Download the free sound editing software Audacity. Select version 1.2.6 or the latest version.
Drag and drop the MP3 into Audacity. Go to the “File” Menu and select “Import.” Locate your MP3 file on your hard drive and then click "OK" to load the song.
Skip on to the “Mono” section if the imported track does not read “Stereo” under the song title and artist name. If it is "Stereo," continue to the next step.
Select the down arrow next to the song and group title in top left corner of the timeline. Select “Split Stereo Track” from the drop down menu.
Wait a few seconds while the software splits the tracks into individual audio tracks that you can edit. Select the timeline that reads “right” in the gray bar. Go to the “Effect” Menu on the software’s main toolbar. Scrolls down to find “Invert.” Select “Invert.”
Convert both tracks to “Mono.” Select the down arrow on the “Right” labeled timeline. Scroll down the menu list and select “Mono.” Play the track at any point on the timeline to verify that the vocals have been muted.
Install a commercial music editing software, such as Cakewalk and Logic Pro from the Internet.
Download a vocal removal plug-in to your music editing software. Check to see if the manufacturer of your music software offers a compatible plug-in or works with a third party supplier for a vocal removal plug-in. If not, download the VST plug-in from Audacity.
Load the song from a CD or from a MP3 file. Put it in the timeline in your music editing software at the zero location.
Open the “Effects” feature in your music editing software. Select the plug-in that you just downloaded to your music editor software.
Press “Play” to hear the muted version of the song. Adjust the levels of the settings from the plug-in. They will be set at the defaults. Adjust the levels until the vocals are completed removed or muted. Play back the music to see if the vocals have been muted.
Apply the “Amplify” Effect in Audacity instead of splitting the tracks. Go to the “Effect” drop down menu and select “Amplify”.
Change all the settings to negative numbers when the pop-up screen comes up for the "Amplify" settings emerges. This will soften the vocals to where they are barely audible.
Bring the vocal levels down to zero during mix down if you have used your music editing software to record original tracks. For example, in Pro Tools Mix Window the panel shows faders, pan sliders, and mute knobs. Select mute on the vocal track.