and features you need in a music editor. Two free music and audio editors for Mac we recommend are:

1. Audio Editor: OcenAudio

OcenAudio has a very extensive toolkit of audio editing capabilities and tools. Still, one of its best features is that it’s easy on your memory: you can edit even very large files without requiring external memory resources.

OcenAudio supports MP3, WAV, FLAC, WMA, and many other audio formats.

ocenaudio

2. MP3 Editor: Audacity

Audacity is free and also has to go for it, a simple and intuitive interface that is easy for beginners. It also has a surprisingly extensive list of features, options, and effects, including spectrographic analysis, undo/redo function, and more.

Audacity supports many formats, including WAV, AIFF, FLAC, MP2, MP3, and OGG.

Audacity

Section 2. Professional Quality Music Editors for Mac

Pay music editing programs for Mac offer a serious boost in performance and an increased number of supported formats and output options.

Two pay music and audio editors for Mac we recommend are:

3. Music Editor: Wondershare Filmora Video & Audio Editor for Mac [Free]

Wondershare Filmora Video & Audio Editor for Mac is often aimed at users who want to edit videos, but this program also offers professional quality performance for editing music and audio. Novice users will appreciate the price and the intuitive interface that allows a gentle learning curve.

Advanced users will like the extensive features and supported formats, including a music library feature. It has slightly fewer features and supported formats than Adobe Audition, but if you don’t need those extra bells and whistles, this is the music editor for Mac for you.

Try It Free

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

Try It Free

For macOS 10.12 or later

If you are using a windows, check this tutorial instead: Windows Video Editing Software .

4. Sound Editor: Adobe Audition

Adobe Audition comes with a high price at $20/mo. However, users who demand the best will find the cost worth it for a license. It has the most extensive audio and music editing toolset, and it supports the widest range of formats.

A complete range of tutorials also supports adobe Audition to help you get the most from your investment. The fact it takes a while to work through the tutorials and get up to speed might be the only drawback.

Adobe Audition

Section 3. How to choose Music Editor for Mac users?

Choosing a music editor for Mac, including the ability to edit and output to MP3 and MP4 formats, depends entirely on your needs. If your needs are modest and limited features or functionality work for you, several free-to-use options will get the job done. If you need more robust functionality and professional quality, a pay program will offer more satisfying performance. Keep in mind the following questions when making your choice:

  • How often do I need to edit music and audio?
  • Do I need simple trim and edit features, or also audio effects?
  • What formats are my source files, and what formats do I want to output to?
  • What is my budget, and how can I balance performance and price?

With Filmora, you can edit music and audio files with ease. Besides basic cutting features, you can apply fade-in and fade-out effects, adjust the audio volume. What’s more, you can remove the background noise in the audio to get a clear sound.

Versatile Video Editor - Wondershare Filmora

An easy yet powerful editor

Numerous effects to choose from

Detailed tutorials provided by the official channel

Try It Free Try It Free Download Filmora9 Mac Version

The Complete Guide to Isolating Soundtracks with iMovie on macOS

How to Separate Audio from Video in iMovie on Mac?

author avatar

Liza Brown

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

Apple’s video editing program, iMovie, is a popular choice. By removing background noise and raising audio levels of quiet clips, iMovie may likewise modify and enhance the audio of a project.

iMovie gives you the basic, no-frills editing tools you need to make a movie out of a collection of video clips. Without using videotape, you can easily browse from scene to scene and save your edits and changes in digital format. The end product is a high-quality digital video movie that you can save as a QuickTime file or dump back to digital videotape.

Now let’s look at how to separate audio from video in iMovie on Mac.

Part 1. How to Separate/Detach/Split Audio from Video in iMovie on Mac

The iMovie program is capable of producing high-quality movies and videos. If you’re dealing with a video that includes both sound and pictures, you may want to split the two at some point.

To separate audio from video in iMovie on Mac, just open the video and follow the steps below.

Step 1. Remove the audio clip from the video

In your iMovie timeline, find the clip that contains both video and audio.

Right-click the clip or hold Control and click it. You can also go to the menu bar and choose Detach Audio.

The audio from that clip will then show as its own “clip” in green below the video. The little line on the left, however, confirms that the video and audio are still connected. This implies that if you delete the video, you’ll lose the audio as well. As a result, you’ll either need to move the audio clip somewhere else in your video or place it in the Background Music Well at the bottom of the timeline.

