Free online MTS to WAV converter

Audio editors, transcription tools, and playback devices may accept WAV but not an AVCHD video file. Converting an MTS recording extracts its audio stream into a WAV file; it does not convert the video into higher-quality audio.

What the MTS format is

MTS is a filename extension commonly used for AVCHD video recorded by Sony, Panasonic, Canon, and other camcorders. It is an MPEG transport stream container that typically holds H.264/AVC video and AC-3 (Dolby Digital) or LPCM audio.

MTS files commonly appear after copying footage from a camcorder, SD card, or AVCHD folder. Video editors such as Adobe Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, and Final Cut Pro can import many MTS files, while audio-only applications may require the soundtrack as WAV.

What the WAV format is

WAV is a RIFF-based audio container supported by digital audio workstations, sound editors, media players, operating systems, and hardware recorders. It commonly stores uncompressed PCM audio, avoiding another lossy compression stage when the source audio is already decoded.

PCM WAV is suitable for editing, noise reduction, transcription, sound design, and archival processing. It requires substantially more storage than compressed audio: 48 kHz, 16-bit, stereo PCM uses approximately 10.6 MB per minute. WAV is a container, so a WAV file can also contain formats other than PCM; choose PCM when broad compatibility is required.

How to convert with FFmpeg

FFmpeg is the most direct desktop method because it can demux the MTS container, decode its audio, discard the video, and write PCM WAV without opening a video editor. Install FFmpeg, open a terminal in the source folder, and run:

ffmpeg -i input.mts -map 0:a:0 -vn -c:a pcm_s16le output.wav

Replace input.mts and output.wav with the actual filenames. -map 0:a:0 selects the first audio stream, -vn excludes video, and pcm_s16le creates 16-bit PCM WAV.

For 24-bit PCM output, use:

ffmpeg -i input.mts -map 0:a:0 -vn -c:a pcm_s24le output.wav

FFmpeg preserves the source sample rate and channel count unless you specify otherwise. To produce a standard 48 kHz stereo file, use:

ffmpeg -i input.mts -map 0:a:0 -vn -ar 48000 -ac 2 -c:a pcm_s16le output.wav

If the file contains several audio streams, inspect them first with ffprobe input.mts. Change -map 0:a:0 to -map 0:a:1 or another stream index to select a different track.

How to convert with 101convert

You can convert an MTS file on 101convert.com for free without installing software. Select the MTS file, choose WAV as the output format, start the conversion, and download the resulting file when processing finishes. Uploading is unsuitable for private recordings or very large files unless the service's privacy, upload, and retention terms are acceptable.

How to convert with Audacity

Audacity may import MTS files when its FFmpeg support is installed. Use File → Import → Audio, select the MTS file, then use File → Export Audio, choose WAV and PCM encoding, and save the result. If Audacity cannot read the MTS file, extract the audio with FFmpeg first and import the resulting WAV.

Quality and compatibility limits

When the MTS audio is AC-3, converting it to PCM WAV does not restore information removed by the original lossy compression; it only changes the decoded storage format. A higher WAV bit depth or sample rate than the source cannot add missing detail.

Check the output's sample rate, bit depth, channel count, and duration before editing. Downmixing with -ac 2 changes multichannel audio to stereo, and selecting the wrong stream can produce a different language, microphone track, or commentary channel.

Traditional RIFF WAV files use 32-bit chunk sizes and may become impractical near 4 GB. For very long recordings, use RF64 or split the output if the receiving application supports it.