Influencers Pretending to Sing Live 

I think the hardest part to accept about amateur singers trying to pass filtered vocals as raw is just disingenuous and potentially harmful to learners. Basically the same thing as influencers posting photoshopped images. Most of these amateurs do monetize their singing and many posit themselves as mentors or goals, but then don’t disclose the technology that assisted them to that point. If I saw a professional photoshoot I’d assume the photos were retouched and it hits as less of a “lie” than an amateur influencer posting photoshopped images they edited themselves. I think the solution is just transparency. But then the amateurs don’t want to admit their vocals aren’t CD-level perfect at all times because it would hurt their image. So they just look like fakers when they don’t own up to it

Dev calling Charlie Puth “this guy” 🤣

I think a lot of people (at least think) we don't WANT perfection...kind of like how we prefer relatable RU-vidrs...hearing a singer mess up a few times live makes them feel more human and imo makes the performance more personal and unique and real

For me it's about an indescribable hollowness present in so many of these artists' videos that are clearly just on TikTok to catch a wave and project an organic artistic process, when in reality they are social media professionals studying trends, making careful decisions to cater to an audience that is sick of being marketed to. I think people direct their comments at autotune because they can't articulate why the falsely organic vibe of these people pretending they don't have industry veteran managers makes them sad.

Im sorry but using auto tune while performing a show isnt the same as their tik tok. They wanted it to look like it was candid and off the cuff when its clearly heavily produced.

It is weird to pretend like you're not lipsyncing and are just singing like that in a kitchen 😂 its odd.

as someone who did chamber and show choir for many years i feel like a lot of ppl have zero idea how difficult it is to sing perfectly while doing a live performance. most ppl dont even know what live singing sounds like compared to something that is touched up

It's so obvious that the first video was prerecorded and mixed, I don't get why there's even any doubt being expressed. It's not that deep but why pretend that your singing is live when it isn't?

If a touring artist uses tracks or auto tune to reduce the strain on their vocals, I think that’s totally fair. Athletes have time between games to recover but musicians will play shows day after day on tour. So it makes sense. BUT if these people are presenting videos that are meant to look candid it’s definitely shady to do imo. I hate when people gatekeep in music and making other people think “wow I work on singing so much but my raw vocals never sound that good” just doesn’t sit right with me. It’s like doctoring your “no filter” insta posts. Bonus thought: if an artist is an incredible songwriter but maybe not the best singer it’s chill for them to use effects/auto tune to help them out. But if someone is like “I’m a singer 💅 “ and then lies about auto tune… it’s kind of like an athlete taking PEDs

Imo the bigger deal is that they’re lipsynching and heavily editing their vocals, not that they’re using autotune. They even add the echo to make it purposefully misleading to the viewer that they singing live

i feel like the whole point of seeing live vocals is about them being live, the imperfections in their voice is something youll never get on a recording; it allows for you to see the artist in more of a humanistic light, there is just something to hearing live vocals and the emotion, i feel the expectation of artist to sound exactly like their recordings is bullshit, i think the audience should expect imperfection, not have artists adapt to their unrealistic expectations of artists.

No one knows the difference between autotune and pitch correction

The genres I typically enjoy listening to are musical theatre, opera, and jazz. All three of those styles do not use pitch correction nearly to the extent that other genres of popular music do. (Autotune in opera is literally impossible live, as opera singers onstage do not use microphones/amplification.) That being said, even if I can hear Autotune being used on a pop singer, I'm usually able to tell by their tone if they're a fantastic singer. All the singers you showed in this video are extraordinary talents, whether or not they use pitch correction. (Anthony Gargiula in particular is a phenomenal prodigy who's done plenty of authentically live covers online to prove himself as an artist.)

this was definitely not the take i expected u to have lmao

As much as I enjoy Dev's videos, this was very obviously a case of letting your bias cloud you; I can relate to this because I have reacted the same way over dance. I am VERY biased towards people critiquing dancers because I am one. I have no idea who the person in this video is as I'm barely on tiktok and when I am. I don't really look at "singertok" But, my pov is that MOST of the people complaining don't have an issue with "autotune" as they don't even understand what that fully is. They DO have an issue with someone lying by omission about posting videos that are "candid" or "raw" when the people posting KNOW they have tweaked the vocals/audio and are essentially lip syncing. In general, no one cares about people posting songs that aren't 100% undoctored. But if you do autotune, pitch shift,etc. How hard is it to not make it seem like it's "OMG random"