Simply select, drag, and drop the green audio clip where you want it. It will be in the background of all other noises in your movie if you set it in the Background Music Well.

Step 2. Get rid of the video

You can remove the video by clicking it and utilizing one of these techniques after you disconnect the audio and unlink it from the video.

Select Delete from the shortcut menu by right-clicking.

Or hold Control while clicking and selecting Delete.

Part 2. Separate Audio from Video on Mac with the Best Alternative to iMovie

Want to extract the music file from a video clip’s audio and visual tracks? Or do you want to add another audio file to the video frame? In this part, you’ll learn how to easily separate audio from video and create your own MP3s with iMovie’s alternative - Wondershare Filmora. It’s a powerful video editing software available on both Mac and Windows.

Download Filmora Win Version Download Filmora Mac Version

You can make your own MP3 file of the amazing piece of music for enjoyment on the move, whether it’s from a music video, TV show, or concert footage. To separate your audio from your video, follow the steps outlined below.

Step 1. Import your media files into Filmora

To enter the editing mode, run the software and select the 16:9 or 4:3 ratio that best suits your demands. Then select Import to import video clips, audio, or photographs from your computer’s file folder.

It’s worth noting that this tool is highly compatible with a variety of formats, allowing you to edit them frame by frame while maintaining the original quality. Drag and drop videos onto the timeline after they’ve been imported. All files in the timeline are combined without any gaps by default.

Step 2. Separate the audio and video with a single click

Select “Detach Audio” from the context menu of the video file from which you wish to extract the audio track. You’ll see an audio file appearing on the audio track right away. Yes, this is the source video’s actual audio file.

You’ve successfully detached the audio track from the video file.

Step 3. Save the video or audio that has been split

Because the audio and video tracks have been split, you may simply delete the audio or video track you don’t need and replace it with the new one. Then press “Export” to save the audio track as an MP3 file, or go straight to the “iPod” preset to listen on the move.

You should first save the split video frame or audio track to a project file on your hard disk if you wish to save it separately in a new file. Reload the project file that contains the video frame after you’ve finished exporting the audio track, and then export it to a new video file.

Part 3. FAQs about Separating Audio from Video in iMovie

To learn more about separating audio from video in iMovie, you can check the FAQs below.

1. Is it possible to split audio and video in iMovie?

Yes, you certainly can. Select the video clip you want to separate after you’ve imported it into iMovie. Select “Detach Audio” from the context menu by right-clicking. You can now remove one of the tracks (audio or video), relocate it to a different location in the movie timeline, or alter it.

2. In iMovie, what does “detach audio” do?

The video clip’s audio is deleted, and an audio-only clip (with a green bar) is inserted below the video clip. The audio clip can now be linked to any other clip in your movie, or it can be relocated to the background music section.

3. How can I remove the original audio (from the camera) and lock the new audio to the video so that I don’t have to deal with two different parts (video and audio) when editing?

Make a movie in iMovie that simply mixes all the audio and visuals. You can align the video by listening to it or looking at the waveforms. After it’s all lined up, go into the clip inspector and turn off the video track’s volume. To maintain as much quality as feasible, SHARE/EXPORT using QuickTime and choose Apple Intermediate Codec as your codec. This will link the secondary audio and video tracks together. Now, into an Event, import the movie you just made in iMovie. You may now combine audio and video editing.

4. Is it feasible to simply take the video’s audio and save it as a sound file?

If you have other clips in the timeline, you can detach the audio and copy and paste it around, but if you want all the audio from a clip or set of clips, put them in a project and make a custom QT export and export “Sound to AIFF file”. Drag that into another movie clip or import it as an audio track in iTunes.

5. How do I get the audio from the clip to detach so that I may remove it and record fresh audio over it?

Only in the project timeline, not in the event pane, can you disconnect audio from a clip.

6. In iMovie for Mac, how can I mute a video?

Click the Create New button in iMovie to start a new project. From the resulting dropdown menu, pick Movie. Select the video you wish to mute by clicking the Import Media option. Drag and drop the video onto the timeline once it’s been imported. Right-click on the video in the timeline and choose Detach Audio from the dropdown menu.

