How to change the pitch of audio and music in Audacity in 2 ways

Posted by Aldo Pusey on Wednesday, May 15, 2024

Redeem now

  • You can change the pitch of audio in Audacity using the "Effect" menu, which contains dozens of different tools for editing audio.
  • You can also change the pitch of an audio clip in Audacity by speeding up or slowing down the track, which will raise and lower the pitch respectively.
  • Visit Business Insider's Tech Reference library for more stories.

In the simplest of terms, pitch can be thought of as how high or low a sound goes. Higher-pitched noises are squeaky and shrill, while lower-pitched noises are bassy and booming.

This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now.

Changing pitches is an incredibly common tool in sound editing. In fact, there are some bands that have built their entire careers around pitch-changing — that is, if you count Alvin and the Chipmunks as a band.

If you're editing audio with Audacity, changing a track's pitch can be done in a few clicks. Here's how to do it on both Mac and PC.

Check out the products mentioned in this article:

Apple Macbook Pro (From $1,299.00 at Apple)

Acer Chromebook 15 (From $179.99 at Walmart)

How to change pitch in Audacity

1. Open the Audacity recording where you wish to change the pitch. Click and drag your mouse along the audio track to select the portion of audio you want to edit.

You can select part of the audio track, or the entire thing. Steven John/Business Insider

2. Click the word "Effect" at the top of the screen, then select "Change Pitch…"

In this drop-down menu, you'll also find "Change Speed" and "Change Tempo." Both of these will alter how fast or slow the song is, and in the process, the pitch will be raised and lowered.

Open the "Change Pitch" menu. Steven John/Business Insider

3. Now use the slider in the popup window to raise the audio to a higher pitch (slide right), or a lower pitch (slide left). You can also manually choose your pitch change using the "From" and "To" options, which is great if you know the starting and target pitch.

Change the pitch manually, or by percentage. Steven John/Business Insider

4. Hit "OK" when you're done, and Audacity will take a few moments to process the audio.

Once it's done, play the audio to make sure you're happy with the changes. If you are, save the project and be on your way. If you're not, undo the change (Ctrl + Z on a PC, or Command + Z on a Mac) and try again.

Apple Macbook Pro 13-Inch Display with Touch Bar Shop at Best Buy External link Arrow An arrow icon, indicating this redirects the user." Shop at Apple External link Arrow An arrow icon, indicating this redirects the user." Acer Chromebook 15 Shop at Walmart External link Arrow An arrow icon, indicating this redirects the user."Steven John Freelance Writer Steven John is a freelance writer living near New York City by way of 12 years in Los Angeles, four in Boston, and the first 18 near DC. When not writing or spending time with his wife and kids, he can occasionally be found climbing mountains. His writing is spread across the web, and his books can be found at www.stevenjohnbooks.com. Read more Read less

Insider Inc. receives a commission when you buy through our links.

Watch: Why Apple's Mac Pro 'trash can' was a colossal failure

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7o8HSoqWeq6Oeu7S1w56pZ5ufonyowcidnKxnpJqwqXvHqK5mrJ9isKmtzaCcZqiZqbCpecinZJqtlJawqsDY

CATALOG
    FEATURED TAGS