I think both things are true - people are bandwagoning and making the situation out to be far worse than it is and giving her more hate then she deserves, but it is clearly heavily produced and it's somewhat disingenuous to act like it was a candid. The difference is the expectation - people usually expect big artists to have a backing track or pitch correction or whatever during a show, but if it's a tiktok trying to present authenticity and it's clearly not completely authentic, yeah it's expected that people might not like that.

The only cringe thing ever would be to act like youre not using autotune when you are, otherwise, who cares hahaha. Good vid Dev ❤

Honestly for me, it’s the weird ass runs, like not every song needs a run. I remember her cover of crazy because of how awful that run was 😅

I agree with what you said about live singing and it being near impossible to sound perfect especially when on tour, but I think focusing on that for most of the video is missing the point of this topic. I don’t think it’s fair to say that people can’t be upset about these videos because they are expecting “perfection” that autotune helps achieve, people are upset because the videos are acting like they’re “candid moments” just hanging out and singing when they’re clearly dubbed over and the people in the video are acting like they’re singing live

There are good uses of autotune/pitch correction but a lot of times it makes music sound sterile and inhuman, in my opinion. Most of the time I’d rather hear the imperfections.

2:54 it's absolutely true that many singers don't use autotune live; the only way you can think that's an unreasonable statement is if you're only thinking within a very small range of genres

SHOES on the COUNTER!?!? SHOES ON THE KITCHEN COUNTER????!!!! OMFG, whyyyyy!?!?!?!? Ew, ew, ew, ew, ew, ew, no!! NOO!!!!

I think you’re looking at it… I know you’re looking at it… From a musician point of you. People are pissed off, or annoyed, or upset or whatever because she is presenting these scenarios as real unadulterated moments. What’s the point of you sitting on the kitchen counter with a group of ppl in the kitchen or standing around in the garage singing and really selling it by physically expressing and emoting (apparently acting) if not to appear to be a fully authentic moment even sporadic; like she accidentally caught it on film. That’s like dubbing a produced version of you singing the uploading that audio video of you in shower acting like you singing and showering. It’s all about the context. And that’s the point here. She purposely removes context clues that would make it clear. This is a produced dubbed version of my voice and introduces actual characters and contextualization to make you think that this was an off-the-cuff session arrest and this is how she sounds completely unadulterated like I said, and how she sounds at singing in the shower. Do you have understand a lot of people were really upset when they found out Brittany spears doesn’t have the best boys. She can sound great if she sits still and it’s the right moment and the right songs. and she’s had a cuppa tea or whatever, but she was presented to us like she could blow like Christina her competition. Now people understand you’re not just watching Adele walk around slowly with a microphone blowing her lungs out in Vegas when somebody is got costume changes and they’re dancing and doing the Choreo. I don’t expect anybody to sing. Nobody surprised that Beyoncé talks to the audience and you can hear her vocal track in the background. We know now that it is a totally different experience for the artist what they hear their voice, etc. when they’re on stage. That’s why faking it when you’re not on stage is a contextualization manipulation. It’s not a lie it’s not that people hate auto tune. It’s simply that. this person is very obviously trying to hide the fact that she is dubbed herself singing meaning when she did sing off the cuff in the kitchen, or in the parking garage her voice wasn’t great or she didn’t like the way it sounded. So she fixed it but then what’s the point of us liking it or being impressed by it. That’s not what we’re watching you for. We’re watching you for your voice but what does your voice really sound like.? It’s like all those people that have a full on careers from doing a Justin Bieber cover on RU-vid or like the Bailey sisters. Imagine finding out that they were getting all that and. they cannot actually sing. She wants you to walk away and go “wow that chick has an amazing voice. She can really blow “when in reality she’s working on it or she cannot reach the notes she’s pretending she can’t etc.. I also understand that when you’re watching anything on any social media platform, believing what you’re seeing is an automatic no but then again when people hide and lie or. Omit information it’s never for the most pure, and honest reasons. Why didn’t you just post a real Voice if she can really sing and sound great white dammit why auto tune it why produce it why any of it…? Is it some bigger statement on Music if so, you’re gonna have to start let people in on the joke you know. Nobody should be hating her. You should even be mad about this. It’s just disappointing yet again.

