Song Splitter
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By Emmanuel Ansah · June 13, 2026 · 5 min read

How to Make a Karaoke Track from Any Song

A karaoke track is just the song with the lead vocal taken out. Here is how to make one for free using AI, then sing over it.

Whether you are running an event, leading worship, hosting a karaoke night, or practising a cover, you need the instrumental version of a song. Buying official karaoke versions is hit or miss, and many tracks were never released as instrumentals at all. The fix is to remove the vocal from the original recording yourself with AI stem separation.

Step by step

  1. Open the app and sign in. Go to stemsplits.com and sign in with Google. No credit card is required to start.
  2. Upload the song. Use the highest quality file you have. A 320 kbps MP3 or a WAV gives a cleaner result than a low bitrate file.
  3. Preview it free. Run the free 30 second preview to confirm the vocal comes out cleanly before processing the whole song.
  4. Split into stems. The AI returns Vocals, Drums, Bass, and Other.
  5. Build the instrumental. Use the custom mix option to combine Drums, Bass, and Other into one file, leaving the Vocals out. That single file is your karaoke track.
  6. Download and save. Download it as an MP3. A copy is also saved to your Google Drive so you can pull it up from any device at the venue.
💡 Tip: Some songs layer the lead vocal with harmony or backing vocals. The AI removes the main vocal very well, but faint backing vocals can sometimes remain. For a busy mix, that small amount is usually inaudible once the band and a live singer are going.

Getting the best karaoke result

  • Pick the cleanest source file. Streaming rips and heavy compression make separation harder.
  • If you want the words on screen too, add the lyrics separately in your karaoke or presentation software. The instrumental file does not carry lyrics.
  • Test the track on the actual sound system before the event. Levels can feel different on big speakers.
⚠️ Copyright reminder: Making an instrumental for personal practice is generally fine, but public performance of copyrighted music may require a licence depending on your country and venue. Check your local rules before a paid or public event.

Want the vocal instead of the instrumental? See how to extract an acapella, or read the full guide to splitting a song into stems.

Try it free at stemsplits.com → no credit card needed.