Handling Audio with Windows Vista - Extract Sound from Video

You’d think that sound and video are easily separable, especially given the fact that they’re shown as separate entities in the timeline view in Windows Movie Maker. No such luck, but it is possible with the right software.

The Windows Media Stream Editor, a component of the free Windows Media Encoder (available from http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/ forpros/encoder/default.mspx), can extract the audio from a .wmv video file and save it into a standalone Windows Media Audio (.wma) file:

1. First, open the Windows Media Stream Editor and click Add Source. Locate a .wmv or .asf file, and click Open.
   
2. Expand the branches by highlighting the file in the list and pressing the asterisk (*) key, place a checkmark next to the Audio entry, and then click Add. 
    
3. Then, click Create File, specify an output filename, and click Save. 
    
4. When you’re ready, click Start to begin the extraction.

When the process is complete, you’ll have a standard .wma file; see the next section for ways to convert it to MP3 or any other format.

To yank out the audio track from non-Microsoft video formats, you’ll need a different program. A full-blown video editing application like Adobe Premiere (http://www.adobe.com) can do this handily, as can Blaze Media Pro (http://www.blazemp.com), but if you want to do it for free, try the AoA Audio Extractor (http://www.aoamedia.com/audioextractor.htm).

Next: Convert Audio Files >>
 

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This article is excerpted from chapter four of the book Windows Vista Annoyances: Tips, Secrets, and Hacks for the Cranky Consumer, written by David A. Karp (O'Reilly, 2008; ISBN: 0596527624). Check it out today at your favorite bookstore. Buy this book now.