The audio and video will be separated or detached as a result of this. Remove the audio from the video that you separated or disconnected in the previous step. The audio file (or layer) is located just beneath the video file on your timeline. Then you can either delete it by right-clicking on it and selecting Delete from the dropdown menu, or by simply clicking on it. It will be highlighted in yellow to indicate that it has been selected. And then press the delete key.

7. How do I view and download a preview?

By clicking the play button next to the Share button, you may see a preview of the video. The video can then be downloaded to your computer by selecting Download Video from the dropdown menu after hitting the Publish button.

Alternatively, you can share it directly from the app to other social media platforms. Apart from removing audio from videos, Animaker also includes other video editing tools that you’ll need to modify your videos for social media and your website.

Wrap Up

As seen in this instructional article, iMovie has countless amazing features as a video editor on Mac . Separating audio from a video is one of those interesting features on iMovie.

If a video has music, sounds, or voices that you’d like to separate from the video, following the above-listed steps is an easy way to do just that. One thing to always remember is to keep the app open while exporting.

And if iMovie can’t meet your need, don’t worry. Wondershare Filmora can be your better choice.

author avatar

Liza Brown

Liza Brown is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Liza Brown

Liza Brown

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

Apple’s video editing program, iMovie, is a popular choice. By removing background noise and raising audio levels of quiet clips, iMovie may likewise modify and enhance the audio of a project.

iMovie gives you the basic, no-frills editing tools you need to make a movie out of a collection of video clips. Without using videotape, you can easily browse from scene to scene and save your edits and changes in digital format. The end product is a high-quality digital video movie that you can save as a QuickTime file or dump back to digital videotape.

Now let’s look at how to separate audio from video in iMovie on Mac.

Part 1. How to Separate/Detach/Split Audio from Video in iMovie on Mac

The iMovie program is capable of producing high-quality movies and videos. If you’re dealing with a video that includes both sound and pictures, you may want to split the two at some point.

To separate audio from video in iMovie on Mac, just open the video and follow the steps below.

Step 1. Remove the audio clip from the video

In your iMovie timeline, find the clip that contains both video and audio.

Right-click the clip or hold Control and click it. You can also go to the menu bar and choose Detach Audio.

The audio from that clip will then show as its own “clip” in green below the video. The little line on the left, however, confirms that the video and audio are still connected. This implies that if you delete the video, you’ll lose the audio as well. As a result, you’ll either need to move the audio clip somewhere else in your video or place it in the Background Music Well at the bottom of the timeline.

Simply select, drag, and drop the green audio clip where you want it. It will be in the background of all other noises in your movie if you set it in the Background Music Well.

Step 2. Get rid of the video

You can remove the video by clicking it and utilizing one of these techniques after you disconnect the audio and unlink it from the video.

Select Delete from the shortcut menu by right-clicking.

Or hold Control while clicking and selecting Delete.

Part 2. Separate Audio from Video on Mac with the Best Alternative to iMovie

Want to extract the music file from a video clip’s audio and visual tracks? Or do you want to add another audio file to the video frame? In this part, you’ll learn how to easily separate audio from video and create your own MP3s with iMovie’s alternative - Wondershare Filmora. It’s a powerful video editing software available on both Mac and Windows.

Download Filmora Win Version Download Filmora Mac Version

You can make your own MP3 file of the amazing piece of music for enjoyment on the move, whether it’s from a music video, TV show, or concert footage. To separate your audio from your video, follow the steps outlined below.

Step 1. Import your media files into Filmora

To enter the editing mode, run the software and select the 16:9 or 4:3 ratio that best suits your demands. Then select Import to import video clips, audio, or photographs from your computer’s file folder.

It’s worth noting that this tool is highly compatible with a variety of formats, allowing you to edit them frame by frame while maintaining the original quality. Drag and drop videos onto the timeline after they’ve been imported. All files in the timeline are combined without any gaps by default.

Step 2. Separate the audio and video with a single click

Select “Detach Audio” from the context menu of the video file from which you wish to extract the audio track. You’ll see an audio file appearing on the audio track right away. Yes, this is the source video’s actual audio file.

You’ve successfully detached the audio track from the video file.

Step 3. Save the video or audio that has been split

Because the audio and video tracks have been split, you may simply delete the audio or video track you don’t need and replace it with the new one. Then press “Export” to save the audio track as an MP3 file, or go straight to the “iPod” preset to listen on the move.

