Guide
How to Make Karaoke from Any Song
5 min read · Free tools included
Karaoke tracks — instrumentals with the lead vocal removed — used to require expensive studio software or a professional engineer. Today, AI vocal removal tools have made this instant and free. Here is exactly how to do it.
What is a karaoke track?
A karaoke track is simply a song with the lead vocalist removed, leaving the backing instruments, drums, bass, and harmonies intact. Singers use these to practice or perform without the original artist overshadowing them.
For decades, official karaoke versions had to be licensed from record labels. Now, AI can produce a near-identical result from any MP3 in seconds.
Step-by-step: make karaoke with Opus
Find your MP3
Download the song you want as an MP3 file. Most music streaming apps do not allow direct downloads, but you likely already have MP3 files on your device, or you can find DRM-free music on Bandcamp or SoundCloud.
Upload it to Opus
Go to the homepage and drag your MP3 into the upload zone, or click "Remove Vocals Now" to browse. Files up to 500 MB are accepted.
Wait for AI processing
The AI will separate your track into stems — usually in under 30 seconds for a typical 3-minute song. You will see a live progress indicator while it works.
Download your karaoke track
Once ready, click the download button to save your instrumental MP3. The file is available for 1 hour after processing.
Tips for best results
- Use studio recordings rather than live versions — cleaner audio separates better.
- Avoid songs with lots of vocal reverb or heavy chorus effects — these bleed into the instrumental.
- MP3 files at 192 kbps or higher produce cleaner results than low-bitrate files.
- Some background vocals may remain — this is normal with AI separation.
Frequently asked questions
Is it legal to make karaoke from a copyrighted song?
Creating a private instrumental for personal use (practicing at home) generally falls under fair use in most countries. Performing or distributing the track publicly may require a license from the rights holder.
Why are some vocals still audible in the result?
AI vocal separation is not perfect — some vocal frequencies overlap with instruments. Songs with complex arrangements or unusual mixing will have more bleed-through than others.
Can I use the result commercially?
Copyright in the original song still applies. For commercial use, obtain the appropriate mechanical or sync license from the rights holder.
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