Where can I get great backing tracks for solo singers and bands?

Finding and using great backing tracks for solo singers and bands.

You can either listen to the podcast or read the blog below:

I've decided to update this original 2011 blog. As technology has moved on, so has the quality of backing-track sound-production and I'm finding more and more 'newly created' versions of older songs...

Firstly, if you want to hear the quality of the backing tracks I use, have a listen here:

https://soundcloud.com/aubreymusic

A bit of backing track history:

I first started out performing without a band (just as a duo) back in the mid 1980s. Back then all we had was a drum machine and a tape deck. Owing to the fact that the drum machine had very little memory, we would programme the drums for each song and record each song to tape. The quality was crap but it was all we had. Guitar and bass were played live over the top of the backing drums.

In the early 1990's the development of midi and midi file players meant for the first time solo performers could have control of something approximating a full band. Midi files were stored on floppy disks and each song would have to be loaded before it would play. This caused a slight delay between songs but it was far easier than messing around with cassette tapes.

By the mid 90's DAT (Digital Audio Tape) appeared which gave superb sound reproduction - especially compared to the old noisy analogue cassette tapes. I found it easier to dump my midi backing tracks on to DAT - the only downside being that you had no control over the order of the set as tracks were recorded in a linear fashion. This might have seemed like taking a step back, but I wanted to have a show that moved quickly with no gaps between songs to keep the momentum of the audience going.

For a while I used CD's as a form of storing backing tracks. This was even easier again than using DAT tapes because access to tracks was instantaneous, however at that time tracks could not not named and you could only get around 10 tracks on a disk.

Then in the late 1990's Sony released the mini disk. This was quite a revelation for people using backing tracks. Suddenly we had a facility to play back high quality backing tracks from a form of media that allowed to select a track instantly. Each disk could hold about twenty songs and each song was named so you knew exactly what track you were picking. At the time this was a luxury! However as my library of backing tracks increased I found it more and more difficult to use mini disks in a live situation. Having a set list is fine, but if you turn up to a gig and the majority of the audience are over 60 years old, they don't necessarily want to hear the latest chart hits. I needed to be more flexible so each show could evolve with its audience's tastes. A full dance floor rocking out to a Beatles classic could be emptied by the latest hit from Take That and I would cringe sometimes knowing that the next song was going to kill the show if I couldn't change it. Even worse was sifting through hundreds of disks to find the track I wanted.

Many solo performers and duo's still use midi files and mini disks with some degree of success - but we are not talking about 'some degree of success' this blog is designed to make you the best at what you do, and as a performer, if you want the best work, you have to be able to perform almost anything at the drop of a hat.

The answer to my prayers came in the form of mp3 files. A compressed music format that when played through a P.A. sounded great with files small enough to fit hundreds on a CD or even thousands on a hard disk. Companies started developing dedicated stand alone mp3 players and I was lucky enough to get hold of one of the very first from a company called Creative. It had a tiny screen that displayed the track name and songs could be indexed by genre and name and it was possible to set up play lists. This first player looked like a portable CD Walkman but had a small hard disk inside so it was capable of storing a few hundred tracks. I built a number of play lists; Rocky, dance, ballads, young, old etc. Searching for tracks was a bit fiddly, but it did the job for a few years.

Over time I went from working in pubs and clubs to doing more wedding and corporate gigs and people were asking more and more for a disco or karaoke at the end of my live set. I was also becoming frustrated with the limitations of the old style mp3 players so in early 2000 I purchased my first windows based laptop and set it it up to play my backing tracks.

At that time there were very few software options for using mp3's in a live environment (now there are literally hundreds) so I decided to opt for some free software called Winamp. I discovered that Winamp had a plug-in that allowed you to play CD+G files - which are mp3 files with lyric files attached. CD+G is the format that most Karaoke discs use and it is possible with the right equipment to rip CD+G CD's onto a hard disc. I also started building my own MP3 backing tracks using some simple music production software called Cubase. However, these days there are so many companies producing MP3 Karaoke and backing tracks it is possible to pay to download the tracks to your computer with the minimum of fuss.

There will always be a debate about which is best for music, Apple or Windows. However, if you are just using a laptop to play back backing tracks, you don't need much processing power at all. I still use a very basic notebook (ASUS) which has a 160gig drive running windows XP and Winamp and in all my years of using laptops I have never had one crash on me. I also have a basic Advent Laptop running Windows 8.1, but I still use Winamp as my main sound engine.

