How to convert audio to MIDI
In Genie Studio, select an audio track and choose Convert to MIDI. The conversion is free and runs on your device with Spotify’s open-source Basic Pitch model; it creates a new, editable MIDI track at the same position. It works best on one clean melodic part — a vocal, a bassline or a piano or keys part — so split a full song into stems first. Drums are not converted yet. Edit the notes in the piano roll, then export a .mid file or MusicXML (Starter and above).
Melody Genie team · Published · Updated · 5 min read
Steps
Open Genie Studio and bring in the audio
Open a song from your library, or upload an MP3, WAV, M4A or FLAC up to 60 MB that you own or may use. Opening an upload as a single track does not cost credits.
Isolate the part you want as MIDI
Basic Pitch reads every note it hears, so a full mix gives a crowded result. Split the song first: Voice + Music (4 credits) gives a clean vocal, Full multitrack (20 credits) gives bass, keys and other parts on their own tracks. Splitting needs Starter or above.
Tip: Already have a clean recording of one instrument? Skip the split.
Optional: convert only one section
Turn on a loop region over the bars you want. When a loop is on, Convert to MIDI reads only that region, which is faster and easier to clean up.
Select the track and choose Convert to MIDI
Select the audio track and press Convert in the Convert to MIDI box (marked Free), or open the track menu with a right-click (press and hold on touch screens) and choose Convert to MIDI. The first run loads the model, then the progress shows as a percentage.
Listen and clean up the notes
A new track named after the part appears with the detected notes. Mute the original audio to hear only the MIDI, open the piano roll to fix wrong or extra notes, quantize the timing, and swap the instrument.
Export the MIDI
Use Export MIDI (.mid) to download every MIDI track at the song’s tempo for any DAW, or Sheet music (MusicXML) for MuseScore, Sibelius or Dorico. Exports need Starter or above.
How the conversion works
Genie Studio uses Basic Pitch, an automatic music transcription model that Spotify released as open source (Apache-2.0). It detects note onsets, pitches and pitch bends, and it handles more than one note at a time. It runs with TensorFlow.js in your browser or in the app, so the conversion itself does not use credits.
Melodic parts (vocals and bass) use a stricter onset setting so that slides and vibrato do not turn into dozens of short notes.
What converts well, and what does not
| Lead vocal (from a stem) | Good. Gives the melody line; breaths and vibrato may need trimming. |
|---|---|
| Bassline | Good. Usually the cleanest result. |
| Piano or keys | Good on a clean part; dense chords may need a few fixes. |
| Guitar | Fair. Strums and effects add extra notes. |
| Full mix | Poor. Split stems first. |
| Drums | Not supported yet. Add a drum track and program the beat in the step sequencer instead. |
Common mistakes
- Converting the full song. Every instrument lands in one track. Split stems first.
- Heavy reverb or delay on the source. Tails become extra notes. Use the driest version you have.
- Expecting a perfect transcription. Treat the result as a fast first draft: quantize and fix a few notes in the piano roll.
- Converting a 4-minute part at once. A loop region over the section you need is faster and easier to clean.
Questions
Is audio to MIDI free in Melody Genie?
Yes. Convert to MIDI is free and runs on your device. Splitting stems (4 or 20 credits) and exporting the .mid file need Starter or above.
Can I turn a vocal or humming into MIDI?
Yes. Convert the vocal track, or a recording of your humming, and you get the melody as MIDI notes you can play with any built-in instrument.
Does it work on chords?
Basic Pitch is polyphonic, so piano and keys chords convert, but a single clean part gives the most accurate notes.
Can I convert drums to MIDI?
Not yet. Genie Studio asks you to add a drum track and draw the beat in the step sequencer or piano roll.
Can I use the MIDI in FL Studio, Ableton or Logic?
Yes. Export MIDI (.mid) writes every MIDI track at the project tempo, which any DAW can import.
Does it work on a phone?
Genie Studio runs in the iPhone and Android apps and in a mobile browser. The model runs on the device, so long parts are faster on a computer.