Backing Tracks

Why backing tracks?

The Versatility of Backing Tracks in the Music Industry

Backing tracks have become an essential tool in today’s music landscape, providing versatility and enhancing performances for professional musicians, music educators, studios, and even popular artists. Here’s how backing tracks are used across different sectors of the industry:

1. Professional Musicians

For live performances, professional musicians often rely on backing tracks to fill in parts of the music that can’t be played live due to logistical constraints. This could include additional instrumental layers, background vocals, or electronic effects. Backing tracks enable solo performers or small ensembles to deliver a fuller, more dynamic sound, recreating the richness of the studio recording on stage. By integrating backing tracks, musicians can maintain high production values, even with limited personnel.

2. Music Educators

In education, backing tracks are invaluable for teaching and practice sessions. Music teachers use them to help students develop timing, improvisation, and musicality. For example, a jazz instructor might play backing tracks to help students practice soloing over chord progressions. They also allow students to rehearse alongside a professional-sounding band, helping them become accustomed to performing in ensemble settings.

3. Music Studios

Recording studios use backing tracks in both the production and post-production phases. During the recording process, artists often record their parts in layers, with backing tracks providing a guide for musicians to play along to. These tracks can include metronome clicks, scratch vocals, or other instrumental parts to keep the recording session organized. Once the live instruments are recorded, backing tracks can also be used to add extra depth or electronic elements, creating a polished final product.

4. Popular Artists

Many well-known artists incorporate backing tracks into their live shows to ensure that their performances sound as close to the studio recordings as possible. In large concerts, backing tracks help replicate complex arrangements, background vocals, and layered instruments, which may not be feasible to perform live with the same fidelity. Additionally, artists use backing tracks to enhance dance routines or stage effects, ensuring a seamless, high-energy performance for their audiences.

Examples:

Coldplay: Known for their massive stadium performances, Coldplay uses backing tracks to recreate the intricate electronic layers and effects from their albums. This allows the band to stay in sync with visuals and lighting cues during their elaborate shows.
Beyoncé: As one of the top performers in the world, Beyoncé uses backing tracks to support her live vocals during high-energy choreography. Her 2018 Coachella performance, for example, featured backing tracks to provide background vocals and additional layers while she danced and sang live.
U2: U2 integrates backing tracks during their live performances to reproduce the complex soundscapes found in their recordings. Songs like “Where the Streets Have No Name” often use backing tracks to recreate effects and synths that are difficult to replicate live.
Justin Timberlake: In his live shows, Justin Timberlake blends live instrumentation with backing tracks to support intricate vocal harmonies and electronic sounds, ensuring a seamless blend between his dancing and singing performances.

Backing tracks provide flexibility, precision, and creative possibilities for musicians at all levels, making them an essential tool for live performances, studio recordings, and educational environments alike.

Where to get backing tracks

How to Get Backing Tracks

Backing tracks are an essential tool for musicians, whether you're a solo performer, a band, or a music studio. They provide extra instrumentation or layers for rehearsals, performances, and even recordings. Fortunately, there are several ways to get backing tracks, from building your own using MIDI files or samples to purchasing professionally crafted tracks. Here’s a guide on how to obtain or create high-quality backing tracks for your music studio.

1. Building Backing Tracks from MIDI Files

One of the most customizable ways to create backing tracks is by using MIDI files. MIDI files are like blueprints for music: they contain the musical information (notes, timing, instruments) without the actual audio. This allows you to adjust the tempo, instruments, or even rearrange sections of the track.

Steps to create backing tracks using MIDI:

Find MIDI files online: There are numerous websites offering free or paid MIDI files for popular songs. Sites like MIDIWorld and BitMidi provide a large library of songs that you can download and modify. You can use google search to easily find a midi file for most popular songs.
Load MIDI into a DAW: Use a digital audio workstation (DAW) like Ableton Live, Logic Pro, or FL Studio to load the MIDI file. Once loaded, you can assign different virtual instruments (VSTs) to the MIDI tracks, adjust the mix, and make changes to the arrangement.
Or Use Alternative Measures Add-on: Load the midi file into the Build Midi Backing Track Add-on. The add on let's users that aren't comfortable with DAW software to easily delete unwanted instruments (e.g. guitar players usually don't want the guitar parts and singers don't want the melodies) and change instruments.
Export as an audio file: Once you’ve customized your MIDI track, export it as an audio file (e.g., WAV or MP3) to create your final backing track.
Or Use Altnernative Measures Add-on: Alternative Measures Rehearsal tool lets users play the midi backing track directly in the browser. Users can solo only the instruments they want to play with.

MIDI files are ideal for musicians who want control over every aspect of the track, from the instruments used to the tempo and arrangement. They allow for limitless creative possibilities.

2. Using Audio Files Downloaded from YouTube

Another method to obtain backing tracks is by downloading and extracting audio files from YouTube. This is especially useful when you find rare or niche backing tracks that aren’t available on commercial platforms.

