Change Pitch by Semitones or Cents in Audacity

Audacity makes it simple to alter the pitch of any audio recording without changing its playback speed or tempo. Using the built-in "Change Pitch" effect, you can precisely adjust audio using musical intervals, specifically semitones (half-steps) and fractional values representing musical cents. This guide outlines the exact steps required to shift the pitch of your audio tracks accurately.

Step 1: Select the Audio

Open your audio project in Audacity. Use the Selection Tool to highlight the specific portion of the track you wish to modify. If you want to change the pitch of the entire track, click the track header on the left or press Ctrl + A (Windows) or Cmd + A (Mac).

Step 2: Open the Change Pitch Effect

With the audio selected, navigate to the top menu bar and click Effect. Depending on your Audacity version:

• In Audacity 3.2 and newer, go to Effect > Pitch and Tempo > Change Pitch...
• In older versions, go directly to Effect > Change Pitch...

Step 3: Adjust Pitch by Semitones

Inside the Change Pitch dialog box, locate the Semitones (half-steps) input field.

• To raise the pitch, enter a positive number (for example, 1 to shift up by one semitone, or 12 to shift up an entire octave).
• To lower the pitch, enter a negative number (for example, -2 to shift down a whole step).

You can also use the pitch detection tools at the top of the window, which let you select an initial musical note and change it directly to a target note.

Step 4: Adjust Pitch by Cents

A cent is a logarithmic unit of measure for musical intervals, where 100 cents equal one semitone. While Audacity does not have a field explicitly labeled "Cents," it accepts decimal values in the Semitones (half-steps) field:

• To adjust by +25 cents, enter 0.25 in the Semitones field.
• To adjust by -50 cents (a quarter-tone flat), enter -0.50 in the Semitones field.
• To adjust by +5 cents, enter 0.05 in the Semitones field.

Alternatively, you can use the Percent Change field for fine microtonal tuning if you know the exact frequency percentage adjustment required.

Step 5: Preview and Apply

Click the Preview button in the lower-left corner of the window to listen to a short sample of your modified audio. If the result sounds natural, click Apply (or OK) to process the track. For the highest acoustic fidelity—especially on complex instruments or vocals—ensure the Use high quality stretching (slow) checkbox is enabled before applying the effect.