# Auto-Tune
Auto-Tune, the pitch-correction software Antares Audio Technologies released in 1997, became viral meme fuel after Cher's 1998 single Believe exposed its robotic snapping effect and T-Pain made it his signature vocal sound in 2005[1][2]. By 2009, YouTube was flooded with auto-tuned news clips, speeches and cartoon dialogue, and the Gregory Brothers were turning the plugin into a stage act at the 2011 Oscars[3].
## Origin
Antares Audio Technologies released Auto-Tune in 1997 as a studio patch for singers who missed their notes, originally designed to slide a wobbly pitch to the nearest correct one[1]. The following year, producer Mark Taylor set the retune parameter to its minimum on Cher's Believe, snapping her voice between pitches with a vocoder-like effect that sent listeners asking what the sound was[2]. For most of the next decade, the plugin stayed a producer trade secret used subtly on radio tracks[4].
Rapper T-Pain changed that in 2005 with his debut Rappa Ternt Sanga, running every vocal through the extreme setting as a stylistic choice. His 2007 followup Epiphany debuted at number one, and 'T-Pain effect' tutorials began spreading on YouTube within months[4].
- **Platform:** studio software (Antares) / YouTube (viral spread)
- **Creator:** Antares Audio Technologies (software); Unknown (meme format)
- **Date:** 1997
## Overview
Auto-Tune memes center on the plugin's extreme setting, where the retune speed is dialed so low that vowels snap between notes instead of sliding, producing the robot-voice chirp heard on Cher's Believe[2]. YouTubers took that same setting and applied it to anything with a melodic contour: political speeches, cable news anchors, cooking shows and crying kids. 'T-Pain effect' tutorials made up a large share of early uploads, walking aspiring producers through recreating his sound in free DAWs[5].
Two tones coexist within the format. Serious tutorials show how to achieve the pop radio polish heard on Lil Wayne's 'Lollipop'[8]. Silly uses lean into dissonance, auto-tuning speech until unintended melodies force a listener to hear a melody that was not there[6][7]. The Gregory Brothers formalized the comedic side with their Auto-Tune the News video series, cutting cable segments into R&B hooks[3].
## How to Use
A typical auto-tuned video takes any speech or dialogue audio, drops it into a DAW with Auto-Tune on an aggressive setting (slow retune speed, locked to a single key), and lets the plugin force every syllable onto scale notes. Common conventions include adding a looping beat under the processed vocal and leaving the robotic artifacts audible rather than smoothing them out. News footage, political speeches and children's outbursts are the usual source material because their natural pitch variation produces the most melody when quantized[7].
## Frequently Asked Questions
### What is Auto-Tune?
Auto-Tune is a pitch-correction audio plugin developed by Antares Audio Technologies in 1997, originally designed to fix off-key vocal takes but repurposed as a stylistic robot-voice effect[1].
### Where did Auto-Tune come from?
Antares released it in 1997 as a studio tool, and it entered pop awareness through Cher's 1998 single Believe, which pushed the plugin to its most aggressive setting[2].
### What does Auto-Tune mean?
Beyond the specific Antares product, 'auto-tune' is used generically for any pitch-correction effect that snaps vocals onto scale notes, and as a verb for applying that effect to speech or music[8].
### How do you use Auto-Tune?
Producers drop the plugin onto a vocal track and set the retune speed low for the extreme T-Pain effect, or higher for subtle correction; YouTube is full of tutorials walking through both settings[5].
### Is Auto-Tune still popular?
Yes. Antares still markets the plugin and names Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande among current users, and auto-tuned vocals are standard in modern pop and hip-hop production[1].
## References
1. [https://www.antarestech.com/]()
2. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5xsiKBJGW4]()
3. [https://www.mtv.com/news/1658813/oscars-auto-tune-montage/]()
4. [https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/auto-tune]()
5. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7yfISlGLNU]()
6. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8RqgDsO3c4]()
7. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwKqmMzGkVQ]()
8. [https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Auto%20Tune]()
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Source: https://meme.com/memes/auto-tune
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