Everyone has a different writing process: sometimes, words come easy, in other cases, it's much easier to draft out a beat before adding vocals to an instrumental track. Both methods are equally valid, but when it's time to bridge the gap between the two different components, some musicians might find themselves struggling.

We'll share a couple of proven tips below to help you learn how to add vocals to an instrumental track with ease. These strategies will help you blend vocals and beats to create a single, cohesive listening experience.

Why Would I Need to Add Vocals to a Mastered Instrumental Track?

Just like there are scenarios where you want to remove vocals from your audio , there are other times when you want to add vocals to an instrumental.

Whether you purchased an instrumental beat or want to add a different melody or rap verse on top of some of your favorite songs, there are some scenarios in which you may need to add vocals to an already mixed track.

It's not a preferable situation: normally, vocals are mixed alongside instruments and other sonic elements. Should you find yourself in a pinch, there are certain techniques you can use to help prevent noticeable separation between the arrangement and the vocals.

Before you bring your vocals and instrumental into your session, it's vital that both components are as high-quality as possible. If you're trying to bring together great vocals and a rocky instrumental, it will still result in a less-than-stellar recording, simply because the mixing process is additive: if you don't have great ingredients, the resulting combined mix cannot be stellar since it started on a rocky foundation.

How to Add Vocals to Instrumental Tracks: 9 Strategies

Use these strategies to add vocals to instrumentals without a hitch:

Carve out Room For the Vocal Track

The challenge with incorporating vocals into already mastered recordings is that many instrumental tracks are created without vocals in mind, meaning that other instruments and sounds could sit exactly where vocal tracks might usually lie. To create adequate room for your vocals and help sounds sit better within the mix, it may be worth EQing out some unnecessary frequencies to create space for your vocalist.

Follow the Melodic Line

If you're simply struggling to come up with lyrics and vocals to an instrumental track, here is one cool trick: try mimicking melody lines or chord structure within the preexisting arrangement. This can take the guesswork out of coming up with a new melody and give you something that may be more cohesive since it will match the preexisting recording.

Gain Stage the Instrumental Music

One trouble with mixing a backing track with vocal sound is that the instrumental sound can often be much louder from the start. This can easily overpower your vocal recordings if you're not careful, so it's worth checking the audio files' levels as soon as you bring them into a session. If your instrumental track of choice was already mastered, it's probably lacking the necessary headroom you need to properly meld it with new, accompanying vocals.

You can bring down the gain of the instrumental track so that the vocal sits right on top of the instrumental mix.

Also, aim to have at least 6 dB of headroom before you process the backing tracks with vocals. Otherwise, you may introduce clipping or unpleasant interference since the two components will compete with each other rather than blending harmoniously.

Sidechain Compress the Track to Your Vocals

One way to create room for your vocal tracks is to use sidechain compression. This form of compression allows your audio to be processed in response to the dynamic conditions of another piece of audio. In this case, you would apply sidechain compression to the instrumental track, directly in response to the vocals. This way, when you mix vocals, it will feel as though the compression is creating more space in the mix, bringing the two tracks closer together.

Record Vocals Across the Stereo Field

One way to help your voice have more dimension against a completed, mastered instrumental is to focus on placement across the stereo field. When mixing vocals, experiment with different panning combinations, even if it's just with backing vocals. Doing so can help your vocal track feel more lively and compete with the all-encompassing instrumental.

Play with Similar Effects

One way you can put your vocal track into the same universe as your instrumental track is to note certain points of automation baked into the instrumental recording. For example, are there sections where noticeable reverb or delay is added to the recording? What processing can you pick out from the processed beat? Use the same techniques on your vocal tracks at the same points in the instrumental recording so that it feels as though your vocals are sitting in the same universe as the prerecorded track.

Use a Dynamic EQ

An EQ is incredibly useful throughout the mixing process, but a dynamic EQ is especially helpful when you're working with something as ever-changing as vocals. Unlike a regular EQ, a dynamic EQ adapts in real-time to the response of your signal. It's a great idea to use a dynamic EQ to process your instrumental track responding to vocal levels. This way, your instrumental music will automatically create more space for the oncoming vocals, resulting in a more cohesive recording.

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Process Both Vocals and Instrumental with Compression

Whenever you want to bring two sounds closer together in a single project, you can count on compression to help you get the job done. Compressors are fantastic at gluing sounds together (in fact, there is a type of compressor called the glue compressor) since they are focused on reducing dynamic range. By reducing the average dynamic range of your instrumental track and vocals, compressors create a more cohesive mix of your individual tracks.

Use a Spectrum Analyzer to Inform Additional Production Choices

When in doubt, opt to look at the data to inform your choices. You can use free plugins like SPAN as your spectrum analyzer, allowing you to pinpoint the ways in which your vocal tracks and accompaniment may be clashing. In areas of overconcentration, it is worth considering carving out overlapping frequencies with a multiband EQ.

A spectral analyzer can also help you identify where there might be too much space or not enough sounds within a particular frequency range. You can use this as your key to guide additional production choices throughout the recording process.

In short, it's always best if you have access to live mixing vocals with the instrumental multitrack before the mastered instrumental is exported. This is because combining the mastered instrumental and vocals can lead to a lack of cohesion if not done properly. However, if this simply isn't an option, hopefully, these strategies can help you make the best of your situation. Have fun recording vocals to your instrumental track!