For media conversion, HandBrake has long been one of the goto open-source tools. HandBrake is one of the most renowned transcoder programs for converting video files; however, many users often wonder: can HandBrake convert audio files? It is a good question, especially when it comes to those working on music, podcasts, or audiobooks that are all looking for free options.
This article will detail answer that question, explain what HandBrake can and cannot do regarding audio-only conversions, provide a step-by-step guide on what you can achieve with it, and suggest a proven alternative: SysTools Audio Converter tool for anyone needing an automated and efficient solution. Also, you can use this tech to convert AAC to MP3, OPUS to AIFF, FLAC to WMA, and more.
Can HandBrake Convert Audio Files Directly?
Short answer: No — HandBrake is not aimed to convert standalone audio files. That means HandBrake is a video transcoder, also works great for compressing, converting, and optimizing video files — MP4, MKV, etc. Although it works with audio tracks in video files, it cannot process audio-only files, like MP3, WAV, FLAC, or AAC by itself.
In other words, if you want to transcode an audio file that does not have any video content, you might not want to use HandBrake at all. However, if you do have a video that you want to extract or modify the embedded audio, HandBrake can help with that.
How to Use HandBrake for Audio-Related Tasks
While the answer to can HandBrake convert audio files is no for the most part, standalone audio, it can still be helpful in specific cases:
1. Extracting Audio from a Video File
Then if you find a video file but would like to extract the audio you can do so with HandBrake as follows.
Step 1: Launch HandBrake and upload your video file.
Step 2: In Format, select MP4 or MKV (HandBrake never has pure audio output).
Step 3: Go to Audio Section This allows you to choose which audio track to extract from the video.
Step 4 — Choose your codec (AAC, MP3, etc.) and bitrate
Step 5: Start encoding.