I have experimented with iPads, iPhones and the old iPod touch but I always seem to come back to a laptop based system. I often change set lists on the fly and I find it easier to edit a list with a keyboard. However, if you have a SET 'set list' then it would be just as easy to use a small mp3 player or phone to play your tacks.

Getting the right backing tracks.

Please don't think that you can jump on the internet and download a stack of tracks without paying for them. You will just end up with a load of rubbish. If you are serious about being a singer, spend some money. They are not hugely expensive, some sites charge as little as £0.24 for a track. But really you should be budgeting around £5.00 - £10.00 per track. Once you've got them, you've got them for life! The pay-off will come when you do gigs and people are not only in awe of your great voice, but of your great sounding backing tracks!

The backing tracks you use are just as important as your voice. If you had a really terrible voice no one would want to book you, and the same goes for crappy backing tracks. The advent of the internet means it is now easy to purchase and download individual very high quality backing tracks for a few pounds each.

I despair when I see artists performing with General Midi tracks that sound like they are being played on an old Bontempi organ. A guitar should sound like a guitar, not like something pretending to be a guitar! There is no excuse; and if you are one of the culprits, get with the real world and sort your backing tracks out now!

20 years ago people would put up with the soulless sound of a General Midi sound card, but these days everyone expects perfection and you should give them nothing less. If you can't find backing tracks that are spot on - then don't bother using them. An entire set can be let down by slipping in a track that is out of kilter with the rest of your songs. Don't take the risk.

Backing tracks come in all manner of formats (CD, midi files etc.) but by far the quickest and simplest method is to download (legally of course) MP3s or WAVs. A word of warning here. Don't go downloading from file sharing web sites - you are asking for trouble. Many tracks are corrupt, of low sound quality, contain viruses and most importantly - it's illegal. Thank you Mr. Copyright Lawyer - I've covered my backside.

There are a number of web-sites and companies that are worth visiting. If you don't have the internet, find someone that does and spend time finding the best tracks. I usually spend two or three hours a week looking for and checking out the latest tracks.

I've included the web addresses of some of preferred suppliers at end of this blog.

Once you have chosen your backing tracks you should spend time making sure that they are 'topped and tailed'. Some tracks - especially those designed for karaoke have a 10 second leader at the beginning of the track. This can be very annoying if you are performing and you have to wait for ten seconds before a songs starts. You will end up with a deathly silence and the natives will become restless!

The best way to do this is to import the files into a basic music editor on a computer and chop of the silence at the start and end of the track. Some music production software is very expensive and contains a bunch of bells and whistles that you will never use, therefore a quick search on the internet will turn up open-source software such as Audacity (http://audacity.sourceforge.net/) It's a free, easy to use program..

A quick note here:

Please, for the sanity of me, your audience and yourself - DON'T USE BACKING TRACKS THAT FADE AT THE END. I know by using capital letters during that last sentence that I am shouting, but honestly it looks and sounds really, really crap. In my mind it's a sign of a lazy backing track producer if they let the songs fade at the end. The original record may have had a fade at the end but you can bet your bottom dollar that when the artist performs it live that they don't fade it - and neither should you.

Most backing tracks these days have been put together by production companies who specialise in the solo entertainer and karaoke market so the volume levels have been 'normalised' to make sure the volume is consistent throughout the track. However you may have some older tracks where the volume is too loud or too quite. Again use something like Audacity to adjust the track level to make it balanced and relative to your other backing tracks. You really don't want to be running back and forth to your mixer between songs because volume of your backing track is too loud or too quite!

In addition to allowing you to top and tail sound files, software like Audacity will also allow you to adjust the tempo and pitch of a track. This can be really handy if you have downloaded a track that is not necessarily within your vocal pitch. However, don't go overboard whilst using functions such as pitch and tempo adjustment otherwise the track may end up sounding a bit strange.

So let me re-iterate once again (I know you think I'm going on... but trust me), spend time getting the best backing tracks you can find. Get rid of all your old crappy ones and update them - it really will make all the difference to your show and people will be impressed. I am constantly getting people complimenting me on my tracks and asking me where I get them from - so now you know.

Where can I get great backing tracks?

Backing tracks and Karaoke (MP3+G) tracks are available from the following web sites:

http://www.parismusic.co.uk/

Paris Music Limited specialise in producing sound-a-like Backing Tracks for license to professional singers and performers. They use real instruments and backing singers to re-create very realistic tracks that are hard to distinguish from the original recordings. All songs have definite endings.

