Spotify Basic Pitch

What Spotify Basic Pitch is

Spotify Basic Pitch converts audio recordings into MIDI files, giving musicians and producers a way to move recorded performances into a digital audio workstation for further editing. It supports polyphonic recordings and works with almost any single instrument, including voice. The system detects pitch bends to create more expressive MIDI output. Users can download the MIDI result and refine it in their preferred workstation; Soundtrap is named as an online music studio for that step. Spotify says conversion can run up to 10 times faster than real time on most modern computers. The free online demo is available on the web, and the project supports Linux, macOS, and Windows. Developers can obtain the code for production workflows, or install the Python library with pip and use its command-line interface. Listed audio formats include MP3, OGG, WAV, FLAC, and M4A. Basic Pitch works best with one instrument at a time, and stereo input is mixed down to mono for transcription. The project is open source and also targets developers and researchers.

Who it suits

Basic Pitch suits musicians and producers converting recordings into MIDI, especially when working with one instrument at a time. Developers and researchers can use its open-source code or Python library in workflows.

Limits

Basic Pitch works best with one instrument at a time. Stereo audio is down-mixed to mono for transcription.

Getting started

1. Open the Basic Pitch web demo.
2. Provide an audio recording in MP3, OGG, WAV, FLAC, or M4A format.
3. Run the recording through transcription.
4. Download the MIDI output and refine it in a digital audio workstation such as Soundtrap.
5. For a local developer workflow, get the code on GitHub or install the Python library with pip.

Verdict

Basic Pitch provides a free route from audio recordings to downloadable MIDI, with pitch-bend detection and several supported formats. Its results are best suited to one instrument at a time, and stereo audio is reduced to mono for transcription.