Note-based audio editing

Melodyne grants you unrivaled access to all the musical details in your recordings and samples – note by note. This is made possible by a sophisticated analysis that delves deeply into your recordings and samples, and recognizes and understands the musical relationships within them: the individual notes and their characteristics, the scales, keys and chords, the timing, the tempo, the tone color. And with Melodyne you can edit all these things intuitively. With vocals, but every type of instrument as well – including polyphonic ones, such as the piano and guitar.
image

Notes and tools

In Melodyne, notes are represented by blobs. By manipulating these with Melodyne’s powerful tools, you can edit (among other things) the pitch, vibrato, volume, sibilants, length, timing and formants of each note. In this way, you can enhance in a musical yet straightforward manner the intonation, phrasing, dynamics and timbre of a performance. While ingenious algorithms ensure your editing’s almost always inaudible, sensitive, natural.
image
1
Notes instead of waveforms. With Melodyne, you see the notes in your recordings and samples, and can manipulate and modify them at will. Even with polyphonic instruments like the piano and guitar.
2
Tools and macros. Edit intonation, melody and harmony, but also rhythms and grooves, dynamics, formants and much more. Using intelligent macros or – with great precision – by hand.
3
Multitrack Note Editing. See and edit the notes of multiple tracks simultaneously in a single window. Only Melodyne makes music this transparent and tangible.
4
All that counts musically. Melodyne also recognizes chords, keys, tunings and tempos. And the editing functions for these important musical parameters are just as comprehensive as for the notes themselves.
5
Innovative sound design. Access the overtones of your instruments directly and change their tone color in unique ways. Using an ultra-musical equalizer, resynthesis and morphing.
6
Compatibility and user-friendliness. Melodyne can be operated via ARA or as a plug-in directly in a DAW. Or even as a stand-alone program. Its flexible interface adapts perfectly to the requirements of each situation.
image
1
2
3
4
5
6
  • image
    Simone Torres
    Becky G, Cardi B, Normani, Sofia Carson
  • image
    Dan Parry
    Adele, Sam Smith, Lady Gaga, Wizkid
  • image
    Steph Economou
    won a Grammy for "Assassin's Creed Valhalla: DoR"
  • image
    Tom Fuller
    Hurts, Tom Walker, Richard Fairlie
  • image
    Scott Chesak
    Weezer, The All-American Rejects, Panic! At The Disco
  • image
    Esjay Jones
    Grey Daze, Chester Bennington, Sean Kingston
  • image
    Mick Schultz
    Rihanna, Kelly Clarkson, Jeremih
  • image
    Andrew Bolooki
    Grammy-winning vocal producer of "Old Town Road (Remix)"
  • image
    drew Bang
    U2, Royal Blood, Slaves
  • image
    Ben Baptie
    Adele, London Grammar, Mark Ronson, U2
  • image
    Joseph Magee
    Supervising Mixer in Hollywood
  • image
    Guy Sigsworth
    Songwriter for Madonna
  • image
    Carmen Rizzo
    Niyaz, Coldplay, Paul Oakenfold, Alanis Morissette
  • image
    Jason Phats
    Phats & Small
  • image
    Florian Ammon
    Rammstein, U2, Lifehouse
  • image
    Andy Sneap
    Megadeth, Cradle of Filth, Machine Head
  • image
    Lady V
    Katy Perry, Selena Gomez, Armin van Buuren
  • image
    John Reynolds
    Producer of Sinéad O’Connor
  • image
    Kipper
    produced Sting
  • image
    Ted Perlman
    produced Burt Bacharach
  • image
    Midge Ure
    Ultravox vocalist
  • image
    Andrew Scheps
    mixed Metallica and Johnny Cash
  • image
    Gareth Jones
    produced Depeche Mode
  • image
    Andy Gray
    Paul Oakenfold, Enter Shikari, Hard-Fi
  • image
    Ali Staton
    Madonna, Seal, Lamb
  • image
    Dickie Chappell
    Engineer of Peter Gabriel
  • image
    Herbie Hancock
  • image
    Pete Townshend
    The Who guitarist
  • image
    Mike Shinoda
    Linkin Park
  • image
    Peter Gabriel
  • image
    Rob Arbittier
    mixed Stevie Wonder
  • image
    A. R. Rahman
    Film composer

Why Melodyne is better

That Melodyne sounds so good and is so simple to use is based on two things. The less important is the technology.

