Separate Lead and Backing Vocals
Upload a song and get the lead vocal, the backing vocals and the instrumental as separate files.
- Online, in your browser: nothing to install
- Free to try: 5 credits when you sign in with Google, no card
- 1 credit per minute of song: a 4-minute song is 4 credits, about $0.30 (pricing)
- MP3, WAV, M4A or FLAC up to 10 minutes; parts download as 320 kbps MP3
- Failed splits give the credits back
Files are kept for 30 days
- Lead vocalsEmpty
- Backing vocalsEmpty
- InstrumentalEmpty
- Backing vocals + instrumentalEmpty
How to separate lead and backing vocals
- Upload the song. MP3, WAV, M4A or FLAC, up to 10 minutes. Sign in with Google the first time.
- Press Separate lead and backing vocals. The button shows the price before anything runs: 1 credit for every minute of music. New accounts start with 5 credits, enough for a song up to 5 minutes. Most songs take 1 to 3 minutes.
- Listen, then download. Click a reel to hear only that file. Each one downloads on its own as an MP3 at 320 kbps. If processing fails, your credits are returned.
The four files you get
- Lead vocals. The main singer on their own.
- Backing vocals. Harmonies, doubles and the "oohs" behind the lead.
- Instrumental. The band with all the voices removed.
- Backing vocals + instrumental. The band with the harmonies kept and the lead singer taken out.
That last file is the one most people come for. It is a karaoke track that still has the harmonies in it, so you sing the lead part over the original backing.
Who uses it
Singers and cover artists practise a harmony by itself, then sing it against the other parts. Producers pull the backing stack from an old record to sample or to re-layer under a new vocal. Vocal arrangers and choir directors listen to what the backing singers actually did. Video editors keep the harmonies for a scene and drop the lead so a voice-over fits.
What works well, and what leaves traces
The model decides which voice is "lead" by how it sits in the mix, so clear songs with one dominant singer work best. Pop, country and gospel records with a distinct lead and tidy harmonies are good candidates.
Expect some trouble when the lead and a double-tracked vocal sing the same line, because the model may split them unevenly. A harmony that follows the lead note for note can end up partly in each file. Duets with two equal singers do not have a "lead" to find; for those, try Separate Singers. Reverb on the lead can leave a faint tail in the other files.
If you want every voice removed, use the Vocal Remover or the Karaoke Maker instead.
FAQ
How much does it cost?
1 credit for every minute of the song, shown on the button before you start. New accounts get 5 credits. Failed jobs are refunded.
Will the backing vocals be fully separated?
Not always. Harmonies that sit very close to the lead, or are doubled exactly, may be split unevenly. Listen to both files and expect some bleed.
Which file is the karaoke track with harmonies?
Backing vocals + instrumental. The lead singer is gone and the harmonies stay.
What can I upload and what do I download?
Upload MP3, WAV, M4A or FLAC up to 10 minutes. Each of the four results downloads separately as an MP3 at 320 kbps.