VSE : Bring audio back

Question

After removing the audio part of a video strip, is there a way to bring it back (other than Ctrl+Z or manually re-importing and re-cutting the video)?

For example, in Kdenlive, you can right-click on a strip and click on "Restore audio".

Answer 1

It is possible to do using Python.

As a standalone script to run from the text editor or used in the Toolshelf addon (success and error messages will be posted in Blender's console):

import bpy

if (video_strip := bpy.context.scene.sequence_editor.active_strip):
    # Check if the strip is a video strip
    if video_strip.type == 'MOVIE':
        movie_file = video_strip.filepath
        movie_name = video_strip.name
        start_frame = video_strip.frame_start
        final_duration = video_strip.frame_final_duration
        start_offset = video_strip.frame_offset_start
        end_offset = video_strip.frame_offset_end

        # Create a new sound strip using the same data block
        sound_strip = bpy.context.scene.sequence_editor.sequences.new_sound(
            name=f"{movie_name} Audio",
            filepath=movie_file,
            channel=video_strip.channel + 1,
            frame_start=int(start_frame)
        )
        sound_strip.frame_final_duration = final_duration
        sound_strip.frame_offset_start = start_offset
        sound_strip.frame_offset_end = end_offset

        print("Audio strip successfully recovered.")

    else:
        print("Selected strip is not a video strip.")
else:
    print("Please select a video strip.")

Or as an operator under the sequencer's strip menu:

import bpy

class sequencer_OT_audio_from_video(bpy.types.Operator):
    """Recreates audio strip from selected video strip"""
    bl_idname = "sequencer.simple_operator"
    bl_label = "Audio from Video strip"

    @classmethod
    def poll(cls, context):
        if context.scene.sequence_editor.active_strip == None:
            cls.poll_message_set("Please select a video strip.")
        return context.scene.sequence_editor.active_strip

    def execute(self, context):
        video_strip = bpy.context.scene.sequence_editor.active_strip
        # Check if the strip is a video strip
        if video_strip.type == 'MOVIE':
            movie_file = video_strip.filepath
            movie_name = video_strip.name
            start_frame = video_strip.frame_start
            final_duration = video_strip.frame_final_duration
            start_offset = video_strip.frame_offset_start
            end_offset = video_strip.frame_offset_end

            # Create a new sound strip using the same data block
            sound_strip = bpy.context.scene.sequence_editor.sequences.new_sound(
                name=f"{movie_name} Audio",
                filepath=movie_file,
                channel=video_strip.channel + 1,
                frame_start=int(start_frame)
            )
            sound_strip.frame_final_duration = final_duration
            sound_strip.frame_offset_start = start_offset
            sound_strip.frame_offset_end = end_offset

            self.report({"INFO"}, "Audio strip successfully recovered.")

        else:
            self.report({"WARNING"}, "Selected strip is not a video strip.")
        return {'FINISHED'}


def menu_func(self, context):
    self.layout.operator(sequencer_OT_audio_from_video.bl_idname, text=sequencer_OT_audio_from_video.bl_label)

def register():
    bpy.utils.register_class(sequencer_OT_audio_from_video)
    bpy.types.SEQUENCER_MT_strip.append(menu_func)


def unregister():
    bpy.utils.unregister_class(sequencer_OT_audio_from_video)
    bpy.types.SEQUENCER_MT_strip.remove(menu_func)


if __name__ == "__main__":
    register()

It will have a proper GUI. And you can save it in your Blender user directory/script/startup to always have it registered when Blender starts. But it will ask permission to be executed.