Sometimes you only need the sound: a voice note from your own video, a lecture clip, a recipe someone narrated, or audio for a project you have the rights to. Instead of downloading the whole video and then running it through a separate converter app, you can save the audio track directly as an MP3 in one step.
How to save the audio
- Copy the video link from TikTok, Instagram or Facebook using the Share button.
- Paste it into the video downloader and press Download.
- In the list of formats, choose Audio only. The audio is extracted and saved as an MP3 file.
That is it. The file goes to your Downloads folder, or to the Files app on iPhone.
Why MP3?
MP3 plays on practically every phone, computer, car stereo and smart speaker, which is why we use it instead of less common formats. For speech and most music from social videos, an MP3 sounds the same as the original, because the platforms already compress audio when it is uploaded.
Video file or audio file: which do you need?
| You want to… | Choose |
|---|---|
| Listen offline, use as a voice-over, transcribe a talk | Audio only (MP3) |
| Edit the clip, keep the visuals, share it with someone | A video quality (MP4) |
| Keep a complete backup of your own post | The highest video quality |
Quality tips
- The audio can only be as good as the original upload. A video recorded in a noisy room will sound the same as an MP3.
- Short clips are ready in seconds. Longer videos take a little more time because the audio has to be converted.
- If the volume is low, most free audio editors can normalise it in one click.
Where to find the MP3
On Android and computers it is in your Downloads folder. On iPhone it is in the Files app; you can play it there, or add it to a music app that imports from Files. Our iPhone guide explains where downloads go.
A note about music rights
Many short videos use songs from the platform’s music library. Those songs are licensed for use inside the app, not for you to reuse elsewhere. That means:
- Saving audio from your own recordings, or from content released under a free licence, is fine.
- Reusing a commercial song in your own video, podcast or ad usually needs permission from the rights holder, even if you found it in a public video.
- Speech belongs to the person who recorded it. Ask before publishing someone else’s voice.
For more on this, read is it legal to download social media videos?
Frequently asked questions
Can I turn a video I already downloaded into MP3?
It is easier to paste the original link again and choose Audio only, rather than converting the file yourself.
Why can I not save the MP3 to Photos on iPhone?
Photos only stores pictures and videos. Keep audio files in Files or a music app.