Steps to use YouTube audio for backing tracks:

Find the right video: Search for “backing tracks” or “instrumental versions” of your desired song on YouTube. Many musicians and producers upload high-quality instrumental versions of popular songs.
Download the audio: You can use websites like YTMP3.cc or SaveFrom.net to convert the YouTube video into an MP3 or WAV file. Be cautious with the legalities of downloading copyrighted material—use this method primarily for educational or non-commercial purposes unless you have the necessary permissions.
Edit in a DAW: Once you have the audio, import it into your DAW and make adjustments. You can trim sections, adjust the volume, or add additional layers to customize the backing track further.
Or use Alternative Measures Stem Splitter: Alternative Measures Stem Splitter separates vocals, drums, bass and other instruments into separate tracks. Users can create "minus one" tracks by only including bass and drums, or only leaving out vocals.
Play live or use for practice: Alternative Measures provides an add-on to allow audio backing tracks to play directly in the browser. The Audio player is an improvement over most audio players because it can transpose the audio, loop the audio, and speed up or slow down the audio, making it an excellent tool for rehearsals and live performances.

While this method is convenient, it’s important to ensure you have the rights to use the audio, especially if you plan to use it for public performances or commercial purposes.

3. Commercially Available Backing Tracks

For high-quality, professionally produced backing tracks, you can purchase them from various online platforms. These tracks are often created by professional musicians and sound engineers, ensuring they are studio-quality and ready for live use.

Popular sources for commercially available backing tracks:

Karaoke Version: This site offers customizable backing tracks for thousands of songs. You can adjust the key, tempo, and instrumentation to suit your needs. These tracks are perfect for both live performances and recording sessions.
JamTracks: Known for providing backing tracks for learning and jamming, JamTracks offers a wide range of genres including rock, blues, and jazz. These tracks are often looped, giving musicians more flexibility for practice.
Loopmasters: A well-known platform for downloadable samples and loops, Loopmasters provides backing tracks, loops, and full compositions suitable for various musical projects.

Commercially available backing tracks save you time and often come with high production value, making them an excellent option for professional settings.

4. Using Karaoke Files as Backing Tracks

Karaoke tracks are widely available and can be repurposed as backing tracks for live performances or rehearsals. Many karaoke tracks strip away the lead vocals but keep all the instrumental parts, making them perfect for singers or bands looking to perform a popular song.

How to use karaoke files as backing tracks:

Purchase or download from karaoke websites: Sites like Karaoke Version, Sing King Karaoke, or Karaoke Cloud offer downloadable karaoke tracks in various formats. These tracks usually have a high degree of accuracy compared to the original songs.
Load into your DAW: Import the downloaded karaoke track into your DAW if you want to make any changes. You can adjust the key, tempo, or add your own instruments to the mix.
Play live or use for practice: Karaoke tracks are designed to be ready-to-use, so whether you're performing solo, in a band, or just rehearsing, these tracks offer a straightforward solution. Alternative Measures provides an add-on to allow audio backing tracks to play directly in the browser. The Audio player is an improvement over most audio players because it can transpose the audio, loop the audio, and speed up or slow down the audio, making it an excellent tool for rehearsals and live performances.

Karaoke tracks are particularly helpful for vocalists who need instrumental versions of popular songs and are an easy way to get performance-ready backing tracks.

5. Downloading Backing Tracks from Specialized Sites

Many websites specialize in providing ready-to-use backing tracks tailored for specific genres, instruments, or performance needs. These tracks are often produced with studio-quality sound and are ideal for professionals.

Top sites for downloadable backing tracks:

Backing Tracks Pro: Offers a large library of high-quality backing tracks across various genres, including rock, pop, jazz, and blues. These are ideal for solo performers or instrumentalists.
GuitarBackingTrack.com: Specializes in guitar backing tracks, making it a favorite for guitarists who want to practice or perform without a full band.
Drumless Backing Tracks: For drummers looking to practice along with music, this site offers backing tracks with the drum parts removed, allowing drummers to take the lead in live or practice sessions.

These sites provide a wide range of options, ensuring you find the perfect track for your specific needs, whether you're rehearsing, recording, or performing live.

6. Using Loops and Samples

Today, in genres like Hip Hop and Electronic music, it's common to build backing tracks (called 'beats' in Hip Hop) using loops and samples. Producers assemble tracks from purchased samples or loops using hardware like Native Instruments Maschine or Akai MPC, or Roland SP404, or software like Ableton Live or Serato Studio. These commercial offerings are easier to use for making backing tracks than applications like Pro Tools which are optimized for recording studios. There are numerous youtube videos explaining how to make tracks using these offerings. Alternative Measures also has specialized software for making tracks from Loops and Samples. It's an easy-to-use web application that allows users to drag and drop loops into a complete track and save the track to their music library.

Conclusion

Whether you’re a professional musician, running a music studio, or simply looking to enhance your performances, there are numerous ways to obtain backing tracks. From creating your own using MIDI files to downloading professional tracks from karaoke or specialized sites, the options are vast and adaptable to your needs. By leveraging these resources, you can ensure that your studio or performances sound polished and professional, giving you the flexibility to experiment and grow creatively. Alternative Measures provides add-ons that allow you to work with backing tracks even if you don't know how to use a DAW.

Try it out

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