🎵 Pitch vs Speed — What's the Difference?
Pitch Changer Tool
Change key without changing speed →
⏱️Speed Changer Tool
Change tempo without changing pitch →
Pitch
How HIGH or LOW it sounds
Speed
How FAST or SLOW it plays
📀 The Vinyl Record Problem
On vinyl, speed and pitch are locked together
Play a record too fast → chipmunk voices. Too slow → deep monster sounds. For decades, that's just how it worked!
✨ The digital fix: Modern tools use "pitch shifting" and "time stretching" algorithms to separate these. Now you can change one without affecting the other!
🎹 What is Pitch?
Pitch = how HIGH or LOW something sounds. Think of piano keys — left side is low, right side is high. When you "change pitch," you shift everything up or down while keeping the same length.
Pitch Shift Visualization
Higher pitch
+1 to +12 semitones
Lower pitch
-1 to -12 semitones
💡 Example: Song too high for your voice? Drop it by -2 or -3 semitones. The song stays the same length, just in a lower key!
⏱️ What is Speed?
Speed = how FAST or SLOW the audio plays. Unlike pitch, changing speed affects the total length of your audio. But with modern tools, the pitch stays natural — no chipmunks!
Time Stretch Visualization
Slower
0.5x - 0.9x
Faster
1.1x - 1.5x
💡 Example: A 4-minute song at 0.75x becomes ~5:20. Perfect for learning tricky guitar solos or catching every word in fast speech!
📊 Quick Comparison
Pitch Change
Speed Change
Think of it like this...
🎯 When to Use Each
Use Pitch Change For:
Vocals
Song too high/low for your voice? Shift it!
Instruments
Transpose to match different tunings
DJ Mixing
Match keys for smooth mashups
Karaoke
Get backing tracks in YOUR range
Use Speed Change For:
Learning Music
Slow down fast solos to nail every note
Transcription
Catch every word or note clearly
Podcasts/Books
Speed through content, save time
Aesthetic Vibes
Slowed + reverb? You know the vibe
🔥 Pro Move: Use Both Together
Here's where it gets fun — since pitch and speed are now independent, you can combine them for ultimate control:
Practice Mode
Slow down a fast solo to 0.7x AND transpose +2 semitones to match your tuning
Performance Prep
Drop the key -3 semitones AND slow it down for a chill vibe
Aesthetic Remix
The classic "slowed + reverb" uses slower speed + lower pitch for that dreamy, nostalgic sound
💡 PitchChanger.io gives you both sliders on one screen — pitch from -12 to +12 semitones, speed from 0.5x to 1.5x. Hear changes in real-time as you adjust!
Ready to Try It?
Adjust pitch and speed independently — free, fast, and totally private.
Open PitchChanger.io →More guides & tools: