How to Make a Karaoke Video: Step-by-Step Guide

What You'll Have by the End of This Guide

By the time you finish reading, you'll know exactly how to turn any song into a karaoke video — with the vocals removed and the lyrics displayed on screen so singers can follow along. You don't need to buy expensive software, download anything, or have any audio engineering experience. Everything in this guide works right inside your web browser, and it's free to start.

Here's the short version of what we'll do: (1) strip the singer's voice from the original song, (2) add scrolling lyrics as text on screen, and (3) export a video file you can play at a party, upload to YouTube, or share with friends.

Step 1 — Remove the Vocals from Your Song

Before you can have a karaoke track, you need an instrumental version — the song with the singer's voice taken out. An instrumental is just the music (drums, guitar, piano, bass) without any vocals.

There are two ways to get one:

• Find an official instrumental — some artists release karaoke or instrumental versions on streaming platforms or YouTube. Search for "[song name] instrumental" or "[song name] karaoke version."
• Use an AI vocal remover — if you can't find an official version, AI tools can automatically detect and remove the vocals from a regular MP3 file. This works surprisingly well on most modern pop, rock, and R&B songs.

For the AI route, LA Studio's free Vocal Remover handles this in your browser with no account needed. Just upload your MP3, wait about 30–60 seconds, and download the instrumental. It uses a technology called Demucs (an open-source AI model originally developed by Meta Research) to separate the voice from the music. The quality is very good — comparable to paid desktop tools.

Honest limitation: AI vocal removal isn't perfect. Songs where the vocals are heavily layered over instruments (especially acoustic guitar or piano in the same frequency range) may have some bleed — you might hear a faint ghost of the original voice. This is a known trade-off with all AI vocal removers, not just this one. Official instrumentals, when available, will always sound cleaner.

Step 2 — Get Your Lyrics Ready

Lyrics are the words of the song. For a karaoke video, you need the full, correctly spelled lyrics so you can display them on screen in time with the music.

Where to find lyrics:

• Genius.com — one of the most comprehensive lyrics databases on the internet, community-verified and usually very accurate.
• AZLyrics.com — clean, ad-light, easy to copy from.
• The song's official music video on YouTube often has the lyrics in the description or as auto-generated subtitles.

Copy the full lyrics into a plain text document (Notepad on Windows, TextEdit on Mac) so you have them ready to paste. If the song has multiple verses, a chorus, and a bridge, copy all of it — including repeated sections.

Step 3 — Make the Karaoke Video Online (The Easiest Method)

This is where everything comes together. LA Studio's free Karaoke Maker lets you upload your instrumental audio and add timed lyrics directly in your browser — no download, no account required to start.

Here's exactly what to do:

1. Go to la-studio.cc/karaoke-maker in Chrome or Edge on a desktop or laptop computer. (Mobile works but a larger screen makes lyric timing much easier.)
2. Upload your instrumental audio file. Click the upload button and choose the MP3 or WAV file you got from Step 1.
3. Paste your lyrics. The tool has a lyrics input area. Paste the full lyrics from your text document.
4. Time the lyrics to the music. This is the most important step. Play the track and mark when each line should appear on screen. You do this by pressing a key (or clicking a button) at the moment each new line of lyrics should start — the tool records the timestamp automatically. Think of it like a game where you tap along to the words.
5. Preview your karaoke video. The tool shows you a preview of the lyrics appearing over the music so you can check if the timing feels right. If a line is early or late, you can adjust its timestamp manually.
6. Export. When you're happy, export the video. You'll get a video file (usually MP4) with the lyrics displayed as scrolling or highlighted text over a background, synced to your audio.

Tips for good lyric timing:

• Play the song a couple of times before you start timing, so you know it well.
• Tap at the start of each line, not each word — unless you want word-by-word highlighting.
• If you make a mistake, you can always go back and nudge timestamps forward or backward by a fraction of a second.

Step 4 — Customize the Look (Optional but Worth It)

A plain white text on black background works fine, but a bit of customization makes your karaoke video look much more polished and fun — especially if you're making it for a party or uploading it publicly.

Things you can typically adjust in an online karaoke maker:

• Font style and size — large, bold fonts are easier to read for singers, especially on a TV screen across the room.
• Text color and highlight color — many karaoke videos use white text that turns yellow or pink as the singer should be singing that word. This is the classic karaoke look.
• Background — solid color, gradient, or an uploaded image/video background. If you use a copyrighted background image, be mindful of usage rights before publishing.
• Text position — bottom-center is the standard karaoke position, similar to movie subtitles.

