Sonu Nigam has opened up about the growing use of auto-tune in the music industry, admitting that even he relies on the technology for few songs. The singer, however, believes there is a clear difference between using pitch correction to polish a performance and using it to make someone who cannot sing sound like a professional.
Speaking about the changing nature of music production, Sonu explained why auto-tune has become increasingly common in an industry that has moved from live instrumentation to highly digitised recordings.
Sonu Nigam admits he uses auto-tune
Speaking to senior trade analyst Komal Nahta on his podcast Game Changers: The Music Series, Sonu Nigam discussed how the music industry has changed with technology.
The veteran singer admitted that he also uses auto-tune for some of his songs. However, he stressed that the way music is recorded today has made pitch correction almost unavoidable.
“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 (Wharever has happened for good)’. In earlier days, you had to sing without auto-tune, and we are lucky to 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. 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.”
Sonu draws a line on excessive auto-tune use
While Sonu accepted the role of auto-tune in modern music production, he made it clear that he does not support using technology to turn someone who cannot sing into a professional singer.
According to him, the tool should be used to polish an already strong performance rather than completely transform a weak vocal.
“It’s our responsibility that we don’t use the resources to fix the voices of those who can’t sing. You give your 99% and bring it to 100% with auto-tune. Many actors use auto-tune for their songs, and it’s absolutely fine if they use it to enjoy their dreams. But they cannot replace singers,” he added.
His comments highlight the difference between using technology as a finishing tool and relying on it to create a singing performance from scratch.
Why modern music makes pitch correction more noticeable
Sonu also pointed to the shift from live instrumentation to highly digitised music production. Earlier recordings often featured live musicians and instruments, allowing singers and musicians to adjust naturally to one another during a performance.
With much of today’s music created digitally, recordings can be more precise and structured. As a result, even a naturally good vocal performance can sometimes sound slightly out of place if it does not match the exact pitch of the accompanying track.
For Sonu, this is one of the reasons auto-tune has become part of the modern recording process.
Sonu Nigam’s latest work
On the professional front, Sonu Nigam recently lent his voice to Tabassum from Batwara 1947. The song has been composed by AR Rahman and written by Javed Akhtar.
The track features Ali Fazal, Isha Sandhir, Karan Deol and Kanikka Kapur. Directed by Rajkumar Santoshi, Batwara 1947 also stars Sunny Deol, Shabana Azmi, Preity Zinta and Abhimanyu Singh in key roles. The film is scheduled to release in theatres on August 14.
Sonu Nigam to perform in Los Angeles
Sonu is also gearing up for a major live performance in the US. The singer is scheduled to perform at Los Angeles’ Dolby Theatre on August 30 as part of his Revolution Tour.
His latest comments on auto-tune have added another perspective to the long-running discussion over how technology is changing the way singers record and how audiences experience modern music.