The short answer
To remove the vocals from a song, use AI vocal separation software. Install Beltr, add a song you own, and its on-device AI splits the lead vocal from the instrumental in a minute or two, with nothing uploaded. Take the vocal out completely or just turn it down, then sing along or keep the instrumental. How clean it sounds depends on the song’s mix. If you only want the result, the vocal remover page lets you hear it on Beltr’s own theme song first.
Remove vocals in five steps
Install a vocal separation app
Download Beltr for Mac, Windows or Linux. It runs the AI on your own machine, so the song is never uploaded to a server, and it’s a one-time purchase rather than a subscription.
Add a song you own
Add an MP3, FLAC, WAV or MP4 from your own library. You aren’t limited to a fixed catalog.
Let the AI separate the vocals
Beltr’s on-device AI (MDX-Net) splits the lead vocal from the instrumental in a minute or two: quicker on a recent Apple Silicon Mac, longer on an older PC that only has a CPU. Once Beltr is set up it needs no internet connection to do this.
Adjust the mix
Slide the vocal all the way out for a clean instrumental, or leave a little in as a guide to sing against. The vocal and instrumental faders stay live while the song plays.
Sing or export
Every song Beltr separates gives you both stems: the instrumental and the vocal on its own. Sing along with synced lyrics on your TV, or export the song as MP3+G, CDG or
.karfor a karaoke machine.
How well does it actually work?
AI separation is far better than the old “cancel the centre channel” tricks, and on a well-recorded song the instrumental can sound very clean. It isn’t magic, though, and results vary by song. Densely layered, heavily processed or lo-fi tracks are harder to separate than a clear studio recording, and you may hear faint traces of the vocal. That’s why Beltr lets you lower the vocal instead of removing it entirely, and why the first 5 songs are free: try your actual songs, on your own machine, before you pay anything.
Already split the song somewhere else?
If you’ve run a song through StemDeck, a free, open-source stem splitter that also runs on your own machine, you don’t have to separate it again. Drop the StemDeck zip into Beltr and it becomes a karaoke song as fast as the files copy, with the lyrics on your TV and the phones in the room as remotes. StemDeck gives you the parts of a song; Beltr is what turns them into a night of singing.
StemDeck lists Beltr on its We Recommend list and takes no money for it, so the recommendation goes both ways.
Why do it on your own computer
Most online vocal removers ask you to upload your file and pay every month. Because Beltr runs the AI on your device, your music never leaves your computer, there’s no per-song limit, and it keeps working offline. And the song doesn’t stop at an instrumental: Beltr puts it on your TV with synced lyrics, turns phones into remotes and mics, and scores the singing. It costs $19.99 once. See how that compares with KaraFun’s subscription.