Video and audio content are now essential parts of communication, education, marketing, and entertainment in the digital age. People sometimes need to get audio out of video recordings for podcasts, voiceovers, transcripts, or just to make the file smaller. But what if you have a lot of MP4 files—like dozens or even hundreds—that need to be changed to audio formats like MP3 or WAV?

Download Now

It takes a long time to convert each file by hand. Fortunately, it's not only possible to convert a lot of files at once, but it's also easy if you have the correct tools and follow the right methods. We'll show you how to export a lot of MP4 video files to audio format in this blog. This will save you time, effort, and maybe headaches.

Why change MP4 files to Audio?

Before we go into how to do it, let's quickly go over why someone might want to extract a lot of audio from MP4 files:

• Podcast production: Take the audio out of recorded interviews or video podcasts.
• Online learning: Give students the option to solely listen to audio for simpler listening.
• Transcription purposes: Get audio files so you can utilize them with transcription software.
• Saving space: Audio files are smaller and easier to move than video files.
• Music collection: Keep the background music or soundtrack from video files.

What format should you use: MP3, WAV, AAC, or OGG?

Before you change the format, think about which audio format is ideal for you:

• MP3 is the most popular format since it works with a lot of devices and has a decent balance between quality and file size.
• WAV: A high-quality, uncompressed format that is great for professional editing.
• AAC: This format is used by Apple devices and has superior sound quality than MP3 at the same bitrate.
• OGG is open source and has somewhat better quality than MP3 at the same size.

Ways to Export MP4 Files in Bulk to Audio Format

There are many techniques to convert a lot of MP4 videos into audio. Let's look at three main choices:

• VLC Media Player (Free)
  VLC is a free media player with a lot of features, including tools for converting files.
• Open VLC and click to Media > Convert / Save to start.
• Click "Add" and then choose more than one MP4 file.
• At the bottom, click Convert / Save.
• Pick an audio type, like MP3.
• Choose a folder and file name pattern for the destination.
• To start the conversion process, click Start.
• VLC is easy to use, but it doesn't offer real automation or bulk naming unless you write a script.

Using FFmpeg, Command Line Tool
FFmpeg is the best and most flexible tool for developers and power users. It is open source and lets you run scripts to process many files at once.

Step 2: Download and install FFmpeg

• Windows: Get it from ffmpeg.org and put it in your system PATH.
• macOS: Install ffmpeg with Homebrew by running brew install ffmpeg.
• Linux: To install ffmpeg, use "sudo apt install ffmpeg"

Step 2: Make a folder for your MP4 files.

Step 3: Use a Shell Script (macOS/Linux) or a Batch Script (Windows)

• For Windows: Make a file with the name:@echo off for %%a in ("*.mp4") do ffmpeg -i "%%a" "%%~na.mp3" pause
• For Linux and macOS: Make a script in .sh format: /bin/bash for f in *.mp4; do ffmpeg -i "$f" “${f%.mp4}.mp3”
• Run the script in the terminal from the folder where your MP4 files are stored.

Using the Best Video to Audio Converter Tool

You can get Softaken Audio Video Converter by going to the official website and downloading, and installing it to operate this application on Windows to export video MP4 files to audio format in bulk. You can add more than one MP4 file at a time after you start the program. After that, you choose the audio format you want to change to, pick where you want the output to go, and click Convert. The utility processes all the files at once, which saves you time and work. It works with Windows and comes with a free trial version so you can try out its features before you buy it. This application has a simple graphical interface that is easy to use for both technical and non-technical users to operate it without technical skills or previous technical experience.

Key Features: Get with this Audio Video Converter

• You can convert a lot of video files to MP3, WAV, WMA, AAC, and other formats.
• You don't need to know anything about computers to use the drag-and-drop interface.
• Easy file management for batch processing.
• You can see what the files will look like before you convert them.
• Works with Windows 11, 10, 8, and 7.

How it works

• Get the converter from the tool and install it.

• Select the Output location to save the converted files.

• Start the program and add your MP4 files (you can add more than one at a time).

• Select the audio output format you want (MP3, WAV, etc.).

• Press the convert button to export Video files to the Audio format.

Conclusion:

It doesn't have to be hard to change a lot of MP4 video files to audio files. There is a solution for every skill level and use case, whether you choose a graphical application like VLC, a powerful command-line tool like FFmpeg, or an internet converter. FFmpeg is the best choice for working with a lot of files because it is so flexible and works quickly. You can automate things that would normally take hours with just a few lines of code.

To make your work easy, you can download the suggested tool for the conversion of your multiple video files to audio format without facing difficulties or technical issues.