How to Make a Nightcore Song
You can make a nightcore edit of any song in a few minutes with the free Nightcore Maker — no software to install and no account. Nightcore is a song sped up and pitched up together, so the whole track runs faster with higher, brighter, "anime-style" vocals. Drop in a file you already have, raise the speed (the pitch rises with it), preview it live, and export. It all runs in your browser, so your audio never leaves your device.
What is nightcore?
Nightcore is a sped-up song with the pitch raised to match. That second part is what separates it from an ordinary sped up song: the tempo climbs and the voices get higher and more energetic at the same time. The style started with people simply increasing a track's playback speed — like a tape or a record played faster, where tempo and pitch rise together at the same ratio. The result is punchy, hyper, and unmistakably nightcore.
It's the exact inverse of the slowed-and-reverb sound. Where slowed + reverb drags a song lower and slower into a dreamy haze, nightcore pushes it faster and higher. Same two knobs — speed and pitch — turned in the opposite direction.
What you'll need
Just a song file that's already on your device — MP3, WAV, FLAC, or M4A all work. There's nothing to sign up for, nothing to upload to a server, and no link to paste. If you have the audio, you have everything you need. The Nightcore Maker runs on your browser's built-in Web Audio, not an AI model, so there's no model download and the preview responds in real time as you drag the sliders.
Which tool to use
This matters, because a few of our tools sound similar but behave differently:
- Nightcore Maker raises speed and pitch together with one slider, plus an optional bass boost. That linked shift is exactly what nightcore needs, so it's the tool for this guide.
- Pitch Changer changes pitch and speed on separate sliders, in one panel. It's the manual route — handy if you want to set the two independently.
- Speed Changer changes tempo while keeping the pitch identical to the original. That's the opposite of nightcore — use it only when you want a track faster but the vocals to stay at their normal pitch.
So: nightcore = Nightcore Maker (or the Pitch Changer, if you'd rather set pitch by hand). A "faster but same voice" edit = Speed Changer. Reach for the right one and the rest is easy.
How to make a nightcore song
The whole edit is one slider and a play button. Here's the order I'd work in.
Open the Nightcore Maker and drop your file in. The moment a track loads you're ready to shape it — no waiting on inference, no upload.
Pick a preset or raise the Speed slider to around 125%–135%. The Light, Classic, and Hyper presets are quick starting points. For most nightcore, somewhere in that range is the sweet spot: fast and energetic without turning the lyrics into a blur. The pitch climbs with the speed automatically — that's what gives nightcore its bright, chipmunky vocal character — and the readout shows how many semitones you've gained.
Add a little bass boost if it sounds thin. Raising the pitch takes some weight out of the low end; the Bass boost slider puts some of it back. Leave it at zero if the track already hits hard.
Press Play and tune by ear. The preview plays live, and you can move either slider while it's playing to hear the change instantly. Nudge the speed, add a touch of bass, listen. Your ears are a better judge than any number.
Export your track. Choose a format in the selector — WAV is the default and lossless, or pick MP3 for a smaller, share-ready file — and hit Export WAV (the button relabels to match your chosen format). It renders and downloads right there.
Want to start over with a different song or different settings? Use the reset control and drop in a new file. Prefer to set pitch and speed separately? The Pitch Changer works too: raise Playback speed to around 1.3x and Pitch transpose to about +2 to +5 semitones, then preview and export.
The "purist" recipe (optional)
Classic nightcore came from raising one playback-speed control, which lifted tempo and pitch by the same amount. The Nightcore Maker works exactly that way, so there's nothing to calculate there. If you're using the Pitch Changer's separate sliders and want to mimic that tape-speedup exactly, match your pitch shift to your speed with a little math: for a speed multiplier S, the matching pitch shift in semitones is about 12 × log2(S).
That works out to roughly:
- ~1.3x speed → about +4.5 semitones (round to +4 or +5)
- ~1.5x speed → about +7 semitones
Honestly, most creators skip the math and just set speed around 1.3x with pitch around +2 to +5 to taste. The formula is there if you want that authentic, uniform "everything shifted together" feel — but trust the Play button over the calculator.
Nightcore vs. a plain sped up song
A sped up song and a nightcore song aren't quite the same thing, and the difference is the pitch.
| Speed | Pitch | Tool | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sped up (same voice) | Faster | Unchanged | Speed Changer |
| Nightcore | Faster | Higher | Nightcore Maker |
If you only bump the tempo and leave the pitch alone, you get a faster version that still sounds like the original singer. Raise the pitch along with the speed and it crosses over into true nightcore. Both are valid edits — just pick the tool that matches the sound you're after.
Getting the sound right
The mistake most people make is overshooting. More speed and more pitch feels like more energy, right up until the words disappear and everything sounds thin and tinny.
If the vocals turn to chipmunk mush, you've pushed the pitch too far. In the Nightcore Maker, ease the speed down and the pitch comes with it; in the Pitch Changer, pull the transpose back toward +2 or +3 semitones. A little lift is all it takes to read as nightcore.
If you can't make out the lyrics, the speed is likely too high. Ease it down toward 1.25x. Nightcore should feel fast and fun, not like a track on fast-forward.
When in doubt, keep it modest. A song at 1.3x with a +3 or +4 semitone lift sounds intentional and bright; the same song at 1.8x with +10 semitones sounds like a glitch. You can always push further — do it a bit at a time and keep pressing Play.
Related tools and guides
- Want the opposite vibe on the same song? How to Make Slowed + Reverb Songs drags it slow and dreamy instead.
- Another creative edit worth trying: How to Make 8D Audio From Any Song, the effect that pans around your head in headphones.
- Making your own vocal to nightcore? How to Record a Cover Song covers capturing a clean take first.
A quick note on copyright
Making a nightcore edit of a song you didn't write is generally fine for personal, offline listening. But publishing or monetizing an edit of copyrighted music can require the rights holder's permission, so check before you post it anywhere public. This isn't legal advice — just something to keep in mind.
Frequently asked questions
What is nightcore?
Nightcore is a style where a song is sped up and pitched up at the same time, giving it a faster tempo and higher, brighter vocals. It began with fans simply increasing a track's playback speed, which raises pitch and tempo together, like a record played faster. The result is an energetic, hyper-sounding version of the original song.
What is the best speed and pitch for nightcore?
A good starting point is a playback speed around 1.25x to 1.35x with the pitch raised about +2 to +5 semitones. That's fast and bright without losing the lyrics. Preview with the Play button and adjust while it's playing. If the vocals get chipmunky, lower the pitch; if the words blur, ease the speed back down.
Is nightcore the same as a sped up song?
Not quite. A plain sped up song only increases the tempo and leaves the pitch alone, so the singer still sounds normal. Nightcore raises the pitch along with the speed, giving those higher, brighter vocals. For nightcore use the Nightcore Maker, which moves both together (or the Pitch Changer to set them separately); for a faster track at the original pitch, use the Speed Changer instead.
Can I make nightcore for free on my phone?
Yes. The Nightcore Maker is free, needs no account, and works in any modern browser on a phone or desktop. Open the page, drop in a song already on your device, raise the speed, and export. Your audio never leaves your device, and there's no app to install and no limit on how many edits you make.
Is it legal to nightcore a song?
Making a nightcore edit for your own personal, offline use is generally fine. Publishing or monetizing an edit of a copyrighted song, though, can require permission from the rights holder, so it's worth checking before you post one publicly. This is general information, not legal advice.