Utau
Encyclopedia
Utau is a Japanese singing synthesizer application created by Ameya/Ayame. This program is similar to the Vocaloid
software, with the difference that it is freeware instead of being released under third party licensing.
software that was made free to download from its main website. UTAU, meaning "to sing" in Japanese, has its origin in . It was created by re-editing an existing singing voice, extracting tones as WAV
files and reassembling them. UTAU has the ability to create a unique voice, so that one can be synthesized by introducing song lyrics and melody. The program has at least 50 different usable audio files, composed of Japanese syllables. It comes with the company's "AquesTalk" pre-loaded, which allows any user to load their own voice data to be programed for usage within UTAU. UTAU also includes tools for tone, among other functions. As a default, UTAU features the computer synthesized voice Utane Uta (commonly known as Defoko), pre-loaded. Voices synthesized in the UTAU program are officially called "UTAU" as well but often colloquially known as "UTAUloids", a reference to "Vocaloids". Hundreds of voicebanks have already been developed by independent users. These voicebanks are normally distributed directly from their creators via internet download.
UTAU is mostly a Japanese program and thus many voices are written specifically for the Japanese language. However, the languages have been expanded and there are many bilingual UTAUloids, mostly singing in Japanese and English. While there are a high number of bilingual UTAU, multilingual UTAU have also been made that can sing in three or more languages. A few notable creators have also developed some that are capable of singing in as many as 15 languages. Regardless of the language, the software menus remain in Japanese and a users computer must support Japanese text or AppLocale
in order to run the software. Most of its documentation is in Japanese, but its User Manual has been translated into English. Recently, the program has been user translated to English, and other translations are still pending. Even with the translations still require for the computer to support japanese text.
Files containing sample placement, pitch, and tempo are saved under the ".ust" extension. These files can be freely distributed, allowing different UTAU with sufficient voicebanks to sing the same piece. It is important to make note of the guidelines the UST creator has provided in terms of the .usts distribution and use. Song sampliