QuickTime Player cannot directly export audio as an MP3 file. Apple’s native QuickTime Player only allows you to export audio as an Apple MPEG-4 file (M4A/AAC format). To get an actual MP3 file, you can extract the audio using QuickTime first and then convert it using Apple Music (formerly iTunes), or you can use free alternative converters like VLC Media Player. Method 1: The Native Apple Way (QuickTime + Apple Music)
This free method uses only built-in Mac tools and requires no third-party software installations. Step 1: Extract Audio in QuickTime Open your .mov file in QuickTime Player. Click File in the top menu bar. Hover over Export As and select Audio Only.
Choose a save location and click Save. This creates an .m4a audio file. Step 2: Convert M4A to MP3 via Apple Music Open the Apple Music app on your Mac.
In the menu bar, go to Music > Settings (or Preferences on older macOS versions). Click the Files tab, then click Import Settings.
Change the Import Using dropdown menu to MP3 Encoder. Click OK.
Drag and drop your newly created .m4a file into your Music library. Click to select the track in your library.
Go to File > Convert > Create MP3 Version. Your MP3 file will appear right next to it. Method 2: Convert Directly Using VLC Media Player
If you want to skip the two-step process, you can use the free, open-source VLC Media Player to convert the file directly. Open VLC Media Player.
Click File in the top menu bar and select Convert / Stream (on Mac) or Media > Convert / Save (on Windows). Click Open media to upload your .mov file.
Under the Choose Profile section, select Audio – MP3 from the dropdown menu.
In the Choose Destination section, click Save as File and choose where to save your track.
Explicitly type .mp3 at the very end of your file name to ensure the correct file extension. Click Save. Method 3: Use Free Online Converters