# How to Play MP3 file / CD backwards

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-play-mp3-file-cd-backwards/153770>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 8, 2003, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-play-mp3-file-cd-backwards/153770 "2003-02-08T21:49:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Dada321](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@Dada321](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dada321)\
**Post date:** [February 8, 2003, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-play-mp3-file-cd-backwards/153770/1 "2003-02-08T21:49:00Z")

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In the Good Ol’ Days we had the technology to play LP records backwards so we could all listen to the latest clues in the “Paul is dead” debate or whatever an artist decided to backwards mask into a particular song.  
So, how do you do that with today’s technology. What are we all missing in the digital age?

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**Author:** ![Rex\_Fenestrarum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rex_fenestrarum/32/7265_2.png) [@Rex\_Fenestrarum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rex_Fenestrarum)\
**Post date:** [February 8, 2003, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-play-mp3-file-cd-backwards/153770/2 "2003-02-08T22:13:49Z")

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Well, with CoolEdit, it’s easy: just open the MP3\WAV, highlight the entire file and select Effects \> Reverse. I don’t know an easy free way, or a way with just the tools included in Windows.

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**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\
**Post date:** [February 8, 2003, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-play-mp3-file-cd-backwards/153770/3 "2003-02-08T22:25:34Z")

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Any decent sound editor has this option. I use [Goldwave](http://www.goldwave.com/) myself.

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**Author:** ![TJdude825](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@TJdude825](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TJdude825)\
**Post date:** [February 9, 2003, 8:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-play-mp3-file-cd-backwards/153770/4 "2003-02-09T08:23:02Z")

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Sound Recorder comes with windows, and it can do this, but first you need an mp3-to-wav converter, because it only takes wavs.