Change the pitch of audio without changing the speed

Open your file, choose Effects ▸ Time/Pitch ▸ Pitch Shift…, set Transpose to the number of semitones you want and click OK. The key moves up or down while the length and the tempo stay the same. Auditius does it in your browser, and your audio is never uploaded.

The Pitch Shift window in Auditius over a song’s waveform, transposing it up 2 semitones
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How to change the pitch of a song, step by step

The Pitch Shift window opens as soon as your file has loaded.

  1. Click Open a file to transpose, or use File ▸ Open… (Ctrl+O), and choose your audio file.
  2. To change only part of the file, select it first. With nothing selected, the effect applies to the whole file.
  3. Open Effects ▸ Time/Pitch ▸ Pitch Shift… from the menu bar.
  4. Set Transpose, from -24 to +24 semitones. Positive values raise the pitch and negative values lower it; 12 semitones make one octave.
  5. For changes smaller than a semitone, use Fine Tune, from -100 to +100 cents.
  6. Press Preview to listen, then click OK. If you want to try another value, Ctrl+Z undoes it.
  7. Save the result with File ▸ Save As… as WAV, FLAC, MP3 or Ogg Vorbis.

How many semitones to move

A semitone is one step on a piano keyboard, counting the black and the white keys. To move a song to a new key, count the steps between the two notes.

From C to D is +2, from E to D is -2, and from G to C is +5 or -7. Both directions reach the same key; the smaller move usually sounds more natural.

  • Singing along: if a song is too high for you, try -2 or -3 semitones.
  • Guitar with a capo: if a song was recorded with a capo on the 2nd fret and you want to play it without one, lower it by 2 semitones.
  • Tuning: a recording tuned to A = 432 Hz sits about 32 cents below standard pitch. Set Fine Tune to +32 to bring it to 440 Hz.
  • The presets cover common jumps: Octave Up (+12), Octave Down (-12), Chipmunk (+7) and Monster (-7).

Tips for a natural sound

Pitch shifting rebuilds the audio, so the size of the change matters.

  • A few semitones up or down usually sound clean. Larger shifts make voices thin and cartoonish going up, or heavy and blurred going down, because the character of the voice moves along with the pitch.
  • Shift once, with the final value. Several small passes in a row degrade the sound more than one.
  • Tick Loop next to Preview to hear the same passage repeatedly while you try values.
  • If the result clips or sounds louder, finish with Effects ▸ Amplitude ▸ Normalize… to set the peak level again.

Related tools: speed, pitch curves and batches

Effects ▸ Time/Pitch ▸ Time Stretch… does the opposite job: it changes the speed and keeps the pitch. With Mode set to Resample (changes pitch), pitch and speed change together, like a tape or a record played faster or slower.

Effects ▸ Time/Pitch ▸ Pitch Bender… changes the pitch over time along a curve you draw, with presets such as Tape Stop and Spin Up.

To transpose several songs by the same amount, record the shift once with Edit ▸ Scripts ▸ Record Script and run it over all of them with File ▸ Batch Process…

Frequently asked questions

Does Pitch Shift change the length or tempo of a song?

No. Pitch Shift keeps the duration and the tempo as they were; only the key moves. To change both together, use Time Stretch with Resample (changes pitch).

How much should I lower a song to sing it more comfortably?

Start with -2 semitones and move one semitone at a time while you preview, until the high notes feel easy.

Can I shift the pitch by less than a semitone?

Yes. Fine Tune moves it in cents, from -100 to +100, and 100 cents make one semitone. It is useful to match a recording that is slightly out of tune with your instrument.

What is the largest pitch change I can make in one pass?

Transpose goes from -24 to +24 semitones, two octaves each way, plus Fine Tune. Extreme values work, but they add artifacts, especially on voices.

Can I change the pitch of only one part of a song?

Yes. Select that part before you open Pitch Shift and only the selection changes. To glide from one pitch to another instead of jumping, use Pitch Bender.

Is the song uploaded when I change its pitch?

No. Pitch Shift runs in your browser, on your own device, so the song never leaves your computer and there is no account to create.

Audio tools