FAQ

Got questions?

Everything you need to know about Tonify — from first install to advanced pitch control.

Tonify is a free Chrome extension that lets you transpose (pitch-shift) any audio or video playing in your browser — in real time, with no downloads or installs beyond the extension itself.

Whether you want to match a song to your vocal range, tune a YouTube lesson to your instrument, or fine-tune by individual cents, Tonify does it all directly inside your browser tab.

  • ±12 semitone pitch range
  • ±100 cent fine-tune control
  • Works on YouTube, SoundCloud, Spotify Web Player, Twitch, and more
  • Zero latency activation — changes are applied instantly
  • 100 % free
  1. Go to the Chrome Web Store page for Tonify by Musestar.
  2. Click Add to Chrome.
  3. Confirm the installation dialog.
  4. Click the puzzle-piece (Extensions) icon in your Chrome toolbar and pin Tonify so it stays visible.
  5. Open any page with audio or video and click the Tonify icon to start shifting pitch.

Tip: If the extension doesn't respond right away, refresh the page and start playback before opening Tonify.

Tonify is a Chrome extension and works on any Chromium-based desktop browser, including:

  • Google Chrome (recommended)
  • Microsoft Edge
  • Brave
  • Opera
  • Vivaldi

Tonify is not available for Firefox, Safari, or any mobile browser (iOS or Android) at this time.

Tonify works with most websites that play audio or video through standard HTML5 media elements, including:

  • YouTube
  • Spotify Web Player
  • SoundCloud
  • Twitch
  • Bandcamp
  • Vimeo
  • Apple Music Web
  • Deezer
  • Local files opened in the browser
  • …and many more HTML5-based audio/video pages

Some sites use non-standard players or DRM restrictions that may prevent Tonify from connecting. See the Troubleshooting section if a site isn't working.

Yes — Tonify is completely free. There are no subscriptions, no premium tiers, and no feature paywalls. Every control (pitch shift, fine-tune, and all future features) is available to every user at no cost.

We built Tonify because we believe musicians and learners should have powerful tools without financial barriers. If you'd like to support the project, the best thing you can do is leave a review on the Chrome Web Store and tell a friend.

  1. Open a page with audio or video (e.g. a YouTube video).
  2. Click the Tonify icon in your Chrome toolbar.
  3. Drag the PITCH slider left (−) or right (+) to change the pitch in semitones.
  4. The change is applied in real time — no need to reload or pause.
  5. Click ↺ Reset to return to the original pitch.

You can shift up to ±12 semitones (one full octave up or down).

The Fine Tune slider adjusts pitch in cents — fractions of a semitone. There are 100 cents in one semitone, so this gives you micro-level control for precise tuning.

Use it when:

  • A song is slightly flat or sharp of a standard key
  • You want to match an instrument tuned to an alternate concert pitch (e.g. A=432Hz)
  • You need a pitch between two semitones

The range is ±100 cents. Combine it with the main PITCH slider for any pitch in between standard semitones.

Each semitone equals one half-step on a piano or guitar. Here is a quick reference:

ShiftEquivalent
+1 stOne half-step up (e.g. C → C#)
+2 stOne whole step up (e.g. C → D)
+3 stMinor third up (e.g. C → Eb)
+5 stPerfect fourth up (e.g. C → F)
+7 stPerfect fifth up (e.g. C → G)
+12 stOne full octave up
−1 stOne half-step down (e.g. C → B)
−12 stOne full octave down

This is useful for guitarists, singers, and instrumentalists who want to play along without retuning.

Click the ↺ Reset button in the Tonify popup. This instantly returns both the Pitch and Fine Tune sliders to zero, restoring the original audio.

You can also drag both sliders manually back to the centre position.

The ■ CAPTURING indicator means Tonify has successfully connected to the audio on the current page and is actively processing it. The blinking green dot next to live confirms pitch shifting is running in real time.

If you do not see this indicator, it means Tonify has not detected any audio. Try playing the media first, then open the extension.

Tonify operates on one tab at a time — whichever tab is active when you open the extension. If you switch to another tab and open Tonify there, it will connect to that tab's audio instead. Each tab's pitch setting is independent.

