A free Melodyne alternative for audio to MIDI
Melodyne is the best tool for editing a single performance note by note. If what you need is MIDI out of a recording or a whole song, there are free options. Here's an honest comparison.
| Price | Runs in | Best at | Limits | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Melodyne | $249 (Assistant) to $399 (Editor), one-time | Desktop plugin (ARA) | Editing monophonic vocals and instruments note by note; the industry standard for tuning | Expensive; polyphonic audio-to-MIDI is rough on full mixes |
| NeuralNote | Free | Desktop plugin | Quick single-instrument audio to MIDI inside your DAW | Exports at 120 BPM unless you set it; pitch bends can sound out of tune; one instrument at a time |
| Basic Pitch (Spotify) | Free | Browser | Single instruments and voice, with pitch bends | Not designed for full mixes; one track; no tempo |
| AnyToMIDI | Free for one instrument; Pro $39.99/year for whole songs and piano | Browser | Whole songs split into per-instrument tracks; piano with both hands and bars; MIDI on the song's tempo | Drums aren't converted yet; no note-by-note editor (edit in your DAW) |
When to use which
- Tuning or reshaping a vocal take: Melodyne.
- One instrument, inside your DAW, for free: NeuralNote, or AnyToMIDI's audio to MIDI in the browser.
- A whole song as separate MIDI tracks: AnyToMIDI's song to MIDI.
- A piano recording with both hands and bars: AnyToMIDI's piano to MIDI.
Questions
Is AnyToMIDI as accurate as Melodyne?
For editing a single vocal or instrument note by note, Melodyne is better: that's what it's built for. AnyToMIDI is for getting MIDI out of audio quickly, especially from whole songs and piano, and it's free for single instruments.
Does AnyToMIDI use Basic Pitch?
Yes, for single instruments and for the vocal, bass and other parts of a song. Before that it separates a song into parts, gives piano its own dedicated model, and writes the tempo into the file.
Do I need a plugin?
No. Everything runs in the browser and you download a standard MIDI file that any DAW opens.