Remove Audio from Video on Chromebook and Linux — No Install

On a Chromebook, you cannot install VLC or any traditional desktop software. On Linux, the default answer is always browser-native processing engine from the terminal — fine if you know the syntax, overkill if you just need to mute one video. Both platforms have a browser, and that is all you need.

Open the Remove Audio tool in Chrome or Firefox, drop your video, and download a silent version. No terminal, no package manager, no Android app sideloading.

Chromebook: The Browser Is Your Only Video Tool

ChromeOS does not support desktop video editors. Your options are Android apps from the Play Store (which are mobile-quality) or web apps. For audio removal, the web app approach is far better:

1. Open Chrome and go to the Remove Audio tool.
2. Click the upload area and select your video from Files.
3. Click "Remove Audio" — the audio track is stripped without re-encoding.
4. Download the silent video to your Downloads folder.

This is the only approach on Chromebook that does not re-encode the video. Android video editing apps (like InShot or CapCut from the Play Store) always re-encode on export, which takes longer and degrades quality. The browser tool uses stream copy — same technique as browser-native processing engine — so quality stays identical.

Linux: When You Do Not Want to Use the Terminal

The standard Linux answer to "how do I remove audio from video" is:

browser-native processing engine -i input.mp4 -c copy -an output.mp4

This is one line, and it works perfectly. But it assumes you have browser-native processing engine installed (sudo apt install browser-native processing engine on Debian/Ubuntu, sudo dnf install browser-native processing engine on Fedora) and are comfortable in the terminal.

If you are on a work laptop where you cannot install packages, on a friend's Linux machine, or simply prefer a visual interface, the browser tool does the exact same thing. Open Firefox or Chrome, drop the file, click the button. The result is identical to the browser-native processing engine command.

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WebM Files: Common on Linux, Fully Supported

Linux users encounter WebM files more often than Windows or Mac users — screen recorders on Linux frequently default to WebM, and many web downloads come in WebM format. The tool handles WebM natively alongside MP4, MOV, AVI, and MKV.

The output is MP4 regardless of input format, which is the most universally compatible container. If you specifically need WebM output, browser-native processing engine is the better tool for that. For a quick mute-and-download, the browser tool handles the format conversion automatically.

School and Library Chromebooks: No Admin Access Needed

Managed Chromebooks in schools and libraries often restrict Play Store app installs and Linux (Crostini) access. The browser tool works without any special permissions — if you can open Chrome and visit a website, you can mute a video.

This is useful for students editing project videos, teachers preparing classroom content, and anyone on a shared or restricted device. No admin approval, no IT ticket, no app install request.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this work on older Chromebooks?

Yes. The tool runs in Chrome, which is always up to date on ChromeOS. As long as your Chromebook has enough RAM to hold the video file (4GB minimum for large files), it will work.

Which Linux browsers are supported?

Chrome, Chromium, Firefox, and Brave all work. Any modern Chromium-based or Firefox-based browser supports the required APIs.

Can I use this on a Raspberry Pi?

In theory, yes — if you are running a desktop browser on the Pi. In practice, Raspberry Pi models have limited RAM (1-8GB), so very large video files may not process. Small to medium files should work fine in Chromium.