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ExtractAudio

What is it?

The ExtractAudio node extracts the audio track from a video and outputs it as an audio file for use in your workflow. It supports multiple audio formats and quality settings, with options for both lossless copying and re-encoding.

When would I use it?

Use the ExtractAudio node when:

  • You need to separate audio from video content for audio processing workflows
  • You want to convert video audio to different formats (MP3, WAV, AAC, etc.)
  • You're creating audio-only content from video sources
  • You need to extract audio for transcription, analysis, or editing
  • You want to preserve the original audio quality by copying without re-encoding

How to use it

Basic Setup

  1. Add an ExtractAudio node to your workflow
  2. Connect a video input to the video parameter or manually select a video file
  3. Choose your desired audio format and quality settings
  4. Connect the extracted_audio output to other nodes that require audio input

Parameters

Input

  • video: The video content to extract audio from (supports VideoArtifact and VideoUrlArtifact)

Audio Settings

  • audio_format: Output audio format

    • mp3 (default) - Widely compatible, good compression
    • wav - Uncompressed, highest quality
    • aac - Good compression, modern standard
    • flac - Lossless compression
    • ogg - Open-source alternative with good compression
    • m4a - Apple's audio format, similar to AAC

  • audio_quality: Audio quality/bitrate setting

    • high (128k) - High quality for most purposes (default)
    • medium (96k) - Balanced quality and file size
    • low (64k) - Smaller files, lower quality
    • copy - Copy original audio without re-encoding (fastest, preserves original quality)

Outputs

  • extracted_audio: The audio extracted from the video as an AudioUrlArtifact
  • logs: Processing logs with detailed information about the extraction process

Audio Format and Quality Guide

Quality Settings

  • Copy: Fastest option, preserves original audio quality and format exactly. Recommended when you don't need format conversion.
  • High (128k): Excellent quality for most use cases, good balance of quality and file size.
  • Medium (96k): Good quality for voice content, smaller file size.
  • Low (64k): Acceptable for voice-only content where file size is critical.

Format Recommendations

  • MP3: Most universally compatible, good for general use
  • WAV: Use for highest quality or when working with audio editing software
  • AAC: Modern standard with efficient compression, good for streaming
  • FLAC: Use when you need lossless compression (smaller than WAV but larger than lossy formats)
  • OGG: Open-source alternative to MP3, good compression
  • M4A: Good for Apple ecosystem compatibility

Example

Extracting audio from a video for transcription:

  1. Add an ExtractAudio node to your workflow
  2. Connect a video source to the video input
  3. Set audio_format to wav for high compatibility with transcription services
  4. Set audio_quality to high for best transcription accuracy
  5. Connect the extracted_audio output to a transcription node
  6. When the workflow runs, the audio will be extracted and available for transcription

Performance Tips

  • Use copy quality when you don't need to change the audio format - it's much faster
  • Choose MP3 with high quality for a good balance of quality, compatibility, and file size
  • Use WAV format when working with audio editing software that requires uncompressed audio
  • For long videos, the extraction process may take some time - check the logs for progress

Important Notes

  • Audio Detection: The node automatically detects if the video contains audio streams
  • No Audio Error: If the input video has no audio track, the node will report an error
  • Format Support: Supports all common video formats (mp4, avi, mov, mkv, webm, etc.)
  • Quality Preservation: Using "copy" quality preserves the original audio exactly without any quality loss
  • Processing Speed: Copy mode is fastest, while re-encoding takes longer but allows format conversion

Common Issues

  • "No audio stream found": The input video doesn't contain any audio tracks. Check that your video file has audio.
  • Extraction Failed: Make sure the input video is valid and accessible
  • Large File Processing: For very large videos, extraction may take several minutes - monitor the logs for progress
  • Format Issues: If you encounter format-specific issues, try using "copy" mode first to preserve the original audio format