Singers That Use Autotune

Autotune has developed something of an ugly reputation over the years.

It’s a program that digitally alters a singer’s voice when they deviate too much from the original note of the song they are singing.

It can, sometimes, add a very robotic sound to the proceedings and some people insist it’s cheating.

However, there’s no doubt that auto-tune has been employed to great effect on many hit songs, solo albums, and tours and many of the music world’s biggest names use auto-tune.

See for yourself.

Some Major Artists That Use Autotune

Britney Spears

She’s the darling of the pop bubblegum scene and you can’t deny Britney’s talent for singing, dancing, and writing her own songs.

However, her music production often involves the use of the auto-tune effect, and her music video for Baby One More Time which has sold over 10 million copies has auto-tune in it.

It’s not because she has lousy singing abilities but because she works very hard and has done it from a very young age and that means she’s not always in perfect form – auto-tune means she can always meet her commitments to a very busy schedule.

Will.I.Am

The founder of the band The Black Eyed Peas and now incredibly successful solo artist is an extremely versatile singer.

He’ll make a rap song with hip–hop and pop influences and uses auto-tuned vocals to great effect to create a unique and distinct sound that everyone knows.

Will.I.Am is in huge demand as a record producer in the music world and that’s because he uses auto-tune to enhance talent not to detract from it.

Kesha

Ke$ha is a ridiculously versatile singer who isn’t afraid to use a little auto-tune when she’s delivering her repertoire which spans rock, pop, and more.

She wrote every song on her debut album and has an unusual passion for fat, hairy men!

Travis Scott

Travis uses auto-tune to support some of his live performances and the lead singer isn’t afraid to put into service on his albums too.

He says that vocal synthesizers make it easier to get things right and that it can save time and money in the studio.

And Travis dated Kylie Jenner, so he can’t be that far off base about what works.

Lady Gaga

Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta – Lady Gaga, is one of the world’s biggest artists.

She says that she was asked to use auto-tune on her first album for the vocal effect but has since stopped using it, preferring to let her own voice shine.

She may use autotune but there’s no doubt that Lady Gaga belongs on our list of the coolest songs to play at a party.

Frank Ocean

This R&B legend isn’t agreed to use a little auto-tune though more for pitch correction rather than to work on his vocals.

He says it enables him to create something more unique and his blend of soul, funk, and jazz certainly bears that out.

Jason Derulo

Jason’s heavy use of auto-tune in the studio has led to many a critic savaging his live performance and saying that he needs to add emotion and vocal accuracy to his time on stage.

This seems pretty harsh to us but we should note that Jason once performed with the autotune set out of tune! They said that this meant the song he was singing sounded absolutely dreadful.

If you’re going to use an audio processor we’d recommend that you set it up properly. Particularly when your recording contract is as valuable as Jason’s.

Kanye West (Ye)

We won’t pretend to understand his motivations for changing his name from Kanye to Ye but we would note that early in his career – he was a prominent user of autotune and though he’s a top hip-hop singer, he tends to struggle a little on very slow, emotive tunes when the software steps in to help him out a little.

We weren’t blown away by Ye’s last album but we can’t deny the man’s enduring talent, either.

Lil Wayne

Lil Wayne dominates the rap industry and has done before he even became a teenager!

His signature vocal style has been built on autotune and that doesn’t stop his legions of fans from considering him to be one of the world’s greatest ever rappers!

Justin Bieber

OK, to be fair, Justin doesn’t use autotune but that’s only because he uses something called Melodyne which is a brand-name competitor to autotune.

He says it gives him the freedom to put in better live performances and that almost every artist needs a little help on stage.

We’re still Belieber’s in Justin and that’s why his contribution to our favorite Instagram tunes was so valuable.

Final Thoughts On Auto-Tune, The Music Business, And The Music Industry

Whether you’re in an American indie-folk band or laying down tracks for Def Jam recordings with record producer Evan Rogers, there’s no need to worry about using autotune.

It’s not just for pop singers, it’s for anybody that wants to ensure their very best vocal performance and you can see from our list above – many of the world’s top artists do it too.