You should first save the split video frame or audio track to a project file on your hard disk if you wish to save it separately in a new file. Reload the project file that contains the video frame after you’ve finished exporting the audio track, and then export it to a new video file.

Part 3. FAQs about Separating Audio from Video in iMovie

To learn more about separating audio from video in iMovie, you can check the FAQs below.

1. Is it possible to split audio and video in iMovie?

Yes, you certainly can. Select the video clip you want to separate after you’ve imported it into iMovie. Select “Detach Audio” from the context menu by right-clicking. You can now remove one of the tracks (audio or video), relocate it to a different location in the movie timeline, or alter it.

2. In iMovie, what does “detach audio” do?

The video clip’s audio is deleted, and an audio-only clip (with a green bar) is inserted below the video clip. The audio clip can now be linked to any other clip in your movie, or it can be relocated to the background music section.

3. How can I remove the original audio (from the camera) and lock the new audio to the video so that I don’t have to deal with two different parts (video and audio) when editing?

Make a movie in iMovie that simply mixes all the audio and visuals. You can align the video by listening to it or looking at the waveforms. After it’s all lined up, go into the clip inspector and turn off the video track’s volume. To maintain as much quality as feasible, SHARE/EXPORT using QuickTime and choose Apple Intermediate Codec as your codec. This will link the secondary audio and video tracks together. Now, into an Event, import the movie you just made in iMovie. You may now combine audio and video editing.

4. Is it feasible to simply take the video’s audio and save it as a sound file?

If you have other clips in the timeline, you can detach the audio and copy and paste it around, but if you want all the audio from a clip or set of clips, put them in a project and make a custom QT export and export “Sound to AIFF file”. Drag that into another movie clip or import it as an audio track in iTunes.

5. How do I get the audio from the clip to detach so that I may remove it and record fresh audio over it?

Only in the project timeline, not in the event pane, can you disconnect audio from a clip.

6. In iMovie for Mac, how can I mute a video?

Click the Create New button in iMovie to start a new project. From the resulting dropdown menu, pick Movie. Select the video you wish to mute by clicking the Import Media option. Drag and drop the video onto the timeline once it’s been imported. Right-click on the video in the timeline and choose Detach Audio from the dropdown menu.

The audio and video will be separated or detached as a result of this. Remove the audio from the video that you separated or disconnected in the previous step. The audio file (or layer) is located just beneath the video file on your timeline. Then you can either delete it by right-clicking on it and selecting Delete from the dropdown menu, or by simply clicking on it. It will be highlighted in yellow to indicate that it has been selected. And then press the delete key.

7. How do I view and download a preview?

By clicking the play button next to the Share button, you may see a preview of the video. The video can then be downloaded to your computer by selecting Download Video from the dropdown menu after hitting the Publish button.

Alternatively, you can share it directly from the app to other social media platforms. Apart from removing audio from videos, Animaker also includes other video editing tools that you’ll need to modify your videos for social media and your website.

Wrap Up

As seen in this instructional article, iMovie has countless amazing features as a video editor on Mac . Separating audio from a video is one of those interesting features on iMovie.

If a video has music, sounds, or voices that you’d like to separate from the video, following the above-listed steps is an easy way to do just that. One thing to always remember is to keep the app open while exporting.

And if iMovie can’t meet your need, don’t worry. Wondershare Filmora can be your better choice.

author avatar

Liza Brown

Liza Brown is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Liza Brown

Liza Brown

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

Apple’s video editing program, iMovie, is a popular choice. By removing background noise and raising audio levels of quiet clips, iMovie may likewise modify and enhance the audio of a project.

iMovie gives you the basic, no-frills editing tools you need to make a movie out of a collection of video clips. Without using videotape, you can easily browse from scene to scene and save your edits and changes in digital format. The end product is a high-quality digital video movie that you can save as a QuickTime file or dump back to digital videotape.

Now let’s look at how to separate audio from video in iMovie on Mac.

Part 1. How to Separate/Detach/Split Audio from Video in iMovie on Mac

The iMovie program is capable of producing high-quality movies and videos. If you’re dealing with a video that includes both sound and pictures, you may want to split the two at some point.

To separate audio from video in iMovie on Mac, just open the video and follow the steps below.

