How to Do Autotune on TikTok

That perfectly tuned, slightly robotic singing voice you hear repeating in your head from that viral TikTok isn't always from a pop star. Getting that popular Autotune sound is one of the easiest ways to create a funny, memorable video, and you don’t need a recording studio to do it. This guide gives you the step-by-step process for adding that pitch-perfect effect using both TikTok's built-in tools and a few external apps for an even more polished sound.

What is the Autotune Effect on TikTok?

The "Autotune" effect on TikTok is a popular voice filter that automatically corrects the pitch of a creator's voice. While technically "Auto-Tune" is a brand name for professional audio software, the term has become a catch-all for any effect that snaps your vocals to the nearest "correct" note. This creates that distinct, robotic, or hyper-perfect sound made famous by artists like T-Pain and Cher.

On TikTok, creators use this effect not to hide bad singing but as a stylistic and comedic tool. It can instantly turn a mundane monologue into a catchy song, make a punchline land harder, or just add a surreal vibe to a video. Think of the endless "Chrissy, wake up" remixes from Stranger Things, or how a goofy news clip turns into a viral song. That’s the power of this simple effect. It’s a creative shortcut to making audio that’s engaging and, most importantly, memorable enough for others to use.

The Fast and Easy Way: Using TikTok's Native Voice Effects

For most creators, the simplest method is to use the audio editing tools already built into TikTok. While there isn't a single button labeled "Autotune," several of the platform's voice effects produce a very similar pitch-corrected, melodic result. The most popular one mimics a singing voice with a slight electronic warble.

This method works best when you record your audio directly into the app, so the effect can process your original vocal track. Here’s how to do it step-by-step.

Step-by-Step Guide to TikTok's Audio Editing

1. Open TikTok and Start a New Video: Tap the big ‘+’ icon at the bottom of the screen to open the camera.
2. Record Your Clip: Record yourself speaking, singing, or just talking through an idea. Don't worry about being perfectly in tune - the effect will handle that. For the best result, speak clearly in a quiet environment so the app can isolate your voice. Once you’re happy with the take, tap the red checkmark to move to the editing screen.
3. Find the Audio Editing Tools: On the editing screen, look at the panel of icons on the right side. Tap on the one labeled "Audio editing," which looks like a person with sound waves next to them. If you have an older version of the app, this might be called "Voice effects."
4. Apply a Voice Effect: Tapping this opens a menu at the bottom with a strip of different voice effects. Now, you need to find the right one.
   • Vibrato: This is the go-to effect for creating that autotuned "singing" sound. It adds a slight, fast warble to your voice and shifts its pitch into a melodic line. It's fantastic for turning spoken words into music.
   • Electronic: This option gives you a much more overtly robotic and synthesized sound. It’s less like singing and more like a sci-fi voiceover, but it works great for certain types of humor and skits.
   • Jessie’s Girl: A newer effect that is specifically designed to make your voice sound like you’re singing the classic 80s song by Rick Springfield. Even if you're not singing those lyrics, it applies a heavy, melodic autotune that can work for other phrases too.
5. Preview Your Sound: As you tap on each effect, the video will play on a loop with the effect applied. Test out Vibrato and others to see which one fits the vibe of your video best. Keep in mind that some effects can make your words a bit hard to understand, so make sure your audio is still clear.
6. Save and Post: When you've found the perfect effect, tap "Save" at the top-right of the editing screen. From there, you can add any final touches like text overlays, stickers, or captions before posting your video.

Troubleshooting TikTok's Voice Effects

Don't see the exact voice effect everyone is talking about? Don't worry. TikTok's features can sometimes vary based on your region, device, or app version. Here are a few things to try:

• Update Your App: The easiest fix is often making sure you're running the latest version of TikTok. Head to the Apple App Store or Google Play Store and check for an update.
• Record Clear Audio: Voice effects work best when they have a clean vocal track to manipulate. Try to record in a space with minimal background noise. The effect might not apply correctly if it can’t distinguish your voice from other sounds.
• Be Patient: TikTok often rolls out new features and effects in phases. If you don't have it today, you might get it in a future update.