I personally don't want perfection from a live show. I do get that those sort of big stadium shows is a whole other deal. But, generally I prefer vocals that aren't perfect.

I just think it is really disingenuous and damaging to put something out and claim it is fully your own when you are actually editing it. If I watch a music video I know that they are going to edit it which is perfectly fine but it is the fact that they are pretending that this is their natural voice. It’s kinda like on instagram when people edit their photos to make themselves look ‘better’ and then don’t disclose that they have edited it. This creates unrealistic standards for teen girls and beginner singers alike. Use all the auto tune you want but just don’t pretend that it was a fluke moment that caught you off guard when you have actually edited it for an hour lol ❤

yayyy needed a vid to eat to thanks bae

Also lots of artists don't necessarily use autotune They partially lipsync portions of their songs, the rest of the song is live

As a singer who doesn’t use autotune who knows a whole bunch of singers who don’t use autotune I feel absolutely crazy listening to you claim everyone uses autotune. It’s a reasonable expectation for an audience to have that people recording themselves singing live in these TikTok videos aren’t using autotune, especially since they’re pretending it’s their unfiltered voice, just like when people pretend they aren’t using beauty filters, it’s understandable for people to not like being lied to. And no hate to singers that filter their vocals and I’ll admit I’m probably biased but there is absolutely a difference between a natural human voice and a filtered one and people have every right to prefer one over the other.

they dont even make it look real 🤨

We appreciate your videos so much, Dev!!

i feel like saying "EVERYONE uses autotune" is a cope bc 1) no and 2) thats only addressing the people who complain about the existence of autotune, not people critiquing HOW its used. autotune and pitch correction does not have to sound robotic and noticable. its okay if youre going for that sound, but if youre belting your heart out trying to sound genuine and it sounds like a computer is struggling to artificially help you hit the notes, its going to sound like shit!

Ok here's the difference to me: An artist uses pitch correction and autotune to fulfill their vision of a song/piece of music -> Good A singer uses autotune to fool you and to pass it off as their own voice for clout -> Bad These influencers aren't really releasing music, they want to show off how well they can sing... while not showing their singing. Nobody (ok, let's be realistic: less) people would complain if it were a song they released that was edited. People feel tricked because they are trying to trick you.

Dev spittin fax tbh

to anyone confused: autotune is a plugin that can be used live or used in recordings. most artists in their recordings use software like melodyne, flex pitch, or newtone to edit their vocals in a more natural sounding way. even with autotune turned down to a very slow attack it’s still incredibly obvious when someone is using. think T-pain. it’s not subtle. and doesn’t sound like any of these tiktok videos. so if this natalie girl really took the time to edit every single video using these tedious programs then yeah sure maybe you could accuse her of editing. but as someone who gets paid to edit vocals using flex pitch on a daily basis. I can tell you with 100% she isn’t using it. all these programs are destructive and add artifacts to the sound.

they did NOT lip sync for their lives

I feel like I've stepped into some sort of alternate reality. Why are you describing live shows, that existed without autotune for centuries, as being some Olympian feat that we shouldn't be expecting from singers? Who cares if someone is a bit flat or sharp live? They're live. Everyone gets that it's hard. No one's gonna throw tomatoes at them. I hope you're wrong about almost 100% of singers using autotune live. I wasn't aware of this and it's very depressing.

Happy little day… Now!

Do people forget that the only way auto tune works / sounds good is if the person using it is actually a good singer? A bad singing voice still makes auto tune sound bad.

