Remove the sound from a video
VideoBB copies the video stream unchanged and drops the audio, so the picture is bit-for-bit identical and even long files finish in seconds.
Free with a VideoBB account
Sign in with Google to use the mute video. Your uploads and results stay private to you and are deleted after 24 hours.
How it works
Muting is useful for background loops, product demos, footage with private conversations in it, or clips that will get a new soundtrack in an editor.
Because nothing is re-encoded, the output has exactly the same resolution, frame rate and quality as the original, and it is a little smaller because the audio is gone.
Options at a glance
| Input | Output container |
|---|---|
| MP4, MOV, MKV, WebM | Same as the input |
| AVI, WMV, FLV, MPG, TS, 3GP | MP4, or MKV when MP4 cannot hold the video codec (the video is still copied, not re-encoded) |
Step by step
Upload
Drop the video.
Mute
One click, no options.
Download
Save the silent file.
When to remove audio from a video
Remove the audio when the picture is all you want to share. The mute tool strips every sound track and leaves the picture untouched. It is the fastest tool in the set, because nothing is re-encoded.
Want to keep the sound as well? Save it first with the audio extractor, then mute the video. To swap in music or a voice-over, the browser editor is the better place; the tour of the editor shows its audio and music tracks.
What the mute tool keeps and removes
The tool copies the first video stream exactly as it is. Here is what that means in practice.
- Kept: the resolution, frame rate, bitrate and colour of the picture, bit for bit.
- Kept: the rotation flag from phones, so the video still plays upright.
- Removed: every audio track, including extra languages and commentary.
- Removed: subtitle tracks and any other extra streams in the file.
Why the muted file is only a little smaller
Sound takes up a small share of most videos. A typical audio track runs at 128 to 320 kbps, while the picture often uses several thousand. So muting saves a few percent, not half the file.
To make the file much smaller, run the muted video through the compressor next. It re-encodes the picture at the size or quality you pick.
Common reasons to mute a video
Most people mute a clip for one of these reasons.
Background video on a website
Most browsers block autoplay with sound, but let muted video start on its own. A file with no audio track at all is the cleanest way to meet that rule. Our guide to embedding video on a website covers the player side.
Hiding private talk or background noise
Phone footage often picks up nearby voices, traffic or a TV. Muting removes all of it before you share the clip.
Clearing music you do not have rights to
Background music in a clip may belong to someone else. Muting removes it, so you can add licensed music or a voice-over later. The copyright help page explains how VideoBB handles claims.
Fixing common mute problems
Mute rarely fails, but these cases do come up.
A muted WMV, FLV or old AVI file comes back as MKV
Those formats are saved as MP4 after muting when they can be. Some old codecs, such as the ones in WMV files, are not allowed inside MP4, so the picture is copied into an MKV file instead. If you need an MP4, convert the file first, then mute it.
The subtitles are gone
Mute keeps only the video stream, so subtitle tracks drop out. Keep the original if you need them. After an upload to VideoBB you can also add automatic captions, which are made from speech, so run them on the version that still has sound.
Only part of the video should be silent
This tool mutes the whole file. In the browser editor, split the clip and switch off the sound on just that piece, because each clip has its own mute and volume controls.
Privacy and daily limits
Muted files are private to you and are deleted 24 hours after the job. Each job counts toward your daily allowance: 10 on a free account, 100 with Premium.
Frequently asked questions
Will the picture change at all?
No. The video stream is copied as it is.
Can I mute only part of a video?
Not with this tool. Trim the part you need first, or use an editor for partial muting.
Why did my old AVI or WMV come back as MKV?
A few very old codecs cannot be placed in MP4 without re-encoding, so the picture is copied into MKV instead. Convert the file to MP4 first if you need an MP4.
Does muting take long on a big file?
No. The picture is copied, not re-encoded, so processing is usually far quicker than the upload itself.
Can I get the sound back later?
Not from the muted file. Keep the original, or save the sound first with the extract audio tool.
Can I upload a silent video to my VideoBB channel?
Yes. A video with no audio track uploads, encodes and plays like any other. You can also publish the muted result straight from this page as a private draft.
Related guides
More video tools
All toolsChange a video's format: MP4, WebM, MKV, MOV or AVI.
Video compressorShrink a video to a quality level or an exact target size.
Trim videoCut a clip between two timestamps, instantly or frame-accurately.
Resize videoChange resolution from 4K down to 144p, keeping the aspect ratio.
Video to GIFTurn up to 30 seconds of video into a looping GIF.
Extract audioSave a video's soundtrack as MP3, M4A, WAV or Opus.
Rotate or flip videoFix sideways or upside-down footage, or mirror it.