If a song feels too high for you, you're in the majority. We compared the pitch of 262 people's own singing with the lead singer of the song each of them chose to sing, between 18 and 25 October 2026. For 79% of them, the original singer sat higher than their voice. The typical gap was about 4 semitones, and for people with lower voices it was almost an octave (about 10 semitones). The fix is usually a key change, or singing the whole song an octave lower.
Key takeaways
- 4 in 5 people (208 of 262) chose a song whose lead singer sits above their own voice. The median gap was 3.9 semitones, roughly a major third.
- 1 in 3 (87 people) chose a song 7.5 or more semitones above them. That's too far to fix with a small key change; an octave move fits better.
- Lower voices have it hardest. For the 89 people whose voice centred below E3, the median song sat 9.8 semitones above them, and 2 in 3 picked a song 7.5+ semitones higher.
- Songs cluster; voices don't. The middle half of the songs' leads spans about 4 semitones (A#3 to D4). The middle half of people's voices spans about 8 (D3 to B3).
- Only 8% (22 people) chose a song pitched 3 or more semitones below their voice.
What we found
Each person's "voice" here is the middle (median) pitch of their own singing recording. Each song's figure is the median pitch of its lead vocal. The gap is the song minus the person, in semitones (12 semitones = 1 octave).
| Where the song's lead sat | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 7.5+ semitones above the person | 87 | 33% |
| 3 to 7.5 semitones above | 58 | 22% |
| Within 3 semitones either way | 95 | 36% |
| 3+ semitones below | 22 | 8% |
| All | 262 | 100% |
Across all 262 people, the median gap was +3.9 semitones. The middle half of gaps ran from +0.3 to +8.7 semitones, and about 1 in 10 people chose a song a full octave (12 semitones) or more above their voice.
Lower voices vs higher voices
| Group | People | Median gap | Song 7.5+ semitones above | Within 3 semitones |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Voice centred below E3 (165 Hz) | 89 | +9.8 | 59 (66%) | not shown (under 20 people) |
| Voice centred at E3 or above | 173 | +2.0 | 28 (16%) | 81 (47%) |
The lower your voice, the further away the original singer usually was: a median of almost an octave for lower voices, against 2 semitones for higher ones.
Where people's voices and songs sit
| Middle half (25th to 75th percentile) | Median | |
|---|---|---|
| People's own singing | D3 to B3 (150 to 243 Hz) | F#3 (189 Hz) |
| Lead vocal of the song they chose | A#3 to D4 (231 to 296 Hz) | C4, middle C (256 Hz) |
People's voices by where they centre, in 3-semitone bands: A2–B2: 25 · C3–D3: 50 · D#3–F3: 48 · F#3–G#3: 49 · A3–B3: 33 · C4–D4: 28 · D#4–F4: 20. The few people centred above F4 aren't shown as a band (fewer than 20).
What to do when a song is too high
- Know your own range. The free vocal range test finds your lowest and highest comfortable notes in about 2 minutes, in your browser.
- Gap of up to about 6 semitones: change the key. The free key changer moves a song up to 6 semitones up or down and lets you hear it before you download. See how to change a song's key.
- Gap of 7.5 semitones or more: sing it an octave lower. Every note moves by exactly 12 semitones, so the melody and the backing stay in the same key. That's the move most lower voices in this data need.
Tera Studio does step 3 for you. When you hear a song in your own voice, it measures both the original singer and your recording, and when they sit 7.5 or more semitones apart, it sings your version a whole octave closer to your voice, without changing the song's key.
Teach singing or run a choir? You can put the free vocal range test on your own site, no account needed.
How we measured
- Who: 262 people who made a song in Tera Studio between 18 and 25 October 2026. We used each person's first song with a usable reading, so nobody counts twice. Our own staff and test accounts are left out.
- What: the median pitch of each person's own singing recording (about a minute of normal singing) and of the song's lead vocal, separated from the music. Both were measured with Praat's pitch tracker, over up to the first 4 minutes.
- Checks: every recording was read twice, with the lowest pitch allowed set at 70 Hz and at 110 Hz. Songs where the two readings disagreed by more than a semitone on either side were left out.
- Privacy: only totals of 20 or more people are shown. No recordings, names or individual results are published.
Limits. These are people using Tera Studio, not a random sample of singers, over one week. 21 of the 262 picked one of our starter songs; leaving them out changes almost nothing (median gap +4.0 semitones, 80% of songs above the person). A median is the centre of a voice, not its range: a song can sit above your centre and still be within reach. People may also sing softer and lower when recording at home than they would on stage.
Quoting these figures? Please credit Tera Studio and link this page.
Current price and limits
Every new account can make and hear 2 whole songs free, once per account, each up to 4 minutes, with no card. Downloads need a paid plan. Starter is $8.99 a month for 30 finished minutes (about 7 songs) and Creator is $19.99 a month for 90 minutes, or $89.99 and $189.99 paid yearly. Both include WAV and song-card video downloads, one guided correction per song and free re-downloads. Minutes refresh monthly without rollover. Prices show in your currency where available; pricing and Stripe checkout confirm the total before you pay. See the refund policy.
Frequently asked questions
Why do so many songs feel too high to sing? In our data, the lead singers of the songs people chose centred around middle C, while the people themselves centred around F#3, about 4 semitones lower. Recorded singers often perform near the top of their range, and the songs people love tend to cluster in that band.
How many semitones should I lower a song? Lower it by the gap between the song and your voice. For gaps up to about 6 semitones, a key change works; the key changer lets you try each step. For 7.5 semitones or more, singing an octave lower usually fits better and keeps the song's key.
Is it OK to sing a song an octave lower? Yes. It's the most common fix for lower voices singing songs by higher-voiced singers. Every note keeps its name, so it still matches the original backing track.
What is the average singing pitch? Among the 262 people here, the middle of their singing sat at F#3 (189 Hz), and half of them centred between D3 and B3. Your own range matters more than the average; the vocal range test shows yours.
Can I use these figures? Yes. Please credit Tera Studio and link to this page.
Hear a song in your own voice, moved to fit you. Your first 2 songs are free to make and hear.