Convert MOV to MP3
Settings
No file yet
Settings appear after you choose a file.
A voice memo, interview or screen recording from an iPhone or a Mac can hold sound worth keeping on its own. The MP3 keeps that sound without the picture and plays on most players.
MOV or MP3?
Keep MOV when
- The picture matters too. The MP3 holds only the sound.
- The sound should stay as it is. MOV to MP3 loses a little more.
Pick MP3 when
- A car stereo, an old player or an editor only reads MP3.
- A site, an app or a person you send it to asks for MP3.
About MOV and MP3
MOV
Apple's QuickTime video format. What iPhones and Macs record and edit in; other devices often need it converted first.
MP3
The most common audio format. Small files that play on most players and apps made in the last two decades.
Questions
Which bitrate should I pick?
The commands use 192 kbps, a common middle ground between size and sound. Change -b:a 192k to 128k for a smaller file or 320k for more detail.
Does the sound get worse?
A little. The sound in an MOV is already compressed, and converting it to MP3 drops a bit more. Keep the MOV as the master copy.
What happens to the video?
The MP3 holds only the sound. The MOV stays as it is.
Do the title and artist stay?
With the FFmpeg lines, yes: FFmpeg carries tags such as the title across to the MP3.
Can I convert a whole folder at once?
Yes. Drop them all here. In Terminal, one line converts every MOV in the folder.