Dev tries not to miss the point challenge (impossible)

Conveniently leaving out the fact that she said that her audio is unedited. It almost feels like you’re purposefully missing the real reason people are upset at this.

something about you reminds me of blair waldorf in the best way possible. i also love the way you talk 🤭

Its not about the autotune most of us do not give a fuck about autotune. Its that these people are disingenuous and acting like they are singing live or getting a 'candid" shot when they are in fact not.

I'm gonna assume Natalie is a friend of Dev lol

I’ve literally never watched you before. How did I see this 20 MINUTES after is was posted

When Dev gives us a new video, I turn romantic and flip birds while repeating all the flowers in alphabetical order, in order to flirt with the people who have a nice day

im in music school and a lot of my finals are live performances. my friends and i (all different voice types) were lamenting about how no matter how great our technique, we just don't have the stamina for the gospel concert we just put on. for me singing live is so physically tiring but emotionally energizing. autotone only works for people who already sound pretty fucking perfect.

I seriously love your videos! You put so much effort into critiquing while making sure to genuinely care about other people’s feelings. It’s amazing! Also, please never stop making music! I cannot stop playing your latest EP on repeat! ❤

enlightening video, I loved this!! ❤ dev you are the best ilysm

Idk why so many people think that every artist uses/has used auto tune. That shit was invented in the 90s…

shoes on the kitchen counter 🤨

me after I go under surgery to install antares autotune artist inside my throat (its sitting on top of my vocal chords)

That intro is just perfect 😭😭 makes my day everytime

dev listening to you talk about music is so cool and always makes me so emotional, it’s been so fun and awesome watching you grow and expand on your insane musical talent. I saw you live this year and I was blown away by your voice and stage presence and everything. You’re so fucking cool and it’s gonna be so fun to see how far you go!!!!

Happy little day, today and now!

Love your transparency I’m so glad I discovered you though hivemind you’re literally so cool

I see people who don't like hip-hop say "oh, it's so clear they're just using autotune" like their favourite artists doesn't. Its just that simple hip hop artists use auto tune as an instrument and not just to hide their voice.

GOD, nightstand IS SUCH A BANGER!!!1

Love your “happy little day” dev

I think 95% is a lot tho. Maybe in your genre of music and the styles but “most if not all”?! Have you ever gone to a small show? A punk show in a dive bar? Hell, even a Mountain Goats show. Fuckin kids man. To assume because we have the tech and that’s what’s popular with your demographic means that’s just how it is is wild. Such an over-generalization I would’ve not expected from Dev. Have you been to a National show? Bro very clearly does not use auto tune. So many shows I’ve been to are so different from the recorded albums. Hell, that’s why there are live versions of albums, period.

I watched taylor swift perform 47 songs for three and a half hours in a heatwave in rio the janeiro the other day. She sang, danced multiple choreographies, engaged with the crowd, gave her all, and it was amazing. I don’t give a ffff if she was using autotune. I actually hope she was because if not the stress of hitting every song flawlessly for 3 and a half hours in a heatwave would certainly damage her voice.

I think your point is correct, but those videos are definitely awful and I wish I would have never seen them. 😂

I’ve been waiting for this topic!!’

Dev reporting on the good stuff once again, love u and love ur content babes

fully agree with everything you said about live performances but this isn't about that, this is about influencers making a tiktok in their kitchen order to seem more relatable but having it all touched up and produced. just seems disingenuous in the same way as people using photoshop on their instagram pics. like they're tryna come across as just singing in their kitchen for a lil video but really its all produced and planned out

Glen Devron is someone who knows what he's talking about and has a few very good videos about "tiktok singers" and how their vocals are often edited.

“Guys, it’s TikTok” 😭 real

People just want to be pissed off about EVERYTHING

I don't think my favorite artists use autotune, most of them have been around longer than autotune.

You are bringing joy to my finals week 🎊🎊

I honestly don’t care if they record the vocals beforehand. It still sounds good.

