How to Make a Sped-Up Song for TikTok
To make a sped up song with the Speed Changer, load a file you already have, drag the Tempo slider a little above 1.00×, preview it, and export. That gives you a faster track in the original key. If you want the higher-pitched version instead, the Pitch Changer does that with two sliders. Both are free with no account, and your audio never leaves your device.
What a sped up song is, and the two kinds
A sped up song is an existing track played back faster, usually by a modest amount, so it feels more urgent and more of it fits into a short clip. The style descends from nightcore and came back around on TikTok in the early 2020s. Fan edits came first, and record labels have since released official sped-up versions of some of their own songs.
There are two kinds, and they sound different:
- Pitch-preserved. The tempo goes up and the key stays where it was. The singer still sounds like themselves, only quicker.
- Higher-pitched. The pitch rises along with the speed, the way a record does when it spins too fast. Vocals get brighter and thinner. Pushed further, this is the nightcore sound.
Which one you want is a matter of taste. Why plain speed-up drags the pitch up with it is covered in How Pitch, Speed, and Duration Relate, and the full version of the pitched-up style is in How to Make a Nightcore Song.
What you'll need
- An audio file already on your device. The Speed Changer's upload box lists MP3, WAV, FLAC, and M4A.
- A current browser: Chrome, Edge, Firefox, or Safari.
- That's all. This audio speed changer runs in a browser tab, so there is no app to install and no sign-up.
How to make a sped up song with the Speed Changer
- Load your file. Open the Speed Changer and drop the file into the upload box, or click it to browse. A Tempo Control panel appears with the filename at the top.
- Raise the tempo. The Tempo slider runs from 0.50× (Slower) to 2.00× (Faster) in steps of 0.05. Drag it right of 1.00×. The readout beside the label shows the current value, such as
1.20×. The note under the slider confirms that pitch stays the same at every tempo. - Preview. Press the round play button and listen to the part you plan to use, not the intro. You can move the slider while it plays and hear the tempo change straight away.
- Pick a format. Under Export format, WAV · lossless is selected by default. MP3 · compatible makes a smaller file.
- Export. Click Export WAV (the button changes to match the format you chose). The download is named
speed_plus your original filename.
How much to speed it up
There is no official figure. Edits in this style tend to land somewhere around 1.15× to 1.3×, but that is community habit and a place to start, not a standard. The table shows what each setting does to a 100 BPM song and to 30 seconds of the original.
| Tempo | 100 BPM becomes | 30 s of the original lasts | Pitch rise if pitch follows speed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.10× | 110 BPM | 27.3 s | +1.65 semitones |
| 1.20× | 120 BPM | 25.0 s | +3.16 semitones |
| 1.25× | 125 BPM | 24.0 s | +3.86 semitones |
| 1.30× | 130 BPM | 23.1 s | +4.54 semitones |
| 1.50× | 150 BPM | 20.0 s | +7.02 semitones |
The last column only applies to the higher-pitched kind, and Semitones and Cents: A Pitch Changer Guide explains the unit. In the Speed Changer, which works as a music speed changer that leaves the key alone, the pitch does not move at any of these settings.
If the chorus you want runs 30 seconds and your video is 24 seconds long, 1.25× makes it fit exactly. After that, trust your ears over the numbers. A slow ballad can take a bigger push than a song that was already quick.
Making the higher-pitched version
For the version where the voice climbs with the tempo, use the Pitch Changer. Its two controls are independent, so you raise both by hand.
- Load the same file. A waveform appears with a Pitch & Speed Controls panel.
- Set Playback speed. It runs from 0.50x (Slow) to 2.00x (Fast) in steps of 0.05.
- Set Pitch transpose to match. It runs from −12 to +12 semitones.
- Press play, adjust either slider while it runs, then pick a format and click Download tuned WAV.
The pitch slider moves in whole semitones, so you can't dial in the exact values from the table. Use the nearest ones:
- 1.20x with +3 semitones
- 1.25x with +4 semitones
- 1.50x with +7 semitones
These are approximations. +4 semitones corresponds to a speed of about 1.26×, not 1.25×, and the gap is small. You don't have to match them either: 1.25x with only +2 semitones gives a less cartoonish vocal.
Getting the clip ready for a short video
Cut the section you need. A short video uses a slice of the song, not the whole thing. Trim it with the Audio Cutter after you've changed the speed, so the length you cut to is the length you actually get. How to Trim Audio for Instagram and TikTok covers choosing clean start and end points.
Choose the export format on purpose. WAV is lossless and the safer choice if the file is headed into a video editor, which will compress it again on the way out. MP3 is smaller and fine when file size matters more. A third option, Opus · smallest, shows up only in browsers that can encode it, so you won't see it in Safari.
Check the loudness. A clip that is much quieter than everything around it sounds weak in a feed. How to Master for TikTok & Reels explains what to aim for.
Then import the file. Do the speed change first, then add the finished file to your TikTok or Reels video in your editor as you normally would.
Troubleshooting
Drums sound smeared or fluttery. Keeping the pitch steady while the tempo rises takes processing, and it gets more audible the further you go. Lower the tempo a step or two. If you need that much speed, switch to the Pitch Changer and let the pitch rise, which usually sounds cleaner at high speeds because less pitch correction is involved. There's more on this in Speed Up a Song Without Chipmunk Pitch.
The vocal sounds thin and chipmunky. That is too much pitch. In the Pitch Changer, bring Pitch transpose down a semitone or two and leave the speed where it is.
The clip ends mid-phrase. Trim to the end of a line or a bar, or try a slightly faster setting so the full phrase fits your runtime.
It sounds grainy or dull. A low-bitrate source already carries compression artefacts, and every lossy re-encode adds more. Start from the best copy you have and export WAV until the final step.
A quick note on copyright
Speeding a song up does not change who owns it, and it does not make a recording safe to post. Use music you made yourself, or music you have the rights or a licence to use. This is general information, not legal advice.
For other edits, there are more audio how-to guides on the Learn hub.
Frequently asked questions
Does a sped up song change the pitch?
It depends on how it was made. Plain speed-up raises the pitch along with the tempo, so a song at 1.25× ends up nearly four semitones higher. A speed changer that preserves pitch cancels that rise, which leaves a faster track in the original key.
How much faster is a sped up song?
There is no fixed amount. Many edits sit somewhere around 1.15× to 1.3× the original tempo, which is a community habit and not a rule. At 1.25×, a 100 BPM song plays at 125 BPM and 30 seconds of the original lasts 24 seconds. Choose the final setting by ear.
What is the difference between a sped up song and nightcore?
Nightcore speeds a song up and raises the pitch with it, which produces the high, bright vocal the style is known for. A sped up song can be made that way too, usually with a gentler shift, or it can keep the original pitch and only gain tempo. Use a pitch changer for the first kind and a pitch-preserving speed changer for the second.
Do I need an app to make a sped up song?
No. Vocal Cut's Speed Changer and Pitch Changer run in a normal browser tab, so there is no music speed changer app to install and no account to create. You load an audio file that is already on your device, adjust the sliders, and export. The processing happens in your browser, and your audio never leaves your device.
Does speeding up a song avoid copyright?
No. Changing the speed or pitch of a recording does not change who owns it, and it does not make the track safe to post or monetise. Use music you created, or music you have the rights or a licence to use. This is general information, not legal advice.