How to Make Slowed + Reverb and Sped-Up Versions the Right Way

What are slowed + reverb and sped-up versions?

A slowed + reverb version plays a song slower and lower, then washes it in reverb. A sped-up version does the opposite: faster and higher. Both change speed and pitch together, like a turntable, rather than stretching time.

Slowed + reverb grew out of Houston's chopped and screwed tradition and vaporwave. Wikipedia traces the modern trend to 2017, when Houston-based producer Jarylun Moore, inspired by DJ Screw, began uploading slowed remixes to YouTube; the first, of Lil Uzi Vert's "20 Min", passed a million views in under two months^[1]. Sped-up listening goes back to nightcore, started in the early 2000s by a Norwegian DJ duo, and today's TikTok edits typically change tempo by 25-30%^[2].

Neither is the same as a Houston screw tape, which adds chops, stutters and a live mix. The chopped and screwed guide covers that technique.

What speed and pitch settings should you use?

For slowed versions, start at 80-90% speed; for sped-up versions, start at 115-130%. Use a mode that ties pitch to speed. Ableton's Re-Pitch warp mode, for example, changes playback rate the way DJs change turntable speed, so doubling the speed raises the pitch an octave^[3].

The table shows how speed maps to pitch. Pitch change in semitones equals 12 times the base-2 log of the speed ratio, so every 6% or so is roughly one semitone.

Pick the amount by listening to the lead vocal. Stop slowing when consonants start to smear, and stop speeding up when the voice turns cartoonish.

How do you make a slowed + reverb version step by step?

Slow the full mix with a repitch mode, send it to a long, dark reverb, then filter and balance the result so the low end stays clear. Work from the final stereo master or a stems bounce of your own track.

Reverb decay is usually quoted as the time it takes the tail to fall to one thousandth (-60 dB) of its level, which is how Ableton's Reverb defines its Decay control^[4]. The reverb explainer covers the other controls.

1. Import your master
   Use a lossless WAV of your own song. Turn off time-stretch and set the clip to repitch or varispeed.
2. Slow it down
   Set speed to 80-85% and play the chorus. Adjust in 1-2% steps until the vocal sounds heavy but clear.
3. Add reverb on a send
   Use a large hall or plate with decay around 3-6 seconds and dry/wet at 100% on the return. Blend the send until the tail fills gaps without burying the words.
4. Set pre-delay
   Ableton notes that typical pre-delay values for natural sounds range from 1 to 25 ms^[4]. Go longer, around 40-80 ms, to keep the dry vocal in front of the wash.
5. Filter the reverb
   High-pass the reverb return around 200-300 Hz and low-pass around 6-8 kHz so it sounds dark and doesn't muddy the slowed bass.
6. Check the low end
   Slowing pushes bass lower. High-pass the full mix around 25-30 Hz and check the kick and bass on small speakers.
7. Export at the new length
   Bounce to WAV at the same sample rate and bit depth as the original. Leave about -1 dBTP of true-peak headroom.

How do you make a sped-up version that doesn't sound harsh?

Raise speed to 115-130% with a repitch mode, then tame the extra brightness and sibilance the pitch shift creates. Sped-up versions live on short-form video, so the hook should arrive fast.

Billboard quotes Apple Music's Scott Plagenhoef saying sped-up songs let more of a track fit inside a TikTok video's time limit^[5], which is a good reason to trim long intros in your sped-up edit.

• Sibilance Pitching up moves harsh "s" sounds higher and louder. Add a de-esser or a dynamic EQ cut around 7-10 kHz on the sped-up mix.
• Thin low end The bass moves up too. A gentle 1-2 dB shelf boost below 100 Hz restores weight without muddying the mix.
• Chipmunk vocals If the voice sounds cartoonish, back off to 115-120%. For a clean vocal at a higher tempo, use a formant-preserving time-stretch instead of repitch.
• Long intro Cut to the hook within the first few seconds for short-video use, and keep a full-length version for streaming.
• Clipping Brighter mixes can hit harder peaks. Recheck true peak after speeding up.

Why do artists release their own sped-up and slowed versions?

Artists release official versions because fan edits can drive listening to the original, and an official version keeps the streams and credit with the artist. Billboard reports that creators usually make the first sped-up edits, and when they perform well it has become routine for labels to release official versions^[5].

The numbers explain the urgency. According to TikTok's 2023 year-end report, the four most popular songs on the platform in the US that year were all sped-up versions^[5]. The BBC notes that Summer Walker released the first completely sped-up album in 2022, that Sabrina Carpenter's "Espresso" got "Double Shot" and "Decaf" versions, and that official changed-tempo releases are grouped with the original on the UK Official Singles Chart^[2].

For independent producers the lesson is simple: when one of your own beats or songs starts moving on short-form video, release your own sped-up and slowed versions before someone else uploads an unofficial one. The TikTok guide for producers covers promotion.

How do you release a slowed or sped-up version legally?

Release versions of your own music, or get permission from the rights holders before releasing someone else's. A slowed or sped-up edit of another artist's recording reuses their master, so distributors' remix rules apply, and the US Copyright Office explains that only the copyright owner can prepare or authorize an adaptation of a work^[6].

DistroKid's help center says remixes of another artist's song require permission from the original artist and that uncleared samples can't be uploaded^[7]. TuneCore requires a Master Use license from the owner of the original recording for remixes and mashups, says third-party licensors cannot issue it, and does not distribute content unless you hold 100% of the rights^[8].

Give each version its own ISRC

The international ISRC agency says any materially changed recording needs a new ISRC, including versions with a different playing time and different mixes or edits^[9]. A sped-up or slowed version changes the playing time, so give it a new code and label it clearly, for example "(Sped Up)" or "(Slowed + Reverb)". The ISRC guide explains how codes work. This is general information, not legal advice.