How to Change the Pitch of Audio in AudioDirector
Make a song or voice sound higher or lower, then save it as a new file.
Updated Nov. 4, 2026 · 3 min read
In a hurry? Use the pitch quick guide instead.
AudioDirector's Pitch Shifter raises or lowers the pitch of a song, voice, or other audio by up to 6 semitones without changing its length. Use it to move a song into a key that suits your voice or instrument.
- On the launcher, click Pitch Shifter and add an audio or video file.
- Drag the Semitones slider right to raise the pitch or left to lower it.
- Preview the shift, click Apply, then click OK.
- Click Export, name the file, choose a format, and click Export.
Steps to Change Pitch with Pitch Shifter
Step 1: Open Pitch Shifter
On the AudioDirector launcher, click Pitch Shifter, sixth from the left in the bottom row.
If AudioDirector is already open, select a clip in the library and click Pitch Shifter under Edit Audio in the Editing Tools panel. In the Mix room, select the audio on a track first. The change applies to the file on that track.
Step 2: Add Your Audio
In the Pitch Shifter dialog, click the box to browse for an audio or video file, or drop one onto it.
Or click use the sample clip to test to try Pitch Shifter on a sample clip from CyberLink. This example uses that clip, Song.mp3, which is 28.597 seconds long.
Step 3: Set the Semitones
The Edit room opens with your clip and the Pitch Shifter panel. The whole waveform is selected, so the change applies to the entire clip. To shift only part of it, drag across the waveform to select a range first.
Set the two sliders in the panel:
| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| Semitones | Drag right to raise the pitch or left to lower it, from -6 to 6. One semitone moves the pitch one note on a 12-tone scale, such as C to C#. This example uses 4.0. |
| Transient sensitivity | Ranges from 0 to 10, with 5.0 as the default. Drag it right to better keep short, sharp sounds such as drum hits after the shift. You can keep the default. |
Check the starting value first. In this example, Semitones opened at -1.0, not 0.0. To set an exact value, type it in the box next to the slider. Back to default, the last button at the top right of the panel, sets both sliders back.
Step 4: Preview and Click Apply
This example also drags Transient sensitivity to 8.0 to keep short, sharp sounds clearer. For a first try, you can leave it at 5.0.
Under Preview, select Adjusted result and click play below the waveform to hear the shift. Select Original audio to compare it with the clip as it was.
When it sounds right, click Apply. A progress bar shows while AudioDirector updates the clip.
Step 5: Click OK
A message tells you the adjustment is complete. Click OK.
AudioDirector adds the changed clip to the library as a new item marked with an asterisk, here *Song.mp3, below the original. The asterisk marks an edited version that isn't exported yet. Your original file on disk doesn't change.
Step 6: Export the Clip
With the changed clip selected in the library, click Export at the top of the window. In Export Audio, type a File name and click the ... button next to Location to choose a folder.
Choose a Format: WAV, WMA, MP3, M4A, FLAC, or APE. M4A is the default. Then click Export. This example exports a WAV file at 48000 Hz and 16 bits, and AudioDirector adds it to the library too. The file is 28.597 seconds long, the same as the original, so only the pitch changed.
The other settings in the dialog can stay as they are:
| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| Bitrate | Sets the bitrate, 192 Kbps for M4A in this example. FLAC and APE use a compression level instead: a higher level makes a smaller file but takes longer. |
| Sample rate, Bit depth, Channels | Set the quality and channels of the file. WAV and FLAC can have 5.1 or 7.1 channels. |
| CyberLink TrueTheater Surround | Improves the sound when you raise the number of channels. Choose Living Room, Theater, or Stadium. |
| Upload a copy to CyberLink Cloud | Also uploads the file to your CyberLink Cloud storage, if you have a subscription. |
We tested these steps in AudioDirector 365 version 17.0.6908 on Windows.
Don't have AudioDirector yet? Shift a song or voice up to 6 semitones higher or lower, keep its length, and export it as a new file.
Download AudioDirector Free →FAQ About Changing Audio Pitch in AudioDirector
No. Pitch Shifter raises or lowers the pitch and keeps the length. In this example, the sample clip was 28.597 seconds long before and after a 4-semitone shift.
Yes. In the Edit room, drag across the waveform to select a range before you click Apply. Pitch Shifter changes only that range. Without a range, it changes the whole clip.
No. Clicking Apply adds an edited version to the library, marked with an asterisk, and the file on your disk stays the same. To save the change as a file, click Export, which outputs your adjustments in a new file.