Level Up: Getting a Pro Autotune Sound with Third-Party Apps

If you find TikTok's effects too subtle or you're looking for that classic, sharp "T-Pain style" robotic sound, you’ll need to use an external application. These apps give you far more control over the sound and let you finely tune the effect before you even upload to TikTok. This workflow is a few extra steps but is worth it for creators committed to producing high-quality, unique audio.

The basic process is: record in the third-party app, save the video to your phone, and then upload that finalized clip to TikTok.

Recommended App: Voloco

Voloco is a popular real-time vocal processing app that’s built specifically for creating this kind of sound. It’s incredibly user-friendly and offers a range of effects from subtle pitch correction to full-on robotic harmonies.

How to Use Voloco for TikToks

1. Download and Set Up Voloco: Grab the app from your phone's app store. The free version is great to start with, though it has ads.
2. Choose Your Effect: Open the app and you’ll see several options. The icon with the musical note and sliders is where you record. The key setting here is your Vocal Fx. For a classic autotune sound, choose the “Hard Tune” effect from the presets. You can also try "Natural Tune" for a gentler correction.
3. Set Your Key: Voloco lets you choose the musical key and scale your voice will snap to. If you don’t know music theory, just let it automatically detect the key by tapping the “Key” button and selecting "Auto," or experiment until you find one that sounds good.
4. Record Your Audio and Video: Tap the red record button at the bottom. You can record video directly in the app while you sing or speak your lines. This makes the editing process much simpler later on.
5. Export the Video: Once you're done recording, you can review your performance. If it sounds right, hit the export button (it usually looks like a share icon) and save the video file directly to your phone's camera roll.
6. Upload to TikTok: Now, open TikTok, tap the ‘+’ icon, and instead of recording, choose "Upload." Select the video you saved from Voloco. From here, you can add text, stickers, and your caption as a regular post.

The major benefit of this method is the auditory quality. The effect is much clearer and more professional-sounding than TikTok’s built-in options, which can give your videos a production value that helps them stand out.

Creative Ways to Use Autotune on TikTok

Now that you know how to make the autotune effect, you can start thinking about how to use it creatively. It's about more than just singing popular songs.

Turn a Monologue into a Viral Song

Find a funny movie quote, a random comment, a trending news clip, or just record yourself telling a mundane story. Apply the "Vibrato" or an effect from Voloco to turn that spoken dialogue into an instantly catchy - and hilarious - song. This is one of the quickest ways to create an Original Audio that other people will want to use.

Comedy Skits and Character Voice

Is one of your characters a robot, an alien, or an overly dramatic pop star? Using the "Electronic" effect or a hard autotune from Voloco can give that character a unique voice that distinguishes them in a skit. It's a simple audio cue that sells the joke without you having to say anything.

Craft Call-and-Response Duets

Record a video where you ask a question in your normal voice, and then answer yourself using the autotune effect. This back-and-forth format is perfect for stitch and duet features, as it creates a clear prompt for another user to respond to. For example, your regular voice could say, "My boss asked me how the project is going," followed by an autotuned voice singing, "It's a hot burning mess."

Ultimately, the autotune effect on TikTok is a fantastic tool for adding personality and humor to your content. Whether you're using TikTok's simple native filters or dedicated apps like Voloco, the goal is always the same: create memorable audio that stops the scroll.

Final Thoughts

Whether you stick with the simple, built-in TikTok voice effects like "Vibrato" or master a more versatile third-party app like Voloco, a polished autotune sound is easily within reach. Experiment with turning spoken words into music, developing funny character voices, or just adding a melodic touch to your content to see what resonates with your audience.

Once you start creating standout videos with custom audio, keeping all that content organized and scheduled becomes the next challenge. At Postbase, we designed our platform specifically for video-first creators managing multiple platforms. We help you visually plan all of your TikToks, Reels, and YouTube Shorts on one unified calendar, making it easy to schedule posts reliably so you can spend less time managing and more time creating.