The decisive factor is its understanding of the music.
Melodyne identifies the notes and the relationships between them. It is only as a result of this knowledge that Melodyne’s algorithms are able to “think” and operate in such a musical way. The benefits to you as a musician and producer include the famously superior sound of Melodyne and many other advantages that software lacking this understanding of musical contexts is incapable of offering.

image

"A killer upgrade that massively improves working with vocals"

The press is enthralled by Melodyne 5. Here are some selected print and online media quotes.
image

"Melodyne 5 has been a long time coming, but it’s hard to imagine anyone feeling disappointed with the results! This is another killer upgrade that massively improves the process of working with vocals, while adding some new creative powers too."

Sound On Sound, July 2020

X

Sound On Sound

"When it comes to practical, ergonomic improvements, Melodyne 5’s sibilant detection, Leveling Macro and improved pitch centre calculation are simply massive. If you work with vocals, you’ll get more done with fewer mouse-clicks and to a higher standard. I can’t think of any good reason why existing users would not choose to upgrade to Melodyne 5 right away."

"What’s more, whereas most of the really good stuff in version 4 was reserved for the flagship Studio edition, nearly all of the significant v5 improvements apply to Melodyne Editor and Melodyne Assistant as well."

Read the full article (Sound on Sound, July 2020)

image
image

"If you want something that’s going to give you all the creative tools to rework audio material as if it’s MIDI, and save you loads of time when tuning vocals, it might be time to invest in Melodyne. You won’t regret it."

MusicTech, September 2020

X

image
image

On Youtube, too, there are loads of tests and reports on Melodyne 5. Here is a selection:

To the Youtube Playlist

X

image
image

"When it comes to correcting the pitch and intonation of vocal recordings, Melodyne 5 beats alternative methods hands down."

"The online manual and tutorial videos are exemplary. They don’t just explain the basic functions but also provide valuable tips for practical application."

c’t Magazin, 15/2020, German

X

image
image

"The update is, as they say these days, ‘a no-brainer’. No need to think about it. Just buy!"

Studio Magazin, 5/2020

X

Studio Magazin

"No other system is capable of manipulating polyphonic material in the quality offered here. But even for monophonic signals, Melodyne in Version 5 is once again the absolute leader in terms of naturalness and freedom from artifacts.

The detection of the unpitched signal components works outstandingly well in practice and significantly improves the results obtained from editing, while saving you a considerable amount of time and effort into the bargain.

The other new tools also streamline your workflow, saving you time and money. And the great thing is, no effort of adaptation whatsoever is asked of the user. Anyone who knows Melodyne 3 or 4 will be able instantly to find their way around in Melodyne 5 and make unlimited use of the new possibilities."

Read the whole article in German (Studio Magazin, 5/2020)

image
image

"I tested Melodyne 5.1 with Cubase 11, and the integration is exceptional. Comping of audio takes, moving of audio events and many other actions are updated and replicated so well between the DAW and Melodyne edit windows, as to make it appear part of the DAW itself."

Musicradar, February 2021

X

image

"What does a stone sound like?"

It began with a strange question and became a tool that has revolutionized the handling of audio worldwide.

An exceptional idea such as Melodyne could only spring from an exceptional mind – like that of Peter Neubäcker. His philosophical, musical and mathematical roots, his individuality, and his ingenuity are what brought Melodyne into being and make it unique.

Peter Neubäcker: a portrait (approx. 27 min.)

