Extract Audio from MKV - Free
Pull the soundtrack out of an MKV and download it as an MP3. Free, nothing to install.
- Free to start
- Nothing to install
- Up to 1GB
Extract Audio from MKV in 3 steps
Upload your MKV
Drag and drop the MKV file, or click to browse. Anything under 1GB.
MP3 is already selected
The output is pre-set to MP3. Switch to WAV in the panel if you want it uncompressed.
Extract and download
Create a free account to download the audio.
Getting the sound out of MKV
MKV (Matroska) is an open container that can hold any codec plus unlimited audio tracks, subtitle tracks and chapters. That flexibility makes it great for archives and useless for sharing.
The picture is dropped and the sound is written as a variable-bitrate MP3, which every phone, car stereo and podcast host plays. It keeps the sample rate of the audio in your MKV, mono or stereo as it was recorded. If the MKV carries several audio tracks, the MP3 carries one of them. Your MKV itself is not changed.
Container
Typical codecs
Plays on
File size
| Feature | Your MKV | The MP3 you get back |
|---|---|---|
| Container | Matroska | MPEG audio layer III |
| Typical codecs | Almost anything: H.264, HEVC, AV1, VP9 | MP3 (lossy) |
| Plays on | VLC and desktop players; rarely anywhere else | Every device made in the last 25 years |
| File size | Depends entirely on the codec inside | Roughly a tenth of uncompressed audio |
Before you extract audio from an MKV
The MP3 is a second encode. The audio inside an MKV is almost always compressed already, so extracting to MP3 compresses it again. That is fine for listening, and it is the reason to pick WAV when the audio is going into an editor.
Surround sound comes out as stereo. An MP3 holds at most two channels, so 5.1 audio from a camera, a TV recording or a disc rip is mixed down, while a mono or stereo track is kept as it is.
The whole track comes out, from the first second to the last. To keep only part of it, extract first and then trim the MP3 with the Cut Audio tool.
Extract Audio from MKV: questions
How do I extract audio from an MKV?
Press Extract Audio at the top of this page, upload the MKV and press Extract Audio in the panel. MP3 is already selected, and the audio is ready to preview when the render finishes. A free account downloads it.
What quality is the MP3?
A variable-bitrate MP3 at a high quality setting, with the same sample rate as the audio in your MKV. A mono track stays mono and a stereo one stays stereo; surround sound is mixed down to stereo.
Can I get WAV instead of MP3?
Yes. Switch the output to WAV in the panel before exporting. WAV is uncompressed, so it is several times larger, and it is what an audio editor would rather have.
Does my MKV lose anything?
No. REQO reads the audio out of your MKV and writes a new file; the MKV you uploaded stays exactly as it was.
Is extracting audio from MKV free?
Yes. Extract and preview free, and a free account downloads the result. Free exports and share pages include a small REQO badge. Go Pro to remove it.
Other presets
Everything else you can do here.
All extract audio from video presets
Crop for a platform
Crop to a ratio
Resize to a resolution
Compress for a destination
Compress a format
Rotate or flip
Change the frame rate
Change the speed
Transcribe a language
Merge with a transition
Subtitles in another language
Convert a caption file
Need more than extract audio from mkv?
REQO is a full browser video editor: record, edit by transcript, caption and export.