How To: Remove Vocals from Songs Using Audacity

Need to remove the vocals from a song? Audacity just might be the answer. It's one of the few free audio editing programs out there with many, many features, making it simple to create a track for karaoke or simply to listen to an instrumental version.

Removing vocals from any song is a super-easy process, so let's get right to it. Start by, of course, downloading and installing Audacity for free, which is available for Windows, Mac, and Linux. Note I'll be using the Windows version, but the steps will be similar if not exactly the same for Mac and Linux versions.

Step 1: Load Audio File into Audacity

Open Audacity, then choose File -> Open and select the track you wish to remove vocals from.

How to Remove Vocals from Songs Using Audacity

Step 2: Split the Track

Once your track is loaded into Audacity, select the drop-down menu for the track, then choose the option to Split Stereo Track.

Now your song is split into its left and right channels.

Step 3: Invert Bottom Channel

Click on the bottom channel to select it, then choose the option for Effect -> Invert from the menu bar.

Step 4: Set Each Track to Mono

We're almost done! Last thing to do is to set each track as mono. Select the drop down option for the top track, then choose Mono. Now do the same for the bottom track.

That's it! Now you can choose File from the menu bar and save the track.

One Final Tip

You may notice you can still barely hear the vocals. If that's the case, go to Effect -> Amplify and choose a negative level value—you'll want to play around with the exact values until you find one that works best for your specific track.

For a video guide, check out the tutorial below.

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Cover photo and screenshots via WonderHowTo

35 Comments

it's a four star . do more videos

followed directions still had voice and music but it had an echo sound.and was softer. any idea what I did wrong. your directions were so easy to follow

do you need to buy the sofeware to do this---- remove vocals

thanks

@davmad7 Audacity is an open source program. Which means that you don't have to buy the program. So cheer up and enjoy!
Just a point, I think that you can join the track again and use it somewhere. There is a tool in the program that lets you to remove the vocals. It is there in the effects section or something. But it asks for the frequency of the vocals,which makes the normal users be confused.

I always use Audacity to edit few song, here and there... Gonna try it. Godspeed!

Hmm, what if it doesn't come up as two boxes when you open it?

mine..i did that but everything went away. not just the vocals, but the instrumental" as well...O__O WHY?

you speak so much, man... the instructions are not even about 2 minutes, and you speak about blah blah rest of the time...

couldn't do the split thing

I just did ctrl+D and followed instructions and didn't work couldn't here anything

Is there any way to remove a specific set of vocals? Ex; if two people are singing during a song and i want to remove 1of 2???

GUYS FACE IT IT DOSENT REMOVES THE VOCALS IT JUST LOVERING THE VOLUME OF THE VOCALS ... OO GOD MAKE A VIDEO THAT REALLY MUTES,RIP,CUT's THE VOCALSSSSS

fkk this it doesn't do any shiit ive gota bitter one emal me and i will get it for you?

my mono isn't working

never mind

but i still hear alot of the vocal

This program just makes the song click O.O not very nice to listen too. Ugh.

You don't have to go through the steps. Just use Dexster Audio Editor and it will remove the vocals automatically for you.

Can I remove violin from this track https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHjpOzsQ9YI?

this is exactly what I was looking to do

i still can hear his voice :( what do i do !?

Was pleasantly surprised when this worked. Good job!

Is there anyone who can please help separate the sounds for me ...

how to save it

I couldn't find the split stereo track option. Where is it?

Nvm. I found it. But now I couldn't find mono.

I found it. It works. Not completely but it's good for now

where did you find mono?

i dont find the mono option. pls help

Just downloaded Audacity today, v2.2.1. There is not even an option for mono (not grayed out, not even there) on the dropdown menu for each track, as the instructions say for removing vocals from a song, after inverting the right channel. Running MacbookAir, 10.9.5 ios.

Mono has been removed in v2.2.1 but if you just load your clip into the software, go up to Effect, then Vocal Remover. It does the same thing but automatically. The output quality is still poor but it works just the same.