Auto-Tune (or autotune) is an audio processor introduced in 1997 by and registered trademark of Antares Audio Technologies,[4] which uses a proprietary device to measure and alter pitch in vocal and instrumental music recording and performances.[5] It is not to be confused with a vocoder or the talk box.[6]
Auto-Tune was originally intended to disguise or correct off-key inaccuracies, allowing vocal tracks to be perfectly tuned despite originally being slightly off-pitch. The 1998 Cher song “Believe” popularized the technique of using Auto-Tune to distort vocals, which became known as the “Cher effect“. In 2018, music critic Simon Reynolds observed that Auto-Tune had “revolutionized popular music”, calling its use for effects “the fad that just wouldn’t fade. Its use is now more entrenched than ever.”[7]