Step 1. Remove the audio clip from the video

In your iMovie timeline, find the clip that contains both video and audio.

Right-click the clip or hold Control and click it. You can also go to the menu bar and choose Detach Audio.

The audio from that clip will then show as its own “clip” in green below the video. The little line on the left, however, confirms that the video and audio are still connected. This implies that if you delete the video, you’ll lose the audio as well. As a result, you’ll either need to move the audio clip somewhere else in your video or place it in the Background Music Well at the bottom of the timeline.

Simply select, drag, and drop the green audio clip where you want it. It will be in the background of all other noises in your movie if you set it in the Background Music Well.

Step 2. Get rid of the video

You can remove the video by clicking it and utilizing one of these techniques after you disconnect the audio and unlink it from the video.

Select Delete from the shortcut menu by right-clicking.

Or hold Control while clicking and selecting Delete.

Part 2. Separate Audio from Video on Mac with the Best Alternative to iMovie

Want to extract the music file from a video clip’s audio and visual tracks? Or do you want to add another audio file to the video frame? In this part, you’ll learn how to easily separate audio from video and create your own MP3s with iMovie’s alternative - Wondershare Filmora. It’s a powerful video editing software available on both Mac and Windows.

Download Filmora Win Version Download Filmora Mac Version

You can make your own MP3 file of the amazing piece of music for enjoyment on the move, whether it’s from a music video, TV show, or concert footage. To separate your audio from your video, follow the steps outlined below.

Step 1. Import your media files into Filmora

To enter the editing mode, run the software and select the 16:9 or 4:3 ratio that best suits your demands. Then select Import to import video clips, audio, or photographs from your computer’s file folder.

It’s worth noting that this tool is highly compatible with a variety of formats, allowing you to edit them frame by frame while maintaining the original quality. Drag and drop videos onto the timeline after they’ve been imported. All files in the timeline are combined without any gaps by default.

Step 2. Separate the audio and video with a single click

Select “Detach Audio” from the context menu of the video file from which you wish to extract the audio track. You’ll see an audio file appearing on the audio track right away. Yes, this is the source video’s actual audio file.

You’ve successfully detached the audio track from the video file.

Step 3. Save the video or audio that has been split

Because the audio and video tracks have been split, you may simply delete the audio or video track you don’t need and replace it with the new one. Then press “Export” to save the audio track as an MP3 file, or go straight to the “iPod” preset to listen on the move.

You should first save the split video frame or audio track to a project file on your hard disk if you wish to save it separately in a new file. Reload the project file that contains the video frame after you’ve finished exporting the audio track, and then export it to a new video file.

Part 3. FAQs about Separating Audio from Video in iMovie

To learn more about separating audio from video in iMovie, you can check the FAQs below.

1. Is it possible to split audio and video in iMovie?

Yes, you certainly can. Select the video clip you want to separate after you’ve imported it into iMovie. Select “Detach Audio” from the context menu by right-clicking. You can now remove one of the tracks (audio or video), relocate it to a different location in the movie timeline, or alter it.

2. In iMovie, what does “detach audio” do?

The video clip’s audio is deleted, and an audio-only clip (with a green bar) is inserted below the video clip. The audio clip can now be linked to any other clip in your movie, or it can be relocated to the background music section.

3. How can I remove the original audio (from the camera) and lock the new audio to the video so that I don’t have to deal with two different parts (video and audio) when editing?

Make a movie in iMovie that simply mixes all the audio and visuals. You can align the video by listening to it or looking at the waveforms. After it’s all lined up, go into the clip inspector and turn off the video track’s volume. To maintain as much quality as feasible, SHARE/EXPORT using QuickTime and choose Apple Intermediate Codec as your codec. This will link the secondary audio and video tracks together. Now, into an Event, import the movie you just made in iMovie. You may now combine audio and video editing.

4. Is it feasible to simply take the video’s audio and save it as a sound file?

If you have other clips in the timeline, you can detach the audio and copy and paste it around, but if you want all the audio from a clip or set of clips, put them in a project and make a custom QT export and export “Sound to AIFF file”. Drag that into another movie clip or import it as an audio track in iTunes.

5. How do I get the audio from the clip to detach so that I may remove it and record fresh audio over it?

Only in the project timeline, not in the event pane, can you disconnect audio from a clip.

