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How do I watch a Just the Jokes (MP3 audio commentary)?

← How to Watch
RiffTrax started back in 2006 with our first product: an audio MP3 commentary "riff" for the Patrick Swayze movie Road House. 

The idea is simple: we sell you a "riff" - which is just an audio track of our jokes. By doing so, we can do literally any movie we want. Literally! Then, it's up to you to find a copy of the movie on DVD, or streaming, and then sync the two together using the instructions that the riffers give you. They'll tell you when to Pause the riff, Play the movie, and then Play the riff again. It's easy! 

But wait! 


There's now an app for that! Check out the RiffTrax App for mobile devices, which automatically syncs up the commentary with the movie using your device's microphone. It actually listens to the movie while it plays, and handles the syncing for you, PLUS it will let you disable the "Automatic Sync" so that you can use it like any other MP3 player. If you would rather sync up with the manual "old fashioned method", or if you live in a PAL (Region 2+) country that the Sync App doesn't support, then continue reading.

Here's how to sync up a commentary with the movie:

  1. Purchase one of our Audio MP3 commentaries. Pick one that strikes your fancy - we have everything from Casablanca to Star Trek.
  2. Once you've made the purchase, you can either stream the MP3 from the streaming player on the Library Play page, or download the movie to your favorite MP3-playing device.
  3. Play the MP3 first, and listen to the introduction. The riffers will provide instructions for when to pause the MP3, and when you'll need to un-pause it. (For example: "When the LucasFilm logo fades to black, press Play again on this RiffTrax.")
  4. Then the riffers will say, "1, 2, 3, Pause" - pause your MP3.
  5. Start the movie!
  6. Watch for the "sync cue" as described in Step 3, e.g. "LucasFilm logo fades to black".
  7. Once that moment happens in the movie, Play the MP3 again, and voila! Hilarious MST3k-style running commentary for blockbuster movies. 
We realize this process is less than intuitive, but don't be scared! It's a lot easier than it sounds, and after a few tries, it'll be second nature.

And of course, there's an app for that now, too, which makes syncing using this method a thing of the past.

Give it a shot and you'll see just how easy it is to watch your favorite (and not-so-favorite) Hollywood films in a brand-new way.

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