To change pitch in GarageBand on a Mac, select the audio region, open the Audio Editor, click Region and drag the Transpose slider (up to 12 semitones either way). On iPhone or iPad, open Track Controls, then Track Settings > Transposition. The tempo stays the same. No GarageBand? Use our free audio pitch changer.
GarageBand pitch tools at a glance
GarageBand has five features that move pitch, each for a different job. Names follow Apple’s current user guides for Mac (10.4) and iPhone and iPad (2.3).
| Feature | Mac | iPhone and iPad | Use it for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transpose a region or track | Audio Editor or Piano Roll Editor > Region > Transpose slider | Track Controls > Track Settings > Transposition | Moving one part or a whole song to a new key |
| Follow Tempo & Pitch | Checkbox in the Audio Editor (Region) | Double-tap the region > Settings | Letting an imported song follow key changes |
| Project or song key | LCD > Beats & Project > key | Settings > Key Signature | Setting the key that loops and instruments follow |
| Transposition track | Track > Show Transposition Track | Not in the iOS guide; set Transposition per song section | Key changes at set points in the song |
| Pitch Correction | Audio Editor > Track > Pitch Correction slider | Audio Recorder > Fun > Extreme Tuning | Tuning a vocal, not changing the key |
How to change pitch in GarageBand on Mac
Transpose an audio region (a song or a recording)
- Select the audio region in the Tracks area. To move a whole song, select all its regions on that track.
- Open the Audio Editor: click the Editors button, choose View > Show Editor, or double-click the region.
- In the Audio Editor inspector, click the Region button.
- For an imported song (an orange region), select Follow Tempo & Pitch. Apple’s Transposition track notes say audio regions that are not Apple Loops only follow transposition with this checkbox on.
- Drag the Transpose slider left to lower the pitch or right to raise it, in semitones. The range is ±12 (one octave).
- Play the highest and lowest parts, then export with Share > Export Song to Disk.
Follow Tempo & Pitch also makes the region follow the project tempo. If the song plays faster or slower after you turn it on, set the project tempo to the song’s BPM in the LCD (click the triangle, choose Beats & Project, double-click the tempo). Apple’s Transpose audio regions guide has the core steps.
Transpose software instrument (MIDI) regions
Select the green regions, open the Piano Roll Editor, click Region and drag its Transpose slider. To move single notes, drag them up or down in the editor. If an instrument sounds wrong after a big shift, Apple suggests moving it an octave the other way.
Change the key of the whole project
Choose Track > Show Transposition Track and add a transposition point: everything after it moves by that value until the next point. It moves MIDI regions and Apple Loops, but not drum loops. It moves other audio regions only when they have Follow Tempo & Pitch selected. The project key in the LCD (Beats & Project, then click the key) sets the key that new Apple Loops match. If switching between major and minor respells the key (D♭ major becomes C♯ minor), only the name changes, not the pitch of your regions.
Tune a vocal with the Pitch Correction slider
Select the audio track with no region selected, open the Audio Editor and click Track. Drag Pitch Correction to the right for stronger tuning, and select Limit to Key to snap notes to the project key instead of the nearest chromatic note. It works only on single-note (monophonic) audio, not chords or drums. If the slider is missing, you selected a region or a software instrument track.
How to change pitch in GarageBand on iPhone and iPad
Transpose a track
- In Tracks view, select the track, then tap the Track Controls button in the control bar. (On iPhone SE: Settings > Track Controls.)
- Tap Track Settings, then Transposition.
- Tap the Semitones up or down arrow (or swipe vertically) to move in half steps. Octaves moves by 12.
- Play the song. The setting applies to all regions of the track in the current song section, and new recordings on the track are transposed too.
Regions recorded with the Guitar, Bass or Strings Touch Instruments cannot be transposed (Apple: Use the track controls). The iPad steps are the same.
Imported songs and voice recordings: Follow Tempo & Pitch
Blue regions from the Audio Recorder, the Amp and imported audio files do not follow the song’s key or tempo by default. Double-tap the region, tap Settings and turn on Follow Tempo & Pitch, then transpose. The region now follows the song tempo too, so set the song tempo to the track’s BPM first.
Change the song key
Tap the Settings button in the control bar, tap Key Signature and choose a new key or scale. Touch Instrument recordings and Apple Loops change to match. To try keys without moving existing parts, turn off Follow Song Key. For tuning a vocal, Apple’s Extreme Tuning is in the Audio Recorder’s Fun sounds; set the song key first so it tunes to the right notes. Other iPhone and Android apps are covered in how to change pitch on mobile.
