MP4s will no longer convert to MP3s.

[Erft]

I've been using VLC to convert my MP4s to MP3s for years. But today (29 July 2022) when I tried to convert a video of 5 minutes and 3 seconds to MP3, something odd and annoying happened...

Process:
To convert a file, I add the MP4 file to VLC after clicking "Convert/Save".
"Convert/Save" ––> "Destination File"... I'm used to having a choice of what file format/container to convert the file into. My choices now only consist of "MP4", or "All Files"
I tried both, and as always, put ".mp3" on the end of my file name.

In both cases, only the first 7 seconds were audio-only. The rest of it was video.

So then I tried a 3 minute video from another camera, in case the program was having difficulty with the length of the file (it shouldn't). But the 3 minute video didn't even have 7 seconds of audio at the beginning. It was completely unchanged, 100% video.

Both the new files that VLC says it converted are listed in the file folder as Type "MP3 Audio File (VLC)". But they're 100% video.

I uninstalled and reinstalled VLC. I made sure to delete all preferences and cache. I restarted the computer. VLC still will not convert MP4s to MP3s.

VLC has worked excellently for years but now seems very buggy and no longer does what it is expected to do. I don't know if this is related to how suddenly SRT files will no longer play subtitles on videos. A few minutes in, the subtitles stop, and at the end of the movie during the credits, the subtitles suddenly take up again from where they left off. But VLC suddenly wont do the things you expect it to do.


I can't find any other post here about this/these issue(s). Are there any solutions? I can live without subtitles, but I really need to convert these MP4s to MP3s.

Windows Home 10
Acer Aspire PC

[Lotesdelere]

Reset the preferences and it will restore the default profiles:
https://wiki.videolan.org/VSG:ResetPrefs

[Erft]

This does not work.

I tried it before I uninstalled and removed all preferences and cache.
When I uninstalled I removed all preferences and cache.
I did not make any changes to the program when I reinstalled it.

I deleted the vlc folder as the article says to do if resetting preferences doesn't fix the problem.

Any MP4 I try to change to MP3 still remains at MP4 (first 7 seconds as audio only for that 5 minute video).

[Erft]

Clarification: the first 7 seconds of that 5-minute video remain as audio-only. The rest is MP4 video.

[Hitchhiker]

Works for me.

Here's a pix of the profile you should be using to extract the audio from an mp4.


(click to enlarge)

When you click the Browse button where it reads "Destination file" it takes you to the folder where the original mp4 is located with the mp4 already selected. What you have to do there is to change mp4 to mp3 and then click Save. That places it in the Destination field as an mp3 as can be seen in the image. Click Start to begin the extraction.

Your original file remains intact and what you get is an mp3 audio file in addition to the original source file which you can delete if you don't want to keep it.

[Erft]

To my everlasting shame, I had not noticed that the Profile was blank (gray box) and that I had to rechoose "mp3".



It's been a long time since I set VLC up, so I don't even check that by route. I don't know why it reset so I'd have to rechoose mp3 as the profile, but at least this post will help other people who are just too distracted to notice that the profile's blank, and are having the same problem.

The image you were able to include in your reply was extremely helpful. Thank you.