Mute video – remove the sound
FileReshape's mute video tool removes every sound track from a video and saves the picture unchanged as MP4 or WebM, using FFmpeg inside your browser. The video is not uploaded. H.264, H.265, VP9 and AV1 videos are copied in seconds without quality loss; older codecs are re-encoded as H.264. Subtitles are removed too.
Did a file not convert correctly? E-mail [email protected], ideally with a small sample file, and it will be fixed.
Key facts
- Works with: MP4 (.mp4).
- Your files are not uploaded: the work is done in your browser, on your own device.
- File size: up to 2 GB per file (the limit of the browser's WebAssembly memory).
- Needs a current browser (Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Safari) on a computer, tablet or phone; nothing to install.
- Free to use, with no sign-up.
Why remove the sound from a video
Background chatter, wind noise, a private conversation or copyrighted music can make a video unusable for a presentation, a product page, a social media post or a background loop on a website. Removing the sound solves it, and silent videos also autoplay in browsers, which is why web designers want them for hero videos. This tool removes all sound tracks and keeps only the picture. For modern videos the picture is copied byte for byte into a new MP4 or WebM file, so a long video is ready in seconds and looks exactly like before, with the same resolution and frame rate. Old AVI, WMV and similar formats are encoded as H.264 so that they play everywhere. The file never leaves your computer, and there is no watermark.
How to remove the audio from a video
- Drop the video in the box, or click to choose it.
- Check the video and sound details shown.
- Click Remove the sound and save the silent video.
What to know before muting a video
Smaller file
Removing the sound makes the file slightly smaller, typically by 128 to 256 kbit/s worth of audio. The picture is the large part; use the video compressor to make the file much smaller.
Keeping some of the sound
The tool removes all sound. Lowering the volume, muting only a few seconds or replacing the music needs a video editor such as Clipchamp, iMovie or Shotcut.
Format of the result
H.264, H.265, MPEG-4 and AV1 videos are saved as MP4, VP8 and VP9 as WebM. Other codecs are encoded as H.264 MP4, which takes one to five minutes per minute of video.
Website background videos
For a background video, also make the file small: a muted 720p clip from the video compressor loads fast and still looks sharp at full width.
About the formats
MP4
MP4 (MPEG-4 Part 14) is the most common video file format. Phones, cameras, YouTube, WhatsApp and every computer and TV use it. An MP4 is a container: the picture inside is usually compressed with H.264 or H.265 (HEVC) and the sound with AAC, and the same file can also hold subtitles, chapters and a cover image.
- The format was standardised in 2003 and is based on Apple's QuickTime format, which is why MP4 and MOV files are so alike.
- H.264 video with AAC sound plays on practically every device made in the last 15 years.
- A minute of phone video in 1080p is typically 100–200 MB; in 4K it is often 350–500 MB.
- The "faststart" layout puts the index at the beginning, so a video can start playing before it is fully downloaded.
Frequently asked questions
Is my video uploaded?
No. The sound is removed by FFmpeg running in your browser, on your own device. Nothing is sent to a server.
Does the picture quality change?
No, for H.264, H.265, VP9 and AV1 videos the picture is copied unchanged. Only older codecs are re-encoded, at a high quality setting.
Can I keep the sound as a separate file?
Yes. Use video to MP3 first to save the sound as an MP3, then remove it from the video here.
Why does the tool say my video is silent already?
Some videos, such as many screen recordings and GIF-like clips, have no sound track at all. There is nothing to remove, so the file can be used as it is.