What GarageBand transposes (and what it ignores)
Most “Transpose does nothing” problems come from the region type. This table combines what Apple’s Mac and iOS guides say about each one:
| Region type | Mac: Transpose / Transposition track | iPhone and iPad: Transposition / key change |
|---|---|---|
| Software instrument (green, MIDI) | Yes | Yes (Touch Instruments), except Guitar, Bass and Strings recordings |
| Apple Loops with a key | Yes, and they match the project key | Yes, they follow the song key |
| Drum loops and loops with no key | No | No key to follow |
| Your own recording (audio) | Only with Follow Tempo & Pitch selected | Only with Follow Tempo & Pitch on |
| Imported MP3, WAV or AIFF | Only with Follow Tempo & Pitch selected | Only with Follow Tempo & Pitch on |
How many semitones should you move?
One semitone is one step on the Transpose slider. Singers usually need 1 to 3 steps, and past about ±5 a voice starts to sound unnatural. The last column shows why Transpose beats changing speed: the same pitch by speed alone would change the tempo by the same ratio.
| Semitones | Frequency ratio | Cents | Speed for the same pitch without Transpose | From C major |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| -5 | 0.7492 | -500 | 74.9 % | C → G |
| -4 | 0.7937 | -400 | 79.4 % | C → A♭ |
| -3 | 0.8409 | -300 | 84.1 % | C → A |
| -2 | 0.8909 | -200 | 89.1 % | C → B♭ |
| -1 | 0.9439 | -100 | 94.4 % | C → B |
| +1 | 1.0595 | +100 | 105.9 % | C → C♯/D♭ |
| +2 | 1.1225 | +200 | 112.2 % | C → D |
| +3 | 1.1892 | +300 | 118.9 % | C → E♭ |
| +4 | 1.2599 | +400 | 126.0 % | C → E |
| +5 | 1.3348 | +500 | 133.5 % | C → F |
| +12 | 2.0000 | +1200 | 200.0 % | C → C (octave up) |
To go from one key to another, count the steps in the semitones-to-change-key table or the semitone calculator. Not sure of the original key? The song key finder names it, and what a song key is explains the terms. What semitones are covers the unit, and key change vs pitch change explains why Transpose is both.
Why a transposed track can sound unnatural
- Big shifts: formants move with the pitch, so −6 sounds dark and +6 thin.
- Full mixes: a whole song shifts less cleanly than one voice.
- Tempo drift: Follow Tempo & Pitch with the wrong project tempo stretches the song. Speed and pitch are separate settings; see pitch vs tempo and how to change pitch without changing speed.
- Tuning vs key: heavy Pitch Correction sounds robotic. For more control, compare the best pitch correction software.
No GarageBand? Change the pitch in the browser
GarageBand runs only on Apple devices. The online pitch changer tools run in any browser and process the file on your own device, with no upload. In our tests the audio pitch changer’s 11 exported files were within 0.041 cents of the target pitch with a 0.000 % length change (how we test our tools).
- A song in a new key for singing: online key changer; MP3 in, MP3 out: MP3 pitch changer.
- Any pitch amount, including cents: pitch shifter; key and tempo at once: pitch and tempo changer.
- A deeper or higher voice: vocal pitch changer. Every option is on all pitch tools.
The same job in other editors: Audacity (free on Windows and Mac), Premiere Pro and Final Cut Pro.
Frequently asked questions
Can you pitch shift in GarageBand?
Yes. On Mac, use the Transpose slider in the Audio Editor or Piano Roll Editor (Region), or the Transposition track. On iPhone and iPad, use Track Settings > Transposition. The tempo does not change.
How do I pitch down audio in GarageBand?
Select the region, open the Audio Editor, click Region, select Follow Tempo & Pitch for an imported file, and drag Transpose to a negative number: −2 is a whole step down, −12 an octave.
Why does Transpose not change my song?
Imported audio and your own recordings follow key changes only with Follow Tempo & Pitch on. Drum loops never transpose, and on iOS Guitar, Bass and Strings recordings cannot be transposed.
Does GarageBand have Flex Pitch?
No. GarageBand’s Audio Editor has Enable Flex for timing and a Pitch Correction slider for tuning. Note-by-note Flex Pitch editing is part of Logic Pro.
Why is Pitch Correction not showing in GarageBand?
The slider appears in the Audio Editor when you select an audio track with no region selected and click Track. Software instrument tracks do not have it.
Is there a pitch shifter plug-in in GarageBand?
Apple lists pitch shifters among GarageBand for Mac’s effect plug-ins, and iOS has the Vocal Transformer. For a key change, Transpose is simpler. More help is on our troubleshooting page and in the other pitch and key guides.