How to Record Your Voice Over Instrumental Music in Audacity

How to Record Your Voice Over Instrumental Music in Audacity
Written By
Michael Black
Michael Black
Published: May 11, 2011
Updated: Feb 23, 2021
2 minute read

For years, recording good-sounding music was just too expensive for musicians on a budget. Hundreds, sometimes thousands of dollars had to be spent to make a competent record. With free recording programs like Audacity, this is no longer the case. With a decent computer, a quality microphone, a quiet recording space and a bit of know-how, any musician can record music at a reasonable price. Adding vocals to an instrumental mix requires only a basic understanding of the Audacity program.

Things You'll Need:

Things You Will Need

  • Microphone
  • Headphones
  • Attach your microphone and headphones to your computer. Most computers have two quarter-inch jack inputs, one for a microphone and one for headphones. You may need to purchase a converter piece to plug your equipment into your computer.

    Open Audacity. Click the "File" tab at the top of the screen and choose "Open" from the drop-down menu. Locate the instrumental track that you wish to record vocals over and open that file.

    Click the "Tracks" tab at the top of the screen. Float your mouse over the "Add New" button and choose "Audio Track" from the menu that appears.

    Put the headphones on and click the record button (the red circle button at the top of the screen). Sing or talk into the microphone to record your voice. Click the stop button (the square yellow button at the top of the screen).

    Repeat steps 2 through 4 if you want to add multiple vocal tracks.

    References

    Michael Black

    Michael Black has been a freelance writer based in South Central Pennsylvania since 2010. He graduated from York College of Pennsylvania with a Bachelor of Arts degree in professional writing. He has written music- and writing-related…

    Sponsored
    Our Pastimes Logo

    A destination for the avid collector and weekend hobbyist alike, Our Pastimes features articles and tips about your favorite cards and games, hobbies and more.

    Property of TechnologyAdvice. © 2026 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

    Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.