Yes. Open a local audio or video file directly in Chrome (drag and drop the file onto a Chrome window, or use File → Open File…) and then activate Tonify as normal.

Supported formats include anything Chrome can natively play: MP3, WAV, OGG, FLAC, MP4, WebM, and more.

Try these steps in order:

  1. Start playback first, then open the Tonify popup.
  2. Refresh the page and try again.
  3. Make sure you are using a supported browser (Chrome, Edge, or another Chromium browser on desktop).
  4. Open the video on its own dedicated page rather than an embedded player.
  5. Disable other extensions temporarily — especially VPNs, audio equalizers, ad blockers, or recording tools that may intercept audio.
  6. Check that your browser is up to date.
  7. Try reinstalling the Tonify extension.

Some enterprise, school, or exam-locked browsers intentionally restrict access to audio APIs. Tonify may not work in those restricted environments.

Spotify Web Player can be tricky because it supports Spotify Connect, which may route audio outside the browser tab.

  1. Make sure Spotify Web Player is set to play on This Web Browser, not on another device via Spotify Connect.
  2. Start the track playing, then open Tonify.
  3. Allow any site permissions Spotify requests in Chrome.
  4. Make sure only one Spotify tab is open.
  5. Refresh the page if Tonify shows "No media".

Pitch shifting is CPU-intensive. If your device is under heavy load you may hear artifacts. Try:

  • Close unused tabs and applications.
  • Disable other extensions you don't need right now.
  • Check your Task Manager — background processes (antivirus scans, OS updates, backups) can cause audio glitches.
  • Restart Chrome or your computer.
  • Check your sound card sample rate — 48 kHz is generally recommended.

Glitches are more common at extreme pitch shifts (close to ±12 semitones) on lower-power devices.

Yes — a small delay between audio and video is a normal side effect of real-time pitch shifting. The algorithm needs a short audio buffer (typically 200–400 ms) to process pitch changes, which causes the audio to lag slightly behind the video.

This is an inherent trade-off in browser-based pitch shifting without access to the video rendering pipeline. We are continuously working to reduce this latency in future updates.

  1. Click the puzzle-piece icon (🧩) in the top-right of your Chrome toolbar.
  2. Find Tonify by Musestar in the list.
  3. Click the pin icon (📌) next to it to keep it permanently visible in your toolbar.

If Tonify is not in the list at all, it may not have installed correctly. Try reinstalling from the Chrome Web Store.

Some websites restrict direct programmatic access to their audio or video elements. On these sites, Tonify may request permission to capture the tab's audio as a fallback method.

  • Permissions are used only for audio processing — never to access your browsing history or personal data.
  • You can revoke any site permissions at any time via Chrome Settings → Privacy and security → Site settings.

Your privacy is important to us. Here is exactly what Tonify does and does not collect:

  • No audio is uploaded. All pitch processing happens locally in your browser — nothing leaves your device.
  • No browsing history is tracked. Tonify only accesses the active tab when you explicitly open the extension.
  • Settings are stored locally. Your pitch slider position and preferences are saved in Chrome's local storage on your device only.
  • We may collect aggregated, anonymous usage statistics (e.g. how many times the extension is opened) to improve the product. No personally identifiable information is included.
  • We do not sell your data to any third party.

Tonify complies with Chrome Web Store policies and applicable data protection regulations including GDPR.

No. All pitch-shifting processing happens entirely within your browser using the Web Audio API. No audio data is ever sent to Musestar servers or any third-party service. Your audio stays on your device.

Tonify requests only the minimum permissions required to function:

  • Access to the active tab — needed to detect and connect to the audio/video element on the page you're visiting.
  • Tab audio capture (optional) — used as a fallback on sites that block direct audio element access. Only activated when necessary.
  • Storage — to save your slider positions and preferences locally on your device.

We do not request access to your browsing history, personal files, camera, microphone, location, or any other sensitive data.

  1. Right-click the Tonify icon in the Chrome toolbar.
  2. Select Remove from Chrome… and confirm.

Uninstalling Tonify removes the extension and all locally stored settings. No data is retained by Musestar after uninstallation.

Still have a question?
Our team at Musestar is happy to help.
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Tonify is free forever. No sign-up, no paywall — just pitch shifting that works.

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Works on Chrome, Edge, Brave, Opera & more