Edit audio
Reverse Audio
Reverse the decoded audio samples and save the result as a new MP3.
Local workspace
Process a local file
Result
Your selected media stays on this device. AudioFetcher loads its processing engine, reads the file in browser memory, and creates the result locally.
Refresh or close the tab and the selected file and generated result leave browser memory.
Long recordings need enough memory to hold the decoded stream while it is reversed.
How to use Reverse Audio
- 1
Choose an audio file: MP3, M4A, WAV, FLAC or OGG. Short clips reverse fastest.
- 2
Only need part of it? Cut that part first with Audio Trimmer; reversing a whole album-length file needs a lot of memory.
- 3
Select Reverse Audio. The recording is decoded, flipped from end to start and encoded as a 256 kbps MP3 on your device.
- 4
Play the result on the page and download it. Reversing the reversed file again puts it back in the original order, as a new MP3.
What this tool changes
Reverse the decoded audio samples and save the result as a new MP3.
Long recordings need enough memory to hold the decoded stream while it is reversed.
What reversing does to a sound
The tool plays the recording's samples in the opposite order. The length, pitch and tempo stay exactly the same; only the direction changes. That is why reversed audio sounds so strange: a piano note or cymbal normally starts with a sharp attack and fades away, so backwards it swells up from nothing and stops abruptly. Speech keeps the speaker's voice but turns into unfamiliar syllables, and reverb tails become eerie lead-ins.
Ideas: what people use reversed audio for
- Swells and transitions: a reversed cymbal or chord makes a rising "whoosh" into a drop or a new scene.
- Reverse reverb: reverse a vocal, add reverb in an editor such as Audacity, then reverse it again. The echo now arrives before each word, a classic ghostly effect.
- Sound design: backwards voices and textures for videos, games and podcasts intros.
- The reverse singing challenge: record a short phrase with the voice recorder, reverse it, copy what you hear, then reverse your copy to see how close it sounds to the original.
- Checking "hidden messages": listen for yourself. Words that people report hearing in reversed songs are almost always the brain finding patterns in noise.
Reverse only part of a track
To flip a single word or a two-second fill, cut it out with Audio Trimmer or Audio Splitter, reverse that piece, and join the pieces back together in order with Audio Merger. A short fade at the cut points avoids clicks.
Limits to know
Reversing needs the whole decoded recording in memory before the first reversed sample can be written. Decoded stereo audio takes roughly 23 MB per minute, so a few minutes is easy, while an hour can exceed what a phone browser allows. If the tab stops or reloads, trim the file first or use a computer. The result is always a 256 kbps MP3, which is a new lossy encode; keep your original. All processing happens in your browser and the file is not uploaded.
Reverse Audio questions
Does Reverse Audio upload my file?
Your selected media stays on this device. AudioFetcher loads its processing engine, reads the file in browser memory, and creates the result locally.
What should I know before using Reverse Audio?
Long recordings need enough memory to hold the decoded stream while it is reversed.
Does reversing change the pitch or speed?
No. The audio plays backwards at the same pitch and tempo, and the file has the same length. To change speed, use the audio speed changer instead.
How do I reverse just part of a song?
Trim or split out the part you want, reverse that piece, then join the pieces in order with the audio merger.
Why did it fail on my phone?
The whole decoded recording has to fit in browser memory. Trim the file to the part you need, close other tabs, or run the tool on a computer.
Can I reverse the audio from a YouTube video?
Yes, for videos you own or have permission to download: convert the video to MP3 with AudioFetcher, then choose that MP3 here.