Outstanding and acclaimed

For its innovative, musical approach, its uniqueness, and its quality, Melodyne has won numerous international awards.
image

Technical Grammy

2012 for “contributions of outstanding technical significance to the recording field”

The Grammy Award is the highest international accolade for music artists and recording teams. It is presented by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States. The award is the music equivalent to the Academy Awards for film.
X

Technical Grammy

On February 12, 2012, we have been honored by the Recording Academy as the first German software manufacturer with a Technical Grammy. The highest award in the music business is given in recognition of “contributions of outstanding technical significance to the recording field” and is equivalent to an Oscar in the film industry. “This is an honor none of us ever expected. I believe our company is the smallest ever to have received a Technical Grammy. And perhaps also the strangest,” commented Melodyne inventor Peter Neubäcker.

The first of the Special Merit Awards to be presented went to the Munich software house Celemony. Host and Grammy manager James McKinney opened with the legendary question posed long ago by Melodyne inventor Peter Neubäcker: “What does a stone sound like?” A truly philosophical approach to the world of sound technology, far away from the purely technical thought-processes that typically prevail in the industry, and yet it is for precisely that reason Celemony was chosen to receive this year’s Technical Grammy. After all, Celemony has blazed open a radically new avenue of access to musical editing that for ten years now has made it impossible to imagine music production without it.

In his acceptance speech, Peter Neubäcker alluded to his philosophical and mathematical background, explained his own, singular vision of music, and described the beginnings and the spirit of the company. He also thanked the Recording Academy, the Celemony team, the company’s many friends and, of course, all the users of the software Melodyne. “We are very proud as a small Munich software house to be granted such a notable international recognition for our work,” said Neubäcker, receiving the award together with his three partners in Los Angeles.

Video of Peter Neubäcker’s speech

image image
image

TEC Award

2020 TEC Award (Melodyne 5 studio), 2011 TEC Award (Melodyne editor)

The TEC awards are presented annually by the NAMM Foundation and are widely regarded as the highest accolade for companies and innovations in the music production sector.
X

image
image

KVR Readers' Choice

Favorite Vocal Effect 2023

KVR is one of the biggest online communities dedicated to music software and related themes. Each year, readers vote for their favorite products in various categories.
X

image

The latest version

With Version 5, Melodyne strengthens its core competence, making its vocal editing functionality even more powerful than before. The most important new features:

  • fundamentally improved “Melodic” algorithm
  • more musical analysis of pitch deviations
  • separate processing of pitched and unpitched (noise) components
  • perfect de-esser functionality without side-effects
  • Chord Track and chord recognition
  • Chord Grid for pitch editing
  • Fade Tool and Leveling Macro
  • new “Percussive Pitched” algorithm
image

Try out Melodyne 5 studio free of charge

Let Melodyne 5 studio convince you: try it out for 30 days – free of charge and without obligation.

You can test all its functions to your heart’s content and without any limitations, saving everything and making further use of it later – exactly as though you’d already purchased the application. During the trial period, you can even switch to the smaller editions to compare their various function sets. This makes finding the right edition simple.

Incidentally, the Melodyne 5 trial version will still run on your computer, even if in the past you have used an earlier trial version of Melodyne on it.

To the trial version
image
image
Melodyne 5 studio
How you want to work with audio today. Melodyne 5 studio is the complete Melodyne, with all Melodyne’s unique functions and possibilities. For professional vocal editing, choirs, instruments of all kinds, and samples. And with a multi-track workflow unsurpassed in terms of ease-of-use and musicality.
Buy now
Melodyne 5 essential
The easy way to begin. With Melodyne 5 essential, you edit your vocals using the basic functions for pitch and timing. Musical, quick and easy. And if you need more, you can always upgrade, paying only the difference.
Buy now
Melodyne 5 assistant
The path to professional vocals. Melodyne 5 assistant offers the complete Melodyne toolkit for pitch, timing, vibrato, phrasing, formants and dynamics. Everything you need for professional vocal editing.
Buy now
Melodyne 5 editor
Melodyne power for vocals, instruments of all kinds, and samples. Melodyne 5 editor contains all the professional vocal functions. Plus the legendary DNA algorithm for polyphonic audio. With it, you can adapt any library sample to the chords of your song.
Buy now