Keep readability in mind above all else. Fancy cursive fonts look cool but are hard to read at speed. Stick to clean, sans-serif fonts (like Arial or Helvetica) for anything longer than a song title.

Step 5 — Export and Share Your Karaoke Video

Once you're satisfied with the timing and look, export the final video. Most browser-based tools export as MP4, which is the most universally compatible video format — it plays on TVs, phones, tablets, and every major platform.

What you can do with your finished karaoke video:

• Play it at a party — plug your laptop into a TV via HDMI and use a Bluetooth or wired microphone. Your guests can sing along directly.
• Upload to YouTube — be aware that most commercial songs are copyrighted, and YouTube may mute your video or place ads on it via Content ID. You won't get monetized, but the video can usually still be viewed.
• Share privately — send the MP4 file to friends via Google Drive, Dropbox, or a messaging app for private use at gatherings.
• Use on a karaoke app or player — some karaoke machines and apps accept MP4 files directly.

Copyright note: Making a karaoke video for personal use or private events is generally considered fair use in most countries. Publicly distributing a karaoke video of a copyrighted song (especially commercially) is a different matter. When in doubt, stick to original songs, royalty-free music, or songs explicitly licensed for remix/karaoke use.

Alternative Method: Using Video Editing Software

If you want more control over the visual design — like adding animated backgrounds, custom transitions between verses, or per-word highlighting with precise timing — you can use a dedicated video editor. This takes more time but produces more professional results.

Popular free options include:

• Kdenlive (free, Windows/Mac/Linux) — open-source video editor with subtitle/text tools.
• CapCut (free, browser and desktop) — has auto-caption features that can be adapted for karaoke.
• DaVinci Resolve (free tier, Windows/Mac/Linux) — professional-grade tool, steeper learning curve but extremely powerful.

The workflow in a video editor is: import your instrumental audio, create a video track with a background image or color, then add text elements (subtitles or title cards) timed to each lyric line. It's more manual but gives you pixel-level control over every element.

Beginner Mistakes to Avoid

• Timing lyrics too early or too late. The most common complaint about amateur karaoke videos. Solution: always preview and check a few key sections before exporting.
• Text that's too small or hard to read. Remember, singers might be standing across the room from a TV. Use at least 40–48pt font size in your design.
• Forgetting a countdown. Add 2–3 seconds of silence (or a countdown) before the first lyric line appears so singers have time to get ready.
• Not removing all vocal bleed. If the AI vocal removal left traces of the voice, try running the file through the tool a second time, or adjust the separation settings if available.
• Skipping the preview. Always watch your karaoke video all the way through before finalizing. Catch timing errors before you share it.

Quick Summary: The Full Workflow

1. Get the instrumental (download one or use an AI vocal remover)
2. Copy the full lyrics from a trusted lyrics site
3. Open an online karaoke maker, upload the audio, and time the lyrics
4. Customize the look (font, colors, background)
5. Export as MP4 and share or play at your event

The entire process — from raw MP3 to finished karaoke video — can take as little as 20 minutes for a 3-minute song once you get comfortable with the timing step.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Do I need to download any software to make a karaoke video?

A. No. Browser-based tools like LA Studio's Karaoke Maker let you remove vocals, add lyrics, and export a video entirely online. You just need a modern browser (Chrome or Edge recommended) and a desktop or laptop computer. Mobile works, but the timing step is easier on a bigger screen.

Q. Is it legal to make a karaoke video of a copyrighted song?

A. For personal use and private events (like a house party or family gathering), this is generally considered fair use in most countries. However, publicly uploading a karaoke version of a copyrighted song to YouTube or selling it is legally murky. YouTube's Content ID system may claim or mute the video automatically. Always check the specific song's licensing if you plan to publish publicly.

Q. Why can I still hear the singer's voice faintly after using a vocal remover?

A. AI vocal removal isn't 100% perfect — it's an estimation, not a clean cut. Songs where the vocals and instruments overlap heavily in pitch (like a singer accompanied by just an acoustic guitar) are especially challenging. This is a known limitation of all AI-based vocal separators. If audio quality is critical, look for an officially released instrumental version of the song instead.

Q. Can I make a karaoke video with word-by-word highlighting (like the words change color as the song plays)?

A. Yes, but it requires either a tool that specifically supports word-level timing (some advanced karaoke makers do) or manual work in a video editor where you animate each word individually. Line-by-line timing is much faster and still looks great for most karaoke use cases.

Q. What file format should I export my karaoke video in?

A. MP4 (H.264) is the safest choice — it plays on virtually every device, TV, phone, and platform. If you're uploading to YouTube, MP4 is also their recommended format. Avoid older formats like AVI or WMV unless a specific device requires them.