How to Convert Voice to MIDI: Sing or Hum a Melody into Notes

To convert voice to MIDI, record yourself singing or humming one melody, run it through a pitch detector, and save the notes as a .mid file. Our free audio to MIDI converter does all of this in your browser. You can press Record and sing straight into it, with no sign-in and no upload.

This is the fastest way to get a tune out of your head and into a DAW before you forget it.

What voice to MIDI actually does

MIDI is not sound. It is a list of notes: which pitch, when it starts and how long it lasts. A DAW reads that list and plays it with any instrument you choose.

When you convert your voice, the converter listens for the pitch of your singing moment by moment. It turns steady pitches into notes on a piano roll. Then you can play your melody back as a piano, a synth or strings.

If MIDI is new to you, what is a MIDI file explains it.

How to convert your voice to MIDI

1. Open the audio to MIDI converter.
2. Choose Vocals / humming as the source type. This mode reads one note at a time, which suits a single voice.
3. Press Record and sing or hum your melody. Or upload a recording: MP3, WAV, M4A, FLAC, OGG and AAC all work, up to 10 minutes.
4. Convert. Watch the notes fall onto the 88-key piano roll.
5. Switch between Audio and MIDI to compare your voice with the notes.
6. Download the .mid file and drag it into Ableton, Logic, FL Studio, GarageBand, Cubase or Reaper.

Everything runs in your browser. The recording is not uploaded, and you don't need an account.

Tips for a cleaner result

Your voice is not a keyboard. It slides between notes and wobbles a little on long ones. These habits help the converter read you:

• Hum or sing on "da" or "la". Clear starts to each note are easier to detect than smooth vowels.
• Sing one note at a time. No chords, no backing track playing in the room.
• Get close to the mic. A quiet room matters more than a fancy microphone.
• Keep it steady. Less vibrato means fewer extra notes.

Fix the notes with the controls

After converting, you can change the settings and see the result update right away. There is no need to convert again.

• Note sensitivity. Raise it if notes are missing. Lower it if you see too many small notes.
• Shortest note. Raise it to remove tiny blips from breaths or slides.
• Snap to beat. Lines notes up with the beat, if you sang in time. Turn it off for a free, rubato melody.
• Keep pitch bends. Keeps the slides in your voice as pitch bend data. Turn it off for clean, fixed notes.
• Transpose. Moves the whole melody up or down, for example if you hummed it an octave low.

Turn a singer on a record into MIDI

Maybe the melody you want is sung on a finished song. A full mix confuses any pitch detector, because the band plays other notes at the same time.

Take the voice out first. Upload the song to the Acapella Extractor and download the Vocals file. That step costs credits: 1 credit per minute, and new accounts get 5 free credits with Google sign-in. Then load the Vocals file into the converter with Vocals / humming selected.

For a melody you only need for practice or study, that is fine. Releasing a song built on someone else's melody needs permission.

What voice to MIDI can't do

Be realistic about a few limits:

• It reads pitch, not words. Lyrics are not saved in the MIDI file.
• Fast runs and riffs may come out as a smear of short notes.
• Breathy or whispered singing has weak pitch and may be skipped.
• It won't turn a group of singers into separate parts in one go.

For the next step, writing the melody into a full piece, see how to compose music.

What to do with the MIDI next

Once your melody is in a DAW as MIDI, you have many options:

• Pick a sound. Try piano, a lead synth or strings. The same notes feel very different.
• Fix wrong notes. Drag any note up or down on the piano roll.
• Tidy the timing. Quantize gently if you want it on the grid.
• Add chords underneath. Find the key of your melody and build simple chords that fit.

Keep your original recording too. It shows the phrasing you meant, which the MIDI may have flattened.

FAQ

Can I convert my voice to MIDI for free?

Yes. The audio to MIDI converter is free, needs no sign-in, and runs in your browser. You can record straight into it.

Is my recording uploaded?

No. Conversion happens in your browser. Only the separation tools, like the Acapella Extractor, upload audio to the cloud.

Why do I get extra notes?

Usually from vibrato, breaths or slides. Lower Note sensitivity, raise Shortest note, or turn off Keep pitch bends.

Can I convert humming to MIDI?

Yes. Choose Vocals / humming. Humming on a clear syllable gives the best result.

What file do I get?

A standard .mid file that opens in any DAW. You can also convert MP3 files directly on the MP3 to MIDI page.