How to Sing, Record, and Mix Karaoke in PowerDVD
Turn a music video into a backing track, then record and save your own cover.
Updated Nov. 12, 2026 · 3 min read
In a hurry? Use the karaoke quick guide instead.
PowerDVD's Karaoke mode uses AI to mute the lead vocals of a song or music video as it plays. Click Record and sing along, and PowerDVD records your voice over the music. Use it to practice a song in a key that suits you, or to keep a cover for friends. You get an M4A audio file in your Music library.
- Play a song or video and click the Karaoke mode button.
- Click Karaoke settings and set the music volume, key, and lead vocals.
- Click the gear on the settings panel, pick your mic, and click OK.
- Click Record, sing, and click Stop.
- In Preview Recording, balance your voice and the music, then click Save.
- Click Open Library or Locate on Disk to find the file.
Steps to Sing and Record Karaoke in PowerDVD
Step 1: Turn On Karaoke Mode
Play a song from your Music library or a video from your Videos library. On the playback controls, click the Karaoke mode button with the microphone icon. It turns blue, and the Record and Karaoke settings buttons appear to its left.
Note: Karaoke mode works with music and video files, not with video discs, ISO files, or disc folders. TrueTheater Audio Restoration turns off while Karaoke mode is on.
Step 2: Adjust the Music and Vocals
Click Karaoke settings, the gear next to Record. A panel opens above the controls. Click the up or down arrow under a setting to change it one step at a time.
| Setting | What it does | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Music Volume | Raises or lowers the music. Original keeps the song's own level. | The music is too loud or too quiet next to your voice. |
| Music Key | Raises or lowers the pitch of the music. Original keeps the song's key. | The song sits too high or too low for your voice. |
| Lead Volume | Brings back the original singer's voice, from +1 up to +3. Muted takes it out of the mix. | You're still learning the song and want the singer as a guide. |
Note: Studio recordings with a clear lead singer give the cleanest backing track. On live versions or songs with a busy mix, a trace of the original singer may come through, so pick the studio version when you have one.
Step 3: Set Up Your Microphone
Click the gear at the top of the Karaoke settings panel to open Recording Settings.
Pick your mic from the Microphone list. Click Test Mic and speak for 5 seconds. PowerDVD then suggests an input level.
Input Level shows how loud your mic is during the test.
For a countdown before recording starts, check Add three second delay before recording. Click OK.
Note: If PowerDVD suggests a change, adjust the mic level in the Windows sound settings.
Step 4: Record Your Song
Click Record and sing along. If you turned on the delay, a countdown shows on the button first.
While you record, Record turns into Stop and a red dot shows at the top right of the video. Click Stop when you're done. If the song plays to the end, recording stops on its own.
Step 5: Mix and Save the Recording
When recording stops, PowerDVD goes back to your library and opens the Preview Recording window. Click the play button to hear your take, then use the arrows to balance it.
| Setting | What it does | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Music Volume | Raises or lowers the music in your recording. | The music covers your voice, or your voice sounds bare. |
| Vocals Volume | Raises or lowers your recorded voice. | Your voice is too loud or too quiet next to the music. |
| Sync Vocals | Delays your voice by the time shown. It starts at 0.04 seconds, the average delay between the mic and playback in Windows. | If your voice sounds ahead of the music, click the up arrow to delay it, then preview again. |
Click Save. PowerDVD saves the recording as an M4A audio file named after the song. It picks the name and folder for you, so no save dialog opens.
Step 6: Find Your Recording
When Convert to Audio File says the file was converted, click Open Library to see it in PowerDVD. Or click Locate on Disk to open its folder in File Explorer.
The Result
Your cover is saved as an M4A file named after the song. In this example, it's 05_concert_singer. It's listed under Music > Songs, and the file is in the PowerDVD\Karaoke folder inside your Music folder. Record the same song again, and the new file gets a number, such as (1).
We tested these steps in PowerDVD 365 version 24.0.1923 on Windows.
Don't have PowerDVD yet? Mute the singer, sing the song yourself, and keep your cover as an audio file.
Download PowerDVD Free →FAQ About Karaoke in PowerDVD
PowerDVD asks if you want to save the recorded audio. Click Yes to save it, No to close without saving, or Cancel to go back to the preview.
Yes. Play the song from Music, and the same Karaoke mode button shows on the playback controls. The karaoke settings start again at Original, Original, and Muted, so changes you made for another song don't carry over.
Karaoke mode comes with PowerDVD 365 and the Ultra and Pro editions of PowerDVD 23. It needs a CPU that supports AVX2, and you need a microphone to record.
The button shows when you play a music or video file. It doesn't show for video discs, ISO files, or disc folders. For details, see the Karaoke mode FAQ.
