How to Play a Song Backwards (Backmasking Explained)

To play a song backwards on iPhone, import the audio file into SupaFlip and it plays reversed instantly — with 0.25x slow-down to inspect every detail. It's the easiest way to explore backmasking, the technique of hiding messages that only appear when a track is reversed.

What is backmasking?

Backmasking is deliberately recording a sound or message backwards onto a track that's meant to be played forward. The Beatles popularized it in the 1960s ("Rain", "Revolution 9"), Pink Floyd hid a literal congratulations message in The Wall, and artists from Queen to Missy Elliott have played with reversed vocals. Some "hidden messages" are intentional; many are pareidolia — your brain finding words in noise. The only way to know: flip the track and listen.

Play any audio backwards in 3 steps

1. Get the audio file. You need a file you can share or store (from Files, GarageBand bounces, downloads you own, or a recording). Apple Music streaming tracks are DRM-protected and can't be imported.
2. Import into SupaFlip. Open Decode Mode and pick the file from Files or Photos, or share it into SupaFlip from another app.
3. Listen reversed. The track plays backwards instantly. Drop to 0.25x to inspect a suspicious phrase, or 2x to skim a long section.

Make your own backmasked audio

1. Record the secret message in Audio Mode.
2. Save the reversed version.
3. Drop it into your track, podcast intro, or party playlist. Anyone curious enough can decode it — that's the fun.

Famous reversed-audio moments to try

• Pink Floyd — Empty Spaces: an actual hidden congratulations message.
• The Beatles — Rain: reversed vocals in the outro, fully intentional.
• Any song you love: reversed choruses are a goldmine of accidental weirdness for the Reverse Singing Challenge.

Frequently asked questions