Sonu Nigam admits using auto-tune, says raw voice can sound off in digital music

Singer Sonu Nigam has said that he, too, uses auto-tune in 'certain songs', arguing that digitised recording has changed music production to the point where a raw voice can sound out of place. His remarks come as the debate over auto-tune and pitch correction continues in the music industry, with critics arguing that the tool is used too often.In an interview on the YouTube podcast Game Changers: The Music Series, the singer said the shift from live instrumentation to digitised recording has altered how songs are made. At the same time, he drew a line between using auto-tune to polish a performance and using it to mask an inability to sing.Sonu said, "The era of auto-tune has certainly brought a lot of changes. People say a lot of bad things about it, but I say 'Jo bhi hua hai aacha hua hai' (Whatever has happened is for the good). In earlier days, you had to sing without auto-tune, and we are lucky to do riyaaz (practise) without it, and now we don't need it. But still, I would say I use auto-tune on certain songs of mine."Explaining why, he said, "Everything now is so 440; previously, everything was live. We had live sarangi, live strings, so somewhere our pitch didn't have to be perfect. Everything now is digitised; everything is going in a straight line, and your voice will sound off if it's raw. Previously, with live music, we used to adjust according to the live music, but now your song will stand out." Warning against its overuse, the singer insisted auto-tune should only bridge the gap between "99% to 100%" for real talent. While it is fine if actors use pitch correction to "enjoy their dreams," the 53-year-old emphasised that "they cannot replace singers."The discussion comes amid continuing criticism from some quarters that auto-tune has allowed 'lesser' singers to appear more melodious and, in effect, fool audiences. Sonu's comments placed the focus on how recording practices have changed, rather than on the tool alone. Sonu most recently lent his voice to Tabassum from Batwara 1947. Composed by AR Rahman and written by Javed Akhtar, the song is picturised on actors Ali Fazal, Isha Sandhir, Karan Deol and Kanikka Kapur.Directed by Rajkumar Santoshi, the film also features Sunny Deol, Shabana Azmi, Preity Zinta and Abhimanyu Singh, and theatrically released on August 14.In his remarks, Sonu acknowledged using auto-tune on some songs, linked that choice to digitised recording, and said the tool can help refine a singer's performance, but not create a singer from scratch.- EndsPublished By: Anurag BohraPublished On: Aug 14, 2026 10:58 IST