How to Extract Audio in CapCut (PC, Online and App)

Extracting audio is one of the most useful CapCut tricks. You can keep the voice from one clip and lay it over different footage, swap a noisy original sound for music, use the soundtrack from a video you filmed for a podcast clip, or clean up the audio without touching the picture. Here's how.

How to extract audio in CapCut on a computer

1. Open CapCut, create a project and import your video.
2. Drag the clip onto the timeline.
3. Right-click the clip.
4. Choose Separate audio.
5. The audio appears on its own track under the video. Edit it as you like.

How to extract audio on the CapCut app

1. Open your project in the CapCut app.
2. Tap the video clip in the timeline.
3. Tap Detach in the tools along the bottom.
4. The audio drops onto its own track.

How to extract audio in CapCut Online

CapCut's browser version works the same way: create a project, upload your clip and use Separate audio. It's handy on a computer where you don't want to install anything.

What you can do once the audio is separate

Goal	What to do
Use the voice over different footage	Move the audio track and place new clips above it
Replace the sound with music	Delete or mute the separated audio and add a track
Clean up background noise	Select the audio and switch on Reduce noise
Fix uneven volume	Adjust the volume of quieter or louder sections
Add captions	Use speech-to-text on the separated voice

The catch: separating isn't the same as saving an audio file

This trips people up. Separate audio and Detach move the sound onto its own track inside your project. They don't create an MP3 on your phone or computer. When you export, you still export a video. If you need the sound as a standalone audio file, for example for a podcast or to send to a client, check whether your version of CapCut offers an audio-only export, or export the video and pull the audio out with a dedicated audio tool.

And before you share, think about rights. CapCut's guide reminds you to review copyright settings when exporting. Extracting the sound from someone else's video doesn't give you permission to use it.

Clever ways to use extracted audio

• B-roll over voice: keep your talking-head audio and cover it with product shots or screen recordings.
• Podcast clips: take the best minute of a recorded interview and pair it with captions and a waveform.
• Fix a bad take: use the audio from one take with the picture from another, if they line up.
• Silent version: delete the audio and add music for a version that works without speech.

For heavier audio clean-up after extracting, my roundup of podcast editing software covers dedicated tools.

Keeping audio in sync

Once the audio is on its own track, it can drift if you move one part without the other. Before you trim, check the voice still lines up with lip movements. If it slips, nudge the audio track until the waveform peaks line up with the moments you can see on screen, such as a clap or the first word.

Tips for clean results

• Separate the audio before you start cutting, so you can edit sound and picture independently.
• Lock or group tracks you've finished with so they don't move by accident.
• Listen with headphones after every big change.
• Keep the original clip in your project until you've finished, in case you need the sound again.

A simple workflow for talking-head videos

1. Import your talking-head clip and separate the audio.
2. Cut the pauses and mistakes on the audio track first, because it's easiest to hear what to remove.
3. Trim the video to match, or cover the cuts with other footage.
4. Add product shots or screen recordings on a layer above to hide jump cuts.
5. Clean the voice with Reduce noise and add music underneath at a low volume.
6. Add captions so the video works without sound.

Working this way puts the voice in charge of the edit, which is how most good talking-head videos are made. The pictures support what you're saying instead of the other way round.

My verdict

Right-click and choose Separate audio on a computer, or tap Detach in the app, and the sound is yours to edit on its own track. It's the key to swapping footage, cleaning up voices and making podcast clips. Just remember it doesn't create a separate audio file, and that extracting someone else's sound doesn't give you the right to use it. If exports fail after heavy editing, CapCut recommends lowering the resolution or frame rate and freeing up storage. For recording cleaner audio from the start, see my guide to recording screen and audio together.

If that raises the next question, see How to Remove the Background in CapCut (PC, Online and Phone).

Frequently asked questions

Can I extract audio in CapCut Online?

Yes. Create a project, upload your clip and use Separate audio in the browser editor.

How do I extract audio in CapCut on PC?

Right-click the video in the timeline and choose Separate audio.

How do I extract audio in the CapCut app?

Tap the clip in the timeline and choose Detach.

Does Separate audio create an MP3 file?

No. It moves the sound to its own track in your project. You still export a video.

Can I remove the original sound from a video in CapCut?

Yes. Separate or detach the audio, then delete or mute that track.

Can I use audio extracted from someone else's video?

Only if you have the rights. Extracting it doesn't give you permission to use it.

Can I clean up extracted audio in CapCut?

Yes. Select the audio track and use Reduce noise or adjust the volume.