6. In iMovie for Mac, how can I mute a video?

Click the Create New button in iMovie to start a new project. From the resulting dropdown menu, pick Movie. Select the video you wish to mute by clicking the Import Media option. Drag and drop the video onto the timeline once it’s been imported. Right-click on the video in the timeline and choose Detach Audio from the dropdown menu.

The audio and video will be separated or detached as a result of this. Remove the audio from the video that you separated or disconnected in the previous step. The audio file (or layer) is located just beneath the video file on your timeline. Then you can either delete it by right-clicking on it and selecting Delete from the dropdown menu, or by simply clicking on it. It will be highlighted in yellow to indicate that it has been selected. And then press the delete key.

7. How do I view and download a preview?

By clicking the play button next to the Share button, you may see a preview of the video. The video can then be downloaded to your computer by selecting Download Video from the dropdown menu after hitting the Publish button.

Alternatively, you can share it directly from the app to other social media platforms. Apart from removing audio from videos, Animaker also includes other video editing tools that you’ll need to modify your videos for social media and your website.

Wrap Up

As seen in this instructional article, iMovie has countless amazing features as a video editor on Mac . Separating audio from a video is one of those interesting features on iMovie.

If a video has music, sounds, or voices that you’d like to separate from the video, following the above-listed steps is an easy way to do just that. One thing to always remember is to keep the app open while exporting.

And if iMovie can’t meet your need, don’t worry. Wondershare Filmora can be your better choice.

author avatar

Liza Brown

Liza Brown is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Liza Brown

Liza Brown

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

Apple’s video editing program, iMovie, is a popular choice. By removing background noise and raising audio levels of quiet clips, iMovie may likewise modify and enhance the audio of a project.

iMovie gives you the basic, no-frills editing tools you need to make a movie out of a collection of video clips. Without using videotape, you can easily browse from scene to scene and save your edits and changes in digital format. The end product is a high-quality digital video movie that you can save as a QuickTime file or dump back to digital videotape.

Now let’s look at how to separate audio from video in iMovie on Mac.

Part 1. How to Separate/Detach/Split Audio from Video in iMovie on Mac

The iMovie program is capable of producing high-quality movies and videos. If you’re dealing with a video that includes both sound and pictures, you may want to split the two at some point.

To separate audio from video in iMovie on Mac, just open the video and follow the steps below.

Step 1. Remove the audio clip from the video

In your iMovie timeline, find the clip that contains both video and audio.

Right-click the clip or hold Control and click it. You can also go to the menu bar and choose Detach Audio.

The audio from that clip will then show as its own “clip” in green below the video. The little line on the left, however, confirms that the video and audio are still connected. This implies that if you delete the video, you’ll lose the audio as well. As a result, you’ll either need to move the audio clip somewhere else in your video or place it in the Background Music Well at the bottom of the timeline.

Simply select, drag, and drop the green audio clip where you want it. It will be in the background of all other noises in your movie if you set it in the Background Music Well.

Step 2. Get rid of the video

You can remove the video by clicking it and utilizing one of these techniques after you disconnect the audio and unlink it from the video.

Select Delete from the shortcut menu by right-clicking.

Or hold Control while clicking and selecting Delete.

Part 2. Separate Audio from Video on Mac with the Best Alternative to iMovie

Want to extract the music file from a video clip’s audio and visual tracks? Or do you want to add another audio file to the video frame? In this part, you’ll learn how to easily separate audio from video and create your own MP3s with iMovie’s alternative - Wondershare Filmora. It’s a powerful video editing software available on both Mac and Windows.

Download Filmora Win Version Download Filmora Mac Version

You can make your own MP3 file of the amazing piece of music for enjoyment on the move, whether it’s from a music video, TV show, or concert footage. To separate your audio from your video, follow the steps outlined below.

Step 1. Import your media files into Filmora

To enter the editing mode, run the software and select the 16:9 or 4:3 ratio that best suits your demands. Then select Import to import video clips, audio, or photographs from your computer’s file folder.

It’s worth noting that this tool is highly compatible with a variety of formats, allowing you to edit them frame by frame while maintaining the original quality. Drag and drop videos onto the timeline after they’ve been imported. All files in the timeline are combined without any gaps by default.

Step 2. Separate the audio and video with a single click

Select “Detach Audio” from the context menu of the video file from which you wish to extract the audio track. You’ll see an audio file appearing on the audio track right away. Yes, this is the source video’s actual audio file.

