How to Export Audio Only in CapCut on PC

When exporting audio only is useful

• Narration and podcasts. Record and edit a voiceover in CapCut, then deliver it as an audio file. Our guide to recording a voiceover in CapCut on PC covers the recording part.
• Reusing a mix. Save a finished soundtrack so you can drop it into another project without rebuilding it.
• Review and approval. An audio file is far smaller than a video, so it is quicker to send for feedback on the script or the music.
• Transcription. Many transcription tools accept audio files directly.

If you only want to use the sound of one clip inside the same project, you do not need to export at all: separating the clip's audio onto its own track (covered below) is quicker.

Before you start

Audio exports are light work, but the editor around them still needs a PC that meets CapCut's requirements. The official Microsoft Store listing for CapCut (checked 21 October 2026) lists a minimum of Windows 10 or later on an x64 or Arm64 PC, 8 GB of RAM, an Intel Core 6th generation or AMD Ryzen 1000 series processor or newer, DirectX 9 and 2 GB of video memory with a graphics driver dated 2018 or newer. The recommended setup is 16 GB of RAM, an Intel Core 8th generation or AMD Ryzen 3000 series processor or newer, DirectX 12 (feature level 12) and 6 GB of video memory. Our CapCut system requirements for PC page explains how to check each item on your own machine.

Use the CapCut desktop app installed from capcut.com or the official store listing, and keep it updated; export options change between versions. Our guide to updating CapCut on Windows shows how.

How to export audio only, step by step

1. Finish the mix. Play the project from start to end and check levels and fades. Everything you hear in the preview from unmuted tracks goes into the file.
2. Click Export in the top-right corner of the editor.
3. Name the file and choose where to save it. Pick a folder you will find again, as you would for a video export.
4. Turn off video. In the export window the video and audio parts each have their own checkbox or switch. Untick the video option.
5. Turn on audio if it is not already, and pick a format from the list.
6. Click Export and wait for it to finish, then play the file in your usual media player to check it.

Which audio format should you choose?

The formats offered depend on your CapCut version. These are the usual trade-offs:

• MP3: compressed, small and plays almost everywhere. Good for sharing, review copies and podcasts.
• AAC (often in an .m4a file): also compressed, usually a little more efficient than MP3 at the same size, and widely supported on phones and browsers.
• WAV: uncompressed, so files are large, but nothing is thrown away. Best if the audio will be edited again in another program.
• FLAC: lossless compression; smaller than WAV with the same quality, but not every app plays it.

If you are not sure, export MP3 for listening and WAV for further editing. For audio that will go back into a video for YouTube, YouTube's recommended upload settings list AAC-LC audio at 48 kHz, with 384 kbps suggested for stereo.

Export only one track or one section

The export always covers the whole timeline. To save just part of it:

• One track only: mute the tracks you do not want with the speaker icon on each track header, export, then unmute them again. Muted tracks export silent, as our CapCut no sound fix explains.
• One section only: copy the section into a new project, or temporarily delete everything before and after it, export, and then undo the deletions with Ctrl + Z. Save a copy of the project first so nothing is lost.
• Without the original clip sound: mute the video track so only your music and narration are exported.

Separate or extract audio inside a project

If you only need a clip's sound on its own track, right-click the clip and use the option to separate or extract its audio (wording varies by version). The audio appears on a separate track, where you can trim it, move it, or delete the video part.

CapCut also has an extract audio tool that pulls the sound out of a video file into your media. The Microsoft Store description lists extracting audio, clips and recordings from videos with nine free uses each month, so heavy users may meet a limit or a paid prompt. The export method above does not depend on that tool.

Rights and copyright

Exporting audio does not change who owns it. Music and sound effects from an in-app library are licensed for use in your videos under the terms shown for each track, which does not automatically mean you can share them as standalone audio files. CapCut's Terms of Service set out how its content may be used. Your own voice and music you have licensed for this purpose are safe to export. Our guide to adding music to CapCut on PC covers copyright-safe music.

Troubleshooting audio exports

• No audio option in the export window. Update CapCut to the latest version from the official site; older builds may lay out the export window differently.
• The audio file is silent. A track was muted or the clip volume is at zero. Check every track header and the clip's volume, then export again.
• The voice drifts against the picture when you put it back into a video. See CapCut audio out of sync; variable frame rate footage is a common cause.
• The export fails. Check free disk space and the save folder, as described in our export failed fixes.

Sources we checked

We checked these official pages on 21 October 2026. CapCut changes its menus and plans often, so if a label on your screen differs from this guide, the tooltips and the in-app shortcut list in your version are the final word.

• Microsoft Store: CapCut listing (features and system requirements)
• YouTube Help: Recommended upload encoding settings
• CapCut Terms of Service

CapCut's own help pages could not be opened from our test location on that date, so where CapCut publishes no specifics we describe the feature in general terms rather than guess.