Ive never seen any metalcore, deathcore or hardcore band use autotune, nothing but pure skill on their end

My singing sucks so bad, I'd have to use enough Auto-Tune to make 100 gecs blush.

dev, i never comment on ytb vids but when i opened the video and i saw we were wearing the same hoodie i smiled so hard even tho i had a bad day and also the video is great and your music is too btw i was blown away by liver your work is huge and relevant artistically

hi dev! u look so so gorgeous (as always but srsly my first thought was omg so pretty) ur hair looks super cute like that

I literally could not imagine doing a long ass performance with dancing and etc etc and your voice not be shaky while moving around so much

I'm sorry dev, but like the fact that yes, most artist use autotune doesn't make it a good thing, most people don't know or simply don't understand how far the use of autotune goes, and nobody in any place will tell you that if you don't look it up, so, if the artist you pay to play doesn't tell you ether, it ends in something that feels like a lie, as i said, if most people don't know how autotune works, they have no reason to suspect it And In this videos is the same thing, but like, worse, it's like if someone on the internet uploaded a drawing that was half finished by AI, without tell anybody it was made with I, it Feels cheap, like a lie, and why would you lie on the internet like that? Makes you look like loser, like, who are you trying to impress?

week 4 of liver on repeat

I saw dev in Utah where they had technical difficulties with auto tune. Amaaaazing show!!!

Bless you and your reasonable brain

Missing the entire point. This girl says her audios are untouched and thats why people are being mad. Rather convient you skipped over that

we’re addicted to your videos

nobody’s mad the videos are just cringe lol they make it look like they’re belting their hearts out and most (not all) are completely fake. i’m just gonna assume you’re friends with natalie lmao defending her with your life

Thanks Dev, ya I want the best experience with everyone too, give'em the limes! 😜😂😉❤️‍🔥🙌🏼🙏🏼

Also, regarding the girl at the beginning who did that super impressive vocal run from Gnarles Barkley’s ‘Crazy’ in that parking deck…just dayum! Obvi extremely talented and tbh I had no idea that those vocals had been prerecorded. I think that in settings such as that - where the live aspect of the performance in a public space like the parking deck - prerecorded vocals are borderline dishonest. She was a new creator trying to make her mark and she basically cheated a little, yanno? Now, the other instance where she and her friends are in the kitchen of a home and they video themselves lip syncing to THEIR OWN songs…yeah, I don’t have a problem with that. I mean, it’s their voices you’re hearing so it’s like, the work has already been done. Besides, soooo many other musician influencers do it that way. Should she be demonized? Hell no, not in my opinion…but that’ll ultimately have to be settled by her fans. Now all that weird physical stuff and the neurotic squirming and jumping around and sh*t…she can keep all that 😸

There's nothing wrong with using autotune, the problem is that they're not disclosing it... I don't think any analogies need to be made to understand how dishonest that is

NOT THE I REMEMBER WHEN WHOAH! GIRL

Music and art isn't a competition. Chances are, people are just trying to make their work as enjoyable for other folks using the tools at their disposal. Am I cheating at art by using my tablet and drawing software?

Happy little day today. NOW 😂

9:27 I think a lot of photographers feel that way too about their photos, there's something nice about getting a really excellent shot that only needs minimal touch ups

cant remember when we started saying "happy little day today.... now 👹" but ive grown to love the suspense 💅 i literally be high af like "OH SHIT WHATS THE CADENCE TODAY WHENS SHE GONNA SAY NOW 😰😰😰"

happy little day, today, and NOW

I would assume the only singers who don’t need auto tune live are opera singers, or at least singers who are classically trained, who have years and years of constant professional vocal training

TODAY NOW

Notifications ON

The ones recorded in the parking garage definitely seem recorded in situ. I dont necessarily mind the touchups or anything, but i do think prerecording audio so you can then go and film it in your kitchen is a little annoying because it seems like they're trying to pass it off as though they were actually singing in their kitchen when that was so obviously not the case

The first video looked really bad to me but the rest are better. If they are editing it though I find it weird that they keep trying to present it as raw and untouched.

Most of my favorite music was recorded before auto tune existed so I feel kinda singled out by not being scolded 😂

happy little day

yo dev got pipes bro .. ion even tune in to the music like that ik dev by the limes not the lemons frly but she nice

I’m an audio engineer in training. I’ve worked hard at training my earholes. These clips sound like fantastic audio with minimal touch ups that would be so much fun to mix.