How do I make a karaoke version of a song?
To make a karaoke version, you need to separate the singer’s voice from the music. Speechma’s free AI vocal isolator does the hard part: upload the song and it returns two files: the isolated vocal and a music-only track. The music-only track is your sing-along backing track. The vocal is useful too: keep it at low volume as a “guide vocal” that helps you stay on pitch, or use it to time your lyrics.
Karaoke has different needs from remixing or producing, which is what our vocal remover page covers. Here we focus on singing: getting a usable backing track, keeping the key comfortable and syncing lyrics on screen.
How do I turn a song into a karaoke backing track?
This method uses Speechma for the AI separation and a free editor such as Audacity for optional finishing touches.
- Isolate the vocalIn Music Studio, open the Vocal Isolator, upload the song (MP3, WAV, M4A, or a video such as MP4), enter the code and press Isolate Vocals. Download the music-only track and the vocal.
- Listen to the music-only trackPlay it through once. The lead vocal should be gone, leaving the band. On dense mixes, a faint trace of voice can remain.
- Load it in your editor (optional)Import the music-only track into Audacity (free on Windows, Mac and Linux) if you want to trim the intro, add a fade or change the key.
- Line up the vocal (optional)Import the isolated vocal too and line both up so they start at exactly the same point.
- Export the backing trackUse File › Export to save an MP3. That is your karaoke track.
- Optional: add a guide vocalFor practice, mix the isolated vocal back in at a low level so you can hear the melody without it dominating.
Which karaoke track do I need?
| Goal | What to make | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Practice a song for an audition or choir | Backing track plus quiet guide vocal | Lower the guide a little more each week as you learn the melody |
| Family karaoke night | Music-only track, no vocal | Pick well-known songs with clear, upfront vocals; they separate best |
| Learn harmonies | Isolated vocal only | Listen on headphones to hear backing vocals that get lost in the full mix |
| Perform your own original song | Create a fresh instrumental | Use the AI song generator with “instrumental only” turned on |
| Make a lyric video for your own song | Backing track plus timed lyrics | Get sentence timestamps from the isolated vocal (see below) |
How do I sync lyrics for a karaoke video?
The classic karaoke look, where words light up as they are sung, needs to know when each line starts. You can get that timing for free:
- Run the isolated vocal (not the full song) through audio transcription and choose timestamps per sentence. Without drums and guitars in the way, the words come through much more clearly.
- Correct any misheard words against the official lyrics.
- Use the timestamps to place text cues in your video editor, such as CapCut, Premiere or DaVinci Resolve, one line at a time.
For original songs, the lyrics generator can draft the words in 50 languages when you are writing something new. Then time them with sentence timestamps as above.
Which songs make the best karaoke tracks?
- Songs with one clear lead singer. Pop, country and classic rock ballads usually separate cleanly.
- High-quality source files. A purchased MP3 or WAV gives better results than a low-bitrate rip.
- Less reverb on the vocal. Very wet, echoey vocals can leave faint “ghost” traces in the backing track.
- Harder cases: dense choir sections, heavy distortion, and live recordings with crowd noise. Expect some leftover voice.
- Length: uploads up to about 9 minutes work, which covers almost every radio-length song.
Use songs you have the right to use
Making a karaoke track for private practice is very different from publishing one. Uploading karaoke versions of commercial songs to YouTube or TikTok, or using them in paid events, can require permission from the rights holders. Use this tool for songs you own, have licensed, or for personal use, and see our copyright policy. Speechma does not store your uploads on its servers.
Frequently asked questions
Is the karaoke track maker free?
Does Speechma give me the instrumental directly?
Why can I still hear a little of the singer?
Can I make a karaoke track from a YouTube or TikTok video?
Can I change the key to suit my voice?
Can I post my karaoke cover online?
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