You’ve successfully detached the audio track from the video file.

Step 3. Save the video or audio that has been split

Because the audio and video tracks have been split, you may simply delete the audio or video track you don’t need and replace it with the new one. Then press “Export” to save the audio track as an MP3 file, or go straight to the “iPod” preset to listen on the move.

You should first save the split video frame or audio track to a project file on your hard disk if you wish to save it separately in a new file. Reload the project file that contains the video frame after you’ve finished exporting the audio track, and then export it to a new video file.

Part 3. FAQs about Separating Audio from Video in iMovie

To learn more about separating audio from video in iMovie, you can check the FAQs below.

1. Is it possible to split audio and video in iMovie?

Yes, you certainly can. Select the video clip you want to separate after you’ve imported it into iMovie. Select “Detach Audio” from the context menu by right-clicking. You can now remove one of the tracks (audio or video), relocate it to a different location in the movie timeline, or alter it.

2. In iMovie, what does “detach audio” do?

The video clip’s audio is deleted, and an audio-only clip (with a green bar) is inserted below the video clip. The audio clip can now be linked to any other clip in your movie, or it can be relocated to the background music section.

3. How can I remove the original audio (from the camera) and lock the new audio to the video so that I don’t have to deal with two different parts (video and audio) when editing?

Make a movie in iMovie that simply mixes all the audio and visuals. You can align the video by listening to it or looking at the waveforms. After it’s all lined up, go into the clip inspector and turn off the video track’s volume. To maintain as much quality as feasible, SHARE/EXPORT using QuickTime and choose Apple Intermediate Codec as your codec. This will link the secondary audio and video tracks together. Now, into an Event, import the movie you just made in iMovie. You may now combine audio and video editing.

4. Is it feasible to simply take the video’s audio and save it as a sound file?

If you have other clips in the timeline, you can detach the audio and copy and paste it around, but if you want all the audio from a clip or set of clips, put them in a project and make a custom QT export and export “Sound to AIFF file”. Drag that into another movie clip or import it as an audio track in iTunes.

5. How do I get the audio from the clip to detach so that I may remove it and record fresh audio over it?

Only in the project timeline, not in the event pane, can you disconnect audio from a clip.

6. In iMovie for Mac, how can I mute a video?

Click the Create New button in iMovie to start a new project. From the resulting dropdown menu, pick Movie. Select the video you wish to mute by clicking the Import Media option. Drag and drop the video onto the timeline once it’s been imported. Right-click on the video in the timeline and choose Detach Audio from the dropdown menu.

The audio and video will be separated or detached as a result of this. Remove the audio from the video that you separated or disconnected in the previous step. The audio file (or layer) is located just beneath the video file on your timeline. Then you can either delete it by right-clicking on it and selecting Delete from the dropdown menu, or by simply clicking on it. It will be highlighted in yellow to indicate that it has been selected. And then press the delete key.

7. How do I view and download a preview?

By clicking the play button next to the Share button, you may see a preview of the video. The video can then be downloaded to your computer by selecting Download Video from the dropdown menu after hitting the Publish button.

Alternatively, you can share it directly from the app to other social media platforms. Apart from removing audio from videos, Animaker also includes other video editing tools that you’ll need to modify your videos for social media and your website.

Wrap Up

As seen in this instructional article, iMovie has countless amazing features as a video editor on Mac . Separating audio from a video is one of those interesting features on iMovie.

If a video has music, sounds, or voices that you’d like to separate from the video, following the above-listed steps is an easy way to do just that. One thing to always remember is to keep the app open while exporting.

And if iMovie can’t meet your need, don’t worry. Wondershare Filmora can be your better choice.

author avatar

Liza Brown

Liza Brown is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Liza Brown

Also read:

  • Title: New In 2024, Decoding the Perfect Audio Format A Comprehensive Advice Guide
  • Author: Ella
  • Created at : 2024-06-08 07:09:03
  • Updated at : 2024-06-09 07:09:03
  • Link: https://sound-optimizing.techidaily.com/new-in-2024-decoding-the-perfect-audio-format-a-comprehensive-advice-guide/
  • License: This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.
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New In 2024, Decoding the Perfect Audio Format A Comprehensive Advice Guide