Whether you can remove audio from a YouTube video depends on whether it’s already published and what exactly you want gone — all the audio, or just a copyrighted music track. These have different solutions.
Removing Audio From an Already-Published Video
- Go to YouTube Studio > Content and open the video.
- Click Editor in the left menu.
- Select the Audio tool.
- Mute the original track using the volume control, or replace it with a track from YouTube’s free Audio Library.
- Save — YouTube reprocesses the video, which can take some time.
The advantage of editing in Studio is that the video keeps its URL, views, comments, and watch time. Re-uploading loses all of that.
The Common Real Reason: A Copyright Claim
Most people looking for this are trying to clear a Content ID claim on background music. For that specific case there’s a better option than muting everything.
In Studio, open the claim details and look for Remove song or Mute song. YouTube’s system can often isolate and remove just the claimed music while leaving your speech intact — and once done, the claim is released and your monetization is restored. This is far better than muting the whole video, which destroys any narration you had.
Note the isolation isn’t always perfect. If the music is heavily mixed under speech, removing it can leave artifacts — check the result before assuming it’s fine.
Removing Audio Before Uploading
For full control, strip the audio in an editor first. CapCut, DaVinci Resolve, and even VLC’s conversion feature can remove an audio track entirely. This is the right approach if you want the silent version to be the permanent one.
Think Twice Before Removing All Audio
Silent videos perform poorly on YouTube. Beyond the accessibility problem — viewers who rely on audio lose the content entirely — silence reads as a broken video to most people, who leave within seconds. That drop-off is a strong negative signal.
If the goal is removing distracting or poor-quality audio, replacing it with royalty-free music from YouTube’s Audio Library usually works far better than leaving it silent. And if there was narration, adding captions preserves the information the audio carried.
What You Can’t Do
You can’t remove audio from someone else’s video, and downloading a video to strip its audio generally violates YouTube’s Terms of Service unless it’s your own content or you have permission.
FAQ
Can I remove audio without re-uploading?
Yes. YouTube Studio’s Editor has an Audio tool that lets you mute or replace audio without re-uploading, so the video keeps its views and comments.
How do I remove just the copyrighted music?
Use the Remove song or Mute song option in the claim details — it often isolates just the claimed music and releases the claim, keeping your speech intact.
How do silent videos perform?
Poorly. Silence reads as a broken video and viewers leave quickly — replacing the audio with royalty-free music usually works far better.
Can I remove audio from someone else’s video?
No. You can only edit your own videos, and downloading someone else’s to strip audio generally violates YouTube’s terms.