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Common fix · Audio

Make a karaoke track from a song

By Updated How we write these

1 min read

What you’ll end up with

A backing track without the lead vocal, in a key you know, ready to sing over.

Most songs are mixed with the lead vocal in the dead center of the stereo image and the instruments spread to the sides. Subtracting the left channel from the right cancels whatever is in the center — the vocal — and leaves the rest. It isn’t perfect, but on many songs it makes a very usable karaoke track in seconds.

It works best on older and simpler mixes. Modern pop with wide, reverb-heavy vocals leaves more of the voice behind.

What to do

  1. Remove the vocal

    Drop the song into the Vocal Remover. Keep Keep the bass and kick on, so the bass and kick drum — usually centered too — come back into the backing track.

    Remove the vocal

  2. Find the key and tempo

    Knowing the key tells you whether the song sits in your range; the tempo is handy for practice. Both are worked out from the audio.

    Find the key and BPM

  3. Trim it to the part you’ll sing

    Cut the intro, or keep just a verse and chorus for practice.

    Trim the track

Questions

Why can I still hear the singer faintly?

Because part of the vocal wasn’t in the exact center: reverb, echo and double-tracked harmonies spread it into the sides, where cancelling doesn’t reach. Older and live recordings usually come out cleaner than modern pop.

Can I get just the vocals instead?

Not with center cancellation, which can remove the middle but can’t isolate it. That needs a stem-separation model, which isn’t on this site yet.

Can I change the key to suit my voice?

Not here yet: that needs pitch shifting. Knowing the key still helps you pick a version of the song, or tell a band which key to play in.

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