Support

Sound Extractor · Last updated 6 August 2026

Need help with Sound Extractor? Email support@kernowlabs.com and you'll get a reply. The common questions below cover most things.

Getting started

Pick a video from your photo library — or import one from the Files app — and Sound Extractor saves its soundtrack as a separate audio file. Choose a format, tap Extract, and the result opens in an editor where you can preview it, reduce noise, optimise the volume, apply an equalizer, trim it, or transcribe it — then save. Everything happens on your device; nothing is uploaded.

Frequently asked questions

Which audio formats can I export?

Same as source (lossless — keeps the video's audio exactly as it is, saved as an M4A file), M4A / AAC (96–320 kbps), WAV (uncompressed), FLAC (lossless, smaller files), and CAF. You can also set the sample rate (24–48 kHz) and choose stereo or mono.

Which should I choose?

Same as source if you just want the original audio untouched — it's the best quality and the fastest. M4A / AAC for a small file that plays everywhere. WAV or FLAC if you're taking the audio into an editor and want it lossless.

Why is there no MP3 option?

iOS doesn't provide MP3 encoding, so the app can't create MP3 files. For a widely compatible file, choose M4A / AAC — it plays everywhere MP3 does. For lossless, choose WAV or FLAC.

Where do my extracted files go?

Wherever you tell them to. Under Settings you can choose one of three storage locations for new extractions:

• In app (default) — kept in the app's own library.
• On my iPhone — in the Files app, under On My iPhone ▸ Sound Extractor.
• iCloud Drive — under iCloud Drive ▸ Sound Extractor, so they sync to your other devices.

The folder appears in the Files app once you've saved at least one file in that mode. Changing the setting applies to new extractions; files you've already saved stay where they are. Whatever you pick, everything is listed in the app's library with its format, bitrate, and size, and can be shared with the standard iOS share sheet.

How do I trim a clip?

Open any extraction to see its waveform, then drag the two trim handles to select the part you want and save a trimmed copy. Trimming is lossless. You can also scrub the waveform and skip ±15 seconds while previewing.

What does Reduce Noise do?

It strips out background hiss, hum, and room noise, with an adjustable strength (Low, Medium, High, or Off). There are two modes and you pick one when you start — they suit genuinely different material:

• Voice — tuned for dialogue: interviews, meetings, voice notes and pieces to camera. It's the stronger of the two on speech, but it's built around the assumption that speech is what matters, so on music it can thin out sustained instruments and ambience.
• Scene — tuned for general audio, where the content isn't only speech. Use it for hiss, hum, air-conditioning or traffic sitting under music or location sound. Gentler than Voice, and correspondingly less aggressive on heavy noise. One caveat: a sound that never varies — a drone held from start to finish — can be treated as noise and get reduced too.

Both run entirely on your device. Stereo stays stereo, and the file is saved at its original sample rate. Preview it before saving — nothing is written until you tap Save.

What's the difference between Optimise Volume and the equalizer?

Optimise Volume evens out the loudness automatically, so quiet passages come up and harsh peaks are smoothed — useful when a recording swings between too quiet and too loud. The equalizer is manual tone shaping: adjust the individual frequency bands yourself.

Can I turn speech into text?

Yes — open an extraction and choose Transcribe. It uses Apple's on-device speech recognition, so your audio never leaves your device. That also means it only works where your device and language support local recognition; if they don't, the app will tell you transcription is unavailable rather than sending your audio to a server. The first time you use a language, iOS downloads a speech model — after that it works with no connection. Accuracy varies with recording quality. Transcribe is part of Sound Extractor Pro.

I edited something and want the original back.

Edits are previewed, not applied immediately — an extraction stays an unsaved draft until you tap Save, so you can try Reduce Noise, Optimise, EQ, and trimming freely and keep only what you like.

The app asks for photo library access — why?

So it can read the video you pick. Access is read-only and used only on your device; the app never uploads or copies your photos or videos. If you'd rather not grant library access, use the Files import option instead.

A video won't import, or extraction failed.

If the video is stored in iCloud, iOS may need to download it first — make sure you're connected and try again. Very large or unusual video files can take a moment. If a specific file consistently fails, email the details (video length, source, and format) and it'll get looked into.

Requirements

• iOS 18 or later
• iPhone and iPad

Privacy

Sound Extractor collects no data, and all your media stays on your device. See the full privacy policy.

Acknowledgements

Sound Extractor includes open-source components. The full acknowledgements and licence texts are listed in the app under Settings ▸ About ▸ Licences.

Contact

For anything not covered here, email support@kernowlabs.com.