If you captured a webinar, call, or tutorial as a screen recording and only need the sound, extract the audio and discard the video. The process works for Windows Game Bar recordings, Mac screen recordings, Snipping Tool recordings, and any other screen recording you want to convert to MP3. You can do it with a free online tool.
Where Windows Saves Screen Recordings
Windows offers two built-in tools for screen recording. The Xbox Game Bar records your screen when you press Windows + Alt + R. These recordings are saved as MP4 files in the Videos\Captures folder. The Windows 11 Snipping Tool also records the screen and saves MP4 video files to a location you choose when the recording stops. Both tools produce video files that contain audio if you selected a microphone or system sound source during recording.
If you did not select an audio source before recording, the video will contain no sound. Converting a silent video to MP3 will produce a silent audio file. No conversion tool can recover sound that was never captured.
Where Mac Saves Screen Recordings
On macOS, press Shift Command 5 to open the Screenshot toolbar. From there you can start a screen recording. By default, these recordings are saved as .mov files on your Desktop. QuickTime Player offers a screen recording option through File > New Screen Recording, which uses the same built-in recorder on recent macOS versions. The resulting file is also a .mov file and is saved where you choose. As with Windows, if you record without selecting an audio source, the file will have no audio track and cannot be fixed by conversion.
How to Convert a Screen Recording to MP3
Convert MP4 and MOV Files
Once you have located your MP4 or MOV file, convert it to MP3. The process is the same for both Windows and Mac recordings. Follow these steps:
- Open a browser and go to a site that offers a video to MP3 converter, such as bestmp4tomp3converter.com.
- Click the upload button and select your screen recording file. The tool accepts MP4 and MOV files up to 300 MB per job.
- Choose the audio quality. For speech from a webinar, call, or tutorial, 96 kbps is recommended. This setting keeps the file size small while preserving clear voice audio.
- Start the conversion. Wait for the process to finish. The tool will provide a download link for the resulting MP3 file.
- Save the MP3 file to your computer. You can now listen to the audio or share it without the video.
Tips for a Clean Audio Extraction
Check Audio Before You Convert
Always check that your recording includes audio before you convert. Play the video file to confirm you can hear sound. Use the 96 kbps setting for speech. This bitrate balances file size and clarity for voice content.
After Conversion
- If your recording has background noise, edit the audio after conversion using a free audio editor. Conversion alone does not remove noise.
- Respect copyright and privacy. Record only content you have permission to capture.
Common File Size and Format Details
Screen recordings can be large, especially if they are long. The video to MP3 tool accepts files up to 300 MB per job. If your recording is larger, trim it first with a video editor or reduce the video resolution before converting. The tool works with both MP4 from Windows tools and MOV from Mac tools.
When you convert, the output will be an MP3 audio file. The video portion of the file is discarded during the process. You cannot recover the video from the MP3 file, so keep the original video if you need it later.
What If the Recording Has No Audio
If you play your screen recording and hear nothing, the file likely contains no audio track. This happens when you did not select a microphone or system sound source before starting the recording. No conversion tool can add sound. The only solution is to record again with audio enabled. For Windows, check the Xbox Game Bar or Snipping Tool settings before recording. For Mac, ensure the microphone is selected in the Screenshot toolbar or QuickTime Player options.