They offer up to 4 versions of each title:

Instrumental - Full Backing Track featuring all instruments and no vocals.

Backing Vocals - Full Backing Track featuring all instruments & all relevant backing vocals.

Record Mix - A complete mix including a lead vocal for guide purposes.

MULTITRACK - Each Instrument group supplied as it's own WAV file. If you use studio software such Cubase, Logic or ProTools you can mix our Backing Tracks yourself. (See FAQs for breakdown of separate instrument groups).

Prices range from £50..0 - £18.00 depending on song format.

Order 3 tracks and receive a 10% discount

Order 5 tracks and receive a 20% discount

Order 10 tracks or more and receive a 25% discount

http://www.londonarrangements.com/

London Arrangements specialises in the production of professional backing tracks, ranging from stage and screen, swing and jazz, to classical and easy listening genres.

Most of their tracks are with real instruments and great backing singers. The tracks have a great 'live feel'.

They currently have just under 1500 songs in their catalogue (and counting).

The majority of their backing tracks can be ordered in any key at no extra charge.

They also produce bespoke backing tracks, piano rehearsal tracks and piano / vocal sheet music transcriptions.

Prices range from £8.00 - £12.00 with a 10% discount on orders of 5 or more.

http://www.teddynasrmusic.com/

The tracks supplied by Teddy Nasr are all re-arranged by him and are quite stunning. I have not yet heard any singer using them (apart from myself). His currently library is not huge but what is there is breath taking.

They supply different genres of original music tracks for Films, Short-films, TV, Radio, Advertising, corporate videos, commercials, games, dance, theatre, backing tracks and Podcast.

The music genre spectrum extends from epic, romance and suspense music -for crime and thriller- as well as trailers and advertising, to house, trance, electronica, chill-out, jazz, funk and world music up .

Amazing prices for what you get.

Prices start at $2.99 - $5.99

http://karaokejoeful.com/

If you are looking for Les Miserables backing tracks, these are probably about the best you can lay your hands on at the moment.

It's a very small site but it contains mp3 files which are extremely realistic and authentic. Amazingly the mp3 files are available for download for $1.00 USD each.

http://www.karaoke-version.co.uk

This is a fantastic resource for both karaoke tracks (with CDG graphics) and backing tracks. They also offer a 'Custom Backing Track' service which allows you to mix the individual instruments online before downloading. 

This means you can remove instruments altogether (great if you are a keyboard player or guitarist and you want to play an instrument over the track). You can also change the key of the track. Overall quality is very high, but there are a few 'lame' sounding tracks – so look out! Prices from £1.50

They also offer a 'Loyalty point' system which allows you to accrue points every time you buy a song. 3 points gets you one free song.

http://www.sunflykaraoke.com/

The big daddy of UK and Australian Karaoke. This company has been producing karaoke tracks since the dawn of karaoke. These are Karaoke tracks and you will hear a lot of singers using them. A word of warning, their older tracks can be a bit ropey, but in the last few years their tracks are fantastic have improved drastically. Some of the older tracks also have a tendency to fade (Which is a big No No!). Prices from £1.99

http://www.selectatrack.com/

This company has a huge collection of tracks available to download from many different producers. You can also get hard copies sent out if you don't want to download. Prices from £2.00

http://www.ameritz.co.uk

Another well established company with variable key downloads. They claim to be one of the first suppliers of audio backing tracks in the world. I haven't used Ameritz for quite a while as they have many tracks that were obviously constructed a number of years ago which are now sounding quite tired. However, yhey quite often have a sale on with prices from £0.24 per track!

http://www.andys-backing-tracks.webs.com/

Andys Tracks was established in 1992 and manufactures and supplies premium quality backing tracks for singers and musicians. The company has gone through a couple of name changes over the years, starting out as Metronomix, and also known as Tracks4you. They have a comprehensive collection of David Alexander backing tracks, and the chances are, if you've every hear anyone singing a David Alexander song, it came from this site!

http://www.traxvault.com/

A special note if you are looking for both English and Welsh backing tracks...

Based at hp studios Holyhead, traxVault has been producing backing tracks since the mid 80's. They started producing tracks for local amateur productions, soloists and duos. Since then the library has expanded it now contains many rare songs and musicals which are not covered by other similar sites.

Prices £3.00 - £10.00

Feel free to comment and add any other suppliers that you would recommend.