Last checked 19 October 2026
A Basic Pitch alternative for full songs
Basic Pitch is Spotify's free, open-source audio to MIDI converter, built for recordings of a single instrument. It is excellent at that. Midify is for the next step up: a whole song, split into stems, with every instrument (drums included) on its own MIDI track and a tempo map that lines up with your DAW.
Choose Basic Pitch if
Choose Basic Pitch for a free, open-source converter for one instrument at a time, with pitch bends in the MIDI, or to build transcription into your own code.
Choose Midify if
Choose Midify when the audio is a full song, when you need the drums as MIDI, or when you want the MIDI cleaned up for a DAW: tempo map, quantize and velocities.
Midify and Basic Pitch, side by side
From each product's own pages, checked on 19 October 2026. Sources are listed at the end of this page.
| Feature | Midify | Basic Pitch |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free to try; paid plans to export full songs | Free |
| Open source | No | Yes (Apache 2.0) |
| Designed for | Full songs or single instruments | One instrument at a time |
| Stem separation of a full song | Yes | Not mentioned |
| Drum kit to General MIDI notes | 9 pieces (beta) | Not mentioned |
| Detected tempo map in the MIDI file | Yes | Not mentioned |
| Pitch bends | Stripped by default, or kept within a range | Detected and written into the MIDI |
| Edit the notes before export | Piano roll with A/B playback | Not mentioned |
| Use it from your own code | No | Python package and TypeScript library |
Where each one is better
Basic Pitch does better
- It is completely free and open source under the Apache 2.0 licence.
- It handles polyphonic instruments and writes pitch bends into the MIDI.
- Developers can run it themselves: there is a Python package with a command-line tool and a TypeScript library.
- The command-line tool can also save note events as CSV and a WAV preview of the MIDI.
Midify does better
- A full song is separated into drums, bass, vocals, piano, guitar and other before transcription, and each becomes its own MIDI track.
- Drums are transcribed into nine kit pieces on General MIDI notes, ready for a drum sampler.
- The MIDI carries a detected tempo map and time signature, so it lines up in a DAW instead of starting from a default tempo.
- Quantize grid and strength, velocities from the audio, and a ghost-note filter are set before export.
- Every job opens in an editor where you play the MIDI against the separated stem.
Using both
- 1
For a quick single-instrument idea, either tool works; Midify quick mode also converts short clips in your browser for free.
- 2
For a finished song, upload it to the audio to MIDI converter instead of separating the stems yourself first.
- 3
Keep only the stems you need, check them in the editor, and export one multi-track .mid file.
- 4
Need the drums? See drums to MIDI for how the kit pieces are mapped.
Basic Pitch alternative: questions people ask
Is Basic Pitch free?
Yes. Basic Pitch describes itself as a free audio to MIDI converter and is open source under the Apache 2.0 licence.
Can Basic Pitch convert a full song?
Basic Pitch says it works best on one instrument at a time, and its pages do not mention separating a song into stems. To convert a full mix with it, you would separate the stems with another tool first.
Basic Pitch vs NeuralNote: what is the difference?
NeuralNote is an open-source VST3 and AU plug-in for converting audio to MIDI inside a DAW. Its first version was built on Basic Pitch; its second version uses a different model. Basic Pitch itself runs on the web, in Python or as a TypeScript library.
Is there a free alternative to Basic Pitch for full songs?
Midify is free to try: transcribe 3 full songs a month and edit them in the browser. Exporting full-song MIDI needs a paid plan; quick mode for short clips is free and unlimited.
Sources
Facts about Basic Pitch come from these pages, checked on 19 October 2026. Products change; if something here is out of date, tell us through support and we will correct it.
Try Midify on your own track
Transcribe 3 songs a month for free and check every part in the editor. Upgrade when you want to export them.