How to Make a Backing Track from Any Song
Practising along to the full record only gets you so far: the original player is still there, covering every mistake you make. When you make a backing track from a song with your own part removed, you're the one holding it together. Here's how to build a drumless, bassless or minus one track on iPhone, and what AI stem separation can and can't pull apart.
Import the song into Song Practice and separate it into four stems: vocals, drums, bass and other. Open the Mix sheet and pull your part down, or tap a quick mix like Karaoke or No drums. Then export the result as WAV or M4A. Guitar and keys share the "other" stem, so they come out together.
How stem separation makes a minus one track
A finished song is one blended stereo file, so you can't simply switch off an instrument. Stem separation uses an AI model trained to recognise what each source sounds like, then rebuilds the song as separate tracks. In Song Practice that happens on your device, and you get four stems:
- Vocals: lead and backing vocals.
- Drums: kit and most percussion.
- Bass: bass guitar, synth bass, upright bass.
- Other: everything else, which means guitars, keys, synths, strings and horns.
That last point matters. Vocals, drums and bass each get their own stem and can be removed cleanly. Guitar and piano are not split from each other; they live together in "other". If you're a guitarist in a band that also has keys, muting "other" removes both. Being honest about that up front saves you from expecting a result the technology doesn't give.
Which stem to mute for your instrument
| You play | Mute this stem | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Vocals | Vocals | A karaoke track with the full band. Cleanest result. |
| Drums | Drums | A drumless track. Very clean on most songs. |
| Bass | Bass | A bassless track with kick drum still there to lock to. |
| Guitar | Other | Vocals, drums and bass only. Keys and other instruments go too. |
| Keys or piano | Other | Vocals, drums and bass only. Guitars go too. |
| Guitar, songs with no keys | Other | A near-perfect guitar minus one, since guitar is most of "other". |
| Rhythm section practice | Vocals and other | Drums and bass only, for locking in the groove. |
Step by step: make a backing track from a song
- Get Song Practice. Download it free from the App Store for iPhone or iPad.
- Import the song. Pick it from Files, your iTunes library, Photos, cloud storage, or paste a link. DRM-protected tracks, such as Apple Music downloads, can't be imported.
- Separate the stems. Run the separation. It processes on your device and splits the track into vocals, drums, bass and other.
- Open the Mix sheet. Each stem has its own fader in dB. Pull your part all the way down, or just lower it so you can still hear a guide.
- Or tap a quick mix. Karaoke drops the vocals, No drums removes the kit, Vocals only soloes the singer, and Rhythm keeps only drums and bass. Full mix or Reset brings everything back.
- Play along. Check the mix works for your part before you export.
- Export. Save the mix as lossless WAV or M4A. Long-press a stem to export that stem on its own.
Drumless tracks for drummers
Drums separate very well because they sound so different from pitched instruments. A drumless track is ideal for learning a groove note for note, then playing it yourself with the band behind you. Tip: keep the drum fader a few dB up instead of fully down while you're learning, so you can still hear the original fills underneath. Drop it to silence once you've got the part. More ideas on the drummers page.
Remove guitar from a song: what to expect
Because guitar sits inside "other", the result depends on the arrangement. On a classic four-piece rock song (vocals, guitar, bass, drums), muting "other" gives you something very close to a true guitar minus one. On a song with keys, pads or strings, those disappear as well, and the backing will sound thinner than the record.
Two ways to work with that. First, if you're learning the guitar part, solo "other" instead of muting it: with vocals, drums and bass gone, the guitar is much easier to hear. Second, if you need the keys for context, pull "other" down by only 6 to 10 dB rather than muting it, and play over the quieter version. For solos specifically, see how to learn a guitar solo.
Set the tempo and key for rehearsal
Once your backing track sounds right, shape it for the way you practice. Slow it to 80% to learn a hard section, then build back up; the pitch stays put. Or shift the key by a few semitones so it suits a singer, or matches a band that tunes down. Speed and pitch are separate controls, so you can change either without touching the other. See how to change the key of a song.
Export just the loop
You don't need the whole song every time. Set an A-B loop around the chorus or the solo section and export just that part. A 30-second backing loop of the hardest section is often the most useful practice file you can have.
Stems can also be exported as MIDI, which is useful if you want to rebuild a part in a DAW. See how to convert audio to MIDI on iPhone.
Common questions
Can I remove only the guitar and keep the piano?
Not cleanly. Both sit in the "other" stem. You can remove vocals, drums or bass on their own; guitar and keys come out together.
Is the separation done online?
No. Stem separation runs on your iPhone or iPad.
Is there a limit on how many songs I can separate?
Muting stems to play along is free after a song is separated, and you get a few free separations to try. Exporting a backing track as WAV or M4A needs Song Practice Pro, which also unlocks unlimited separations and removes ads.
What format should I export in?
WAV is lossless and best for editing or loading into other apps. M4A is smaller and fine for playing along on the go.
Build your first backing track
Free on the App Store. Four stems, separated on your device.
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