Define a listening task rather than a file export
If you want to listen to your own recorded lecture without keeping its video on screen, decide whether you need a temporary audio-only session or a separate saved audio file. Those are different tasks. A player command can change playback presentation without producing a new artifact.
Choose a short authorized video with clear speech and keep its original unchanged. Record the selected audio track if it has alternatives. The audio-only route cannot supply a soundtrack missing from the source.
Use the documented video-item action
VideoLAN’s Android Video Explorer page lists Play as audio in the video item’s additional options. Use that action on the intended file in the installed touch interface. Read the actual item name before selecting it, particularly when several edits share similar thumbnails.
Listen to the known speech passage and confirm it is the intended track. Keep this result separate from changing the global leave-app policy. An audio-only command and background/PiP behavior can interact in the overall experience, but they are different choices to inspect.
Check ordinary listening controls
Inspect pause, resume and a small seek through the actual audio interface. Keep playback speed normal during the first comparison. If the item is a restricted live source, do not assume the same seeking behavior as an ordinary local lecture recording.
Leave and return through the intended navigation route and note whether listening continues according to the configured policy. A network interruption or system power event is a separate result. Do not count a disconnected source stopping as proof that the audio-only command failed.
Verify the absence of an unintended file operation
If a saved soundtrack is required, use an explicit supported conversion workflow and inspect its output separately. A listening session is not evidence that an audio file has been exported to storage. Keep the video original until any later conversion is verified.
The expected outcome is a usable audio-only playback route for the actual item. It does not reduce the source’s stored file size, create an offline copy or grant permission to redistribute its audio. Retain the item, selected track and background policy in any support case.
Questions answered
Does Play as audio automatically create an MP3 file?
No. Treat playback mode and an explicit conversion/export as separate tasks.
Can it add audio that is absent from the video?
No. Verify the actual available track and source content.
Sources & further reading
Official references for the subjects discussed. Service terms and device software can change.