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AM radio

AM radio effect: make a song sound like an old receiver

Upload a track and it will sound like it is coming from an old radio: no bass, no top, in mono, with dry saturation and on-air noise. This is the strongest colour of the five eras.

25 s preview free · full version 1 token · WAV or MP3 320

Try it on your track →
  • Only 300–3400 Hz
  • Mono
  • No speed drift

What changes in the sound

  • Only 300–3400 Hz. What remains is the band of speech: there is no bass and no top at all.
  • Mono. The left and right channels are summed into one; the noise is mono too.
  • Transistor saturation. Half of the signal goes through saturation, so the sound gets dry and dense.
  • On-air noise at about −52 dBFS, in the same narrow band as the music.
  • No speed drift. Radio does not wobble like tape, so tempo and pitch stay steady.
An honest note on the presets. They imitate a medium artistically; they are not an exact copy of a record or tape. A preset does not even out the loudness; it only keeps peaks from going above 0 dBFS. To bring the version to streaming loudness, use mastering.

When the AM radio sound works

For intros and outros, transitions between parts of a track, a voice “from the radio” in a verse or a skit at the start of an album. Over a whole song the effect is too strong, so it is usually used for a section.

Tip: make the full version, cut the part you need in the audio cutter and drop it into your project.

How to move a track to another era in 3 steps

  1. Upload the track: WAV, MP3, FLAC or M4A, a file up to 100 MB.
  2. Choose the medium and the amount, from a light touch to the full sound of the era (0–100%). Listen to the start of the track for free and compare it with the original.
  3. Make the full version after signing in and download it as WAV or MP3 320 kbps. Tracks up to 10 minutes.

What it costs

WhatPrice
PreviewFree, the first 25 s of the track. Free previews per day: 20, no sign-in needed.
Full version1 token per file, after signing in. If the version fails on our side, the token comes back.

The preview limit resets at midnight UTC.

What to do next

Track masteringBring the version to streaming loudness; the era's character stays. All five erasVinyl, tape, cassette, AM radio and lo-fi compared in one table.
About rights. Process your own tracks or tracks you have the rights to. Publishing such a version of someone else's song needs the rights holder's permission.

Questions and answers

Why is the bass gone?

That is how AM radio sounds: it carries only the mids, about 300–3400 Hz. If you want a retro sound with bass, choose vinyl or tape.

Can I process just the vocal?

Yes, if you have a separate vocal track. If not, split the vocal off with the vocal remover, process it here and mix it back in.

Is it free?

Previewing the first 25 s is free and needs no sign-in; free previews per day: 20. The full version costs 1 token per file and needs a sign-in.

Can I make the effect lighter?

Yes. The Amount slider blends the processing with the original from 0 to 100% in 5% steps. At 30–50% you keep a light touch of the medium; at 100% you get the full preset.

Should I master it afterwards?

If the version goes to streaming platforms, yes. The preset does not even out loudness; it only keeps peaks under 0 dBFS. Mastering brings the loudness to the platform's target and keeps the era's character.

More: all sound eras · sped up and slowed versions · track clip · track mastering

Move your track to another era

The first 25 s are free, no sign-in needed.

Open Sound era →