How to Make a Vocal Cover: Complete Beginner's Guide [Recording, Mixing & Vocal Removal]

5 Steps to Publishing Your Vocal Cover

"I want to make a vocal cover, but I have no idea where to start" — if that sounds like you, this guide is for you. We'll walk through all five stages: recording, finding an instrumental track, mixing, mastering, and uploading. No professional studio gear required — you can start today, and we'll show you exactly how.

STEP 1: Get an Instrumental (Backing) Track

Every vocal cover starts with an instrumental or karaoke track. There are three main ways to get one.

① Use an Officially Released Instrumental

Many artists and producers officially release instrumental versions of their songs on platforms like YouTube or their own websites. Search for the song title plus "instrumental" or "karaoke version" and you'll often find something. Always read the usage terms — look for restrictions on crediting the creator or non-commercial use.

② Create an Instrumental Using an AI Vocal Remover

If you can't find an official instrumental, you can generate one yourself using AI to remove the vocals from the original track. LA Studio's AI Vocal Remover lets you upload any audio file in your browser and instantly splits it into vocals and instrumental. It uses the Demucs model with WebGPU processing for fast, high-quality separation.

How to remove vocals:

1. Open the Vocal Remover page
2. Click "Choose File" and upload your audio file (MP3, WAV, etc.)
3. Wait for the AI to process it (usually 3–5 minutes)
4. Select "Instrumental (No Vocals)" and download

Important: using copyrighted music without authorization is copyright infringement. Before posting a cover to YouTube or similar platforms, check whether the song is covered by that platform's licensing agreements with rights organizations like ASCAP, BMI, or SESAC. When in doubt, check the rights organization's database or consult their official guidance on user-generated content.

③ Use Stem Separation for Higher Quality Instrumentals

For even cleaner results, try stem separation. This splits a track into individual components — vocals, drums, bass, and other instruments — so you can mute just the vocal stem and keep everything else intact.

STEP 2: Set Up Your Recording Space

The two biggest factors in vocal recording quality are your microphone and your room acoustics. You don't need expensive gear — just follow these basics.

Choosing a Microphone

For beginners, a USB condenser microphone is the easiest starting point. It plugs straight into your computer with no audio interface needed. Popular options include:

• Blue Yeti (~$100–$130) — versatile polar pattern options, great all-rounder
• Audio-Technica AT2020USB+ (~$100) — clear, detailed highs that work well for vocals
• FIFINE K669B (~$30–$40) — solid budget option for getting started

If your budget allows, an XLR condenser mic paired with an audio interface will give you noticeably better sound quality. The Audio-Technica AT2020 with a Focusrite Scarlett Solo (around $200 total) is a classic combo used by countless vocal cover creators.

Treating Your Room

Room acoustics matter just as much as your mic. A few simple tricks can dramatically improve your recordings:

• Hang blankets or duvets around your recording area to absorb reflections
• Record inside a closet — the clothes act as natural sound absorption
• Put down a rug or carpet to reduce floor reflections
• Close windows and turn off fans, AC units, or anything else that hums before you hit record

STEP 3: Record Your Vocals

You'll record inside a DAW (Digital Audio Workstation). Here's the basic workflow:

1. Open your DAW and import the instrumental track — add the file you prepared in Step 1 to your project
2. Sing along to the instrumental through headphones — never use speakers while recording, or the mic will pick up the backing track bleed
3. Record multiple takes — don't aim for a perfect single take. Record each section 3–5 times and pick the best moments — this is called "comping"
4. Record the chorus separately — choruses are often louder and more demanding, so recording them in a separate session helps you get more consistent performances

STEP 4: Mix Your Vocals

Mixing is where vocal covers really come to life — and it's the deepest rabbit hole in the whole process. Here are the essential effects every beginner should learn, in order.

① Noise Reduction

Raw recordings almost always contain background noise — AC hum, room tone, computer fan noise. Start by running your vocal through a noise reduction plugin or tool. AI-based options can automatically detect the noise floor from silent sections and cleanly strip it out, leaving just your voice.

② Pitch Correction (Auto-Tune)

Pitch correction fixes off-key notes. There are two main ways to use it: transparent correction and as an effect.

• Transparent correction — set the Retune Speed slow (50–80ms) to gently nudge pitchy notes without sounding processed. Most listeners won't know it's there.
• Effect mode — set Retune Speed to 0ms for the iconic robotic, heavily quantized sound used in pop and EDM.

③ EQ (Equalization)

EQ shapes the tonal character of your voice. Here are some reliable starting-point settings for vocals:

• High-pass filter below 80Hz — cuts low-end rumble and mic handling noise
• Slight cut around 200–400Hz — reduces muddiness and boxiness
• 1–2dB boost around 2–4kHz — improves presence and intelligibility
• Gentle boost around 10–12kHz — adds air and brightness to the top end

④ Compression

A compressor evens out the dynamic range of your vocals so they sit more consistently in the mix. Good starting settings for beginners:

• Threshold: −20 to −15dB
• Ratio: 3:1 to 4:1
• Attack: 10–20ms (slow enough to let consonants breathe)
• Release: 60–100ms

⑤ Reverb and Delay for Space

Reverb adds depth and helps vocals blend into the track. The most common beginner mistake is using too much of it. Start with a dry/wet balance of around 80:20 (80% dry signal, 20% reverb) and adjust from there. Adding a short pre-delay (1/8 to 1/4 note) before the reverb creates a natural sense of space without washing out the vocal.

⑥ Balancing Vocals Against the Instrumental

Use the instrumental as your reference level and bring your vocals up to sit naturally on top of it. A good starting point is to set your vocal peak around −6dBFS, then adjust up or down by a few dB while you listen critically to how it sits in context.

STEP 5: Mastering and Exporting

Once your mix is done, mastering is the final polish before export.

Match Loudness Standards

Streaming platforms normalize audio loudness. YouTube targets around −14 LUFS. Use a LUFS meter during mastering and aim for −14 to −16 LUFS for your final output. Make sure a limiter is in place to keep your peaks from exceeding 0dBFS (true peak limiting to −1dBTP is a safe standard).

Export Formats

• WAV 44.1kHz / 24-bit — highest quality; recommended if you're importing into video editing software
• MP3 320kbps — smaller file size with minimal quality loss

After exporting, always check your mix on at least three different playback systems — studio monitors or speakers, headphones, and your phone. Professional engineers do this every time without exception.

STEP 6: Create a Video and Upload

Now it's time to pair your audio with a video. Common formats for vocal covers include:

• Static image with audio — the simplest option for beginners. Use a piece of fan art, an illustration, or a royalty-free image from a site like Unsplash
• Self-recorded performance video — film yourself singing, then replace the audio with your mixed recording in post
• Music video style — create something more cinematic using free video editing software like DaVinci Resolve

Export your video at 1920×1080 (Full HD). This works for both YouTube and most other platforms without any issues.

Completely Free Setup for Beginners

Want to make a vocal cover without spending a cent on software? Here's a stack that works:

• DAW, mixing, and vocal separation: LA Studio (browser-based DAW) — no install required; includes MIDI editing, recording, a full mixer, and 20+ effects
• Noise removal: LA Studio AI Noise Removal — upload your recording and background noise is automatically removed
• Video editing: DaVinci Resolve (free version) — professional-grade video editing at no cost

You don't need a perfect setup before you start. The fastest way to improve is to finish one complete cover with whatever you have right now.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Should I mix my own vocals or hire someone to do it?

A. For your first upload, try mixing it yourself. The hands-on experience will teach you what's actually difficult — and that knowledge makes you a much better client when you eventually do hire a mix engineer. Once you've posted a few covers and feel like your sound has hit a ceiling, that's a natural point to reach out to a professional. Mix engineers for vocal covers typically charge anywhere from $30 to $150+ per song depending on experience and turnaround time. Look for engineers on platforms like Fiverr, or search social media for vocal mix engineers who are currently taking commissions.

Q. Can I legally post a cover of a copyrighted song?

A. YouTube and most major streaming platforms have licensing agreements with organizations like ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, and SoundExchange that cover a large catalog of music. In many cases, you can post covers legally — but the original rights holders may claim the video, place ads on it, or restrict it in certain countries. Check whether the song appears in YouTube's Content ID system before uploading, and look up the song in your local rights organization's database. For independent artist covers, check the artist's own cover song policy if they have one published.

Q. Can I use an AI-generated instrumental (vocal-removed track) in my cover video?

A. A vocal-removed track is fine for personal practice or reference purposes, but publishing it as part of a video requires permission from the original copyright holder in most cases. Whenever possible, use an officially released instrumental version of the song instead.

Q. What's the bare minimum gear I need to make a vocal cover?

A. You really only need three things: a microphone, a computer, and headphones. A USB condenser mic plugs directly into your computer with no extra hardware, and there are plenty of free recording tools available. Technically you could record on a smartphone, but the built-in mic quality and noise issues will limit you pretty quickly — a dedicated condenser mic is worth the investment as soon as you can manage it.

Q. How do I actually get better at mixing?

A. The most effective method is to use a professional track you love as a reference. Pull up both your mix and the reference in your DAW, match their loudness, and A/B between them constantly as you work. Every time something sounds "off" compared to the reference, dig into your EQ and compressor settings and try to figure out why. Repeat this over and over. There are also hundreds of solid mixing tutorials on YouTube — watching someone actually move the knobs while explaining their decisions is one of the fastest ways to build intuition.