Extract audio track to m4a?

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Extract audio track to m4a?

I'm attempting to use Quicktime PRO to extract the soundtrack of a movie and save it as an .m4a file. The movie in question is already an .mp4 file with an AAC audio track. I can easily extract the track, but there appears to be no option to save or export the resulting audio file as an .m4a, or even better, an .m4b.

If I add a .mov file, I cannot add artwork. Importing a .m4v file just seems stupid, because it is only audio. I can convert the file once it is in iTunes. Will this further affect the quality? Why the extra step?

I have the Doug Script for converting to .m4b, but it doesn't work on the .mov or .m4v files.

(It does work to extract the audio track, import it into iTunes, convert to AAC audio and then use the Doug Script to convert it to .m4b, which makes it bookmarkable and moves it audiobooks. If it is the only way, I guess I'll have to live with it!)

MacBook PRO Intel, Mac OS X (10.4.8)

Posted on Jan 3, 2007 12:42 AM

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Answer 1

Jon Walker

Level 6

19,489 points

Jan 3, 2007 7:55 AM in response to Justin Knecht

If I add a .mov file, I cannot add artwork. Importing a .m4v file just seems stupid, because it is only audio. I can convert the file once it is in iTunes. Will this further affect the quality? Why the extra step?

Try this...

1) Open your file normally in the QT Pro Player
2) Select the "Movie to MPEG-4" Export menu option
3) Press the "Options" button and use the following setings:
a) Video Tab: use Video Format: "None"
b) Audio Tab: use Audio Format: "Pass through"
c) Streaming Tab: deselect the "Enable streaming" option

This will quickly "extract" your unchanged AAC track and place it in an MP4 file container which, like M4V and M4A, will accept "artwork" in iTunes. (The other option is to "drop" your "artwork" into the mov file -- resizing if neccessary -- and then set that frame as the "poster frame" which will then be displayed as "artwork" in iTunes.)

I have the Doug Script for converting to .m4b, but it doesn't work on the .mov or .m4v files.

Not familiar with the "Doug Script," so I do not know if there are any compatibility issues between it and the MP4 file container which is, I believe, the "superset" to which iPod specific M4V, M4A, and M4B belong. Post back if it is/is not compatible as this would indicate whether the script looks at the extenson or the file internals.

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