diff --git a/youtube_dl/PostProcessor.py b/youtube_dl/PostProcessor.py
index 4f0a165ba..fddf58606 100644
--- a/youtube_dl/PostProcessor.py
+++ b/youtube_dl/PostProcessor.py
@@ -100,7 +100,8 @@ class FFmpegExtractAudioPP(FFmpegPostProcessor):
         self._nopostoverwrites = nopostoverwrites
 
     def get_audio_codec(self, path):
-        if not self._exes['ffprobe'] and not self._exes['avprobe']: return None
+        if not self._exes['ffprobe'] and not self._exes['avprobe']:
+            raise PostProcessingError(u'ffprobe or avprobe not found. Please install one.')
         try:
             cmd = [self._exes['avprobe'] or self._exes['ffprobe'], '-show_streams', encodeFilename(self._ffmpeg_filename_argument(path))]
             handle = subprocess.Popen(cmd, stderr=compat_subprocess_get_DEVNULL(), stdout=subprocess.PIPE)