Turn a recorded melody into readable notation. Upload or record singing, humming, whistling or a simple piano part: the notes are detected, snapped to a tempo and time signature, written on a staff in the detected key, and ready to download as PDF, MIDI or MusicXML.
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Sing, hum, whistle or play one note at a time
Showing a demo piano melody.
ABC notation
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How to use the Audio to Sheet Music
Add a recording: drop an audio file or press Record a melody and sing, hum, whistle or play. A demo piano melody is transcribed when the page opens.
Check the notes: raise Note sensitivity if notes are missing, or raise Shortest note to remove blips. Use Basic Pitch AI for piano with chords.
Set the rhythm: keep Auto tempo or type the real BPM, choose the time signature and the quantize grid. Add a pickup if the melody starts before beat 1.
Press Play notes to hear the notation and compare it with Play recording.
Download the PDF to print, or MIDI / MusicXML to keep editing in notation software.
How quantization turns time into rhythm
At a tempo of B beats per minute one quarter note lasts 60 ÷ B seconds. Each detected note start and end is divided by the grid step and rounded to the nearest whole step, then written with the note values below (L:1/16 means one step = a 16th note).
Note value
16th-note steps
Length at 60 BPM
At 96 BPM
At 120 BPM
Whole note
16
4.00 s
2.50 s
2.00 s
Dotted half
12
3.00 s
1.88 s
1.50 s
Half note
8
2.00 s
1.25 s
1.00 s
Dotted quarter
6
1.50 s
0.94 s
0.75 s
Quarter note
4
1.00 s
0.63 s
0.50 s
Dotted eighth
3
0.75 s
0.47 s
0.38 s
Eighth note
2
0.50 s
0.31 s
0.25 s
Sixteenth note
1
0.25 s
0.16 s
0.13 s
Durations that don't match a single value are split into tied notes, and notes that cross a bar line are tied into the next bar, as in standard notation.
Tips for a clean transcription
Play or sing with a metronome so the tempo is steady; then type that BPM and untick Auto.
Separate the notes clearly. For singing, use a syllable such as “da” or “ta” on each note: a clear attack makes every note easy to find, especially repeated notes.
Start simple. Quantize to 8th notes first. Switch to 16ths only if the melody really has fast notes.
Use the right octave. Male voices sound an octave lower than written in treble clef; tick “Write one octave higher” or switch to bass clef.
Fix the details in an editor. Download MusicXML or open the score in the Sheet Music Maker to correct individual notes, add lyrics or chord symbols.
Frequently asked questions
How does audio to sheet music conversion work?
There are three steps. Note detection finds the pitch and start and end time of each note: the built-in tracker measures one pitch at a time with the YIN algorithm, while Basic Pitch (an open-source neural network from Spotify) can find several notes at once. Quantization then snaps each start and end to a rhythmic grid at your tempo, for example the nearest 16th note. Finally the notes are written as notation: split into bars, tied where they cross a beat or bar line, spelled in the detected key, and drawn on a staff.
What kind of recordings work best?
A single clear melody: one voice, a whistle, a flute or violin line, or a piano played one note at a time, recorded close to the microphone in a quiet room and at a steady tempo. Full songs with drums, bass and vocals together, heavy reverb or rubato (free) timing produce many wrong or extra notes. For piano with chords choose Basic Pitch AI, and expect to tidy up the result.
Why are the rhythms wrong?
Rhythm depends on the tempo. If the notes look twice as fast or slow as you expect, the tempo was detected at half or double speed: type the correct BPM (Auto switches off). Choose 8th notes instead of 16th notes for a simpler, more readable result, add a pickup if the melody starts before the first strong beat, and keep Fill short rests ticked so short breaths between notes don't become rests.
How is the key chosen?
The note durations are compared with the Krumhansl–Kessler major and minor key profiles and the best match is chosen; if the melody ends on the tonic of the relative minor or major, that key is preferred. The key sets the key signature and whether sharps or flats are used. You can pick a different key from the list at any time; it only changes how the notes are spelled, not their pitch.
Which file should I download?
PDF is for printing and reading. MusicXML opens with notes, rhythms, key and time signature in MuseScore, Finale, Sibelius, Dorico and most notation apps, so choose it to keep editing. MIDI holds the quantized notes for DAWs and piano apps. ABC is a compact text format; PNG is an image of the score.
Can it transcribe a full song with several instruments?
Not reliably. It is designed for melodies and simple piano parts. A full mix contains many overlapping sounds, and turning it into a readable score needs source separation and much more musical judgement than automatic transcription offers. Isolate the part first (for example the vocal) or record the melody yourself.
Is my recording uploaded?
No. Decoding, pitch tracking, quantization and drawing the score all happen in your browser. If you choose Basic Pitch AI, the model is downloaded once from a public CDN, but your audio stays on your device.
Are all the tools on FreeToolCabin tested for quality and accuracy?
Yes! Every tool on our site undergoes automated Q/A testing in real browser environments to ensure high precision, correct output, and zero errors. If you happen to spot a bug or have a suggestion, please contact us at [email protected] and our team will review it right away.