Vocal Remover
Remove the lead vocal from a stereo song by cancelling the sound mixed to the center, for a quick karaoke track.
How it works
- 1Drop a stereo song. A lossless WAV or FLAC, or a high-bitrate MP3, works best.
- 2Leave Channels on Remove center.
- 3Press Apply, listen and download the karaoke track.
How center-channel vocal removal works
In most studio mixes, the lead vocal is placed in the center: it is equally loud in the left and right channels. Guitars, keyboards and other parts are often panned more to one side. The tool subtracts the right channel from the left. Anything that is the same in both channels cancels out, and what differs between them is kept.
That subtraction is also why the result is mono and why the bass, kick and snare get quieter or disappear: they are usually in the center as well. It is the same trick older karaoke machines used, not AI stem separation, so how well it works depends entirely on how the song was mixed.
Getting the best result
- Start from the best copy of the song you have. A WAV or FLAC file, or an MP3 at 256 to 320 kbps, leaves far less vocal residue than a 128 kbps file.
- Studio recordings work better than live recordings, where the room sound reaches both channels differently.
- Songs with a single dry lead vocal work best. Heavy vocal reverb, doubled vocals and choirs leave more of the voice behind.
- Old stereo recordings that pan the vocal to one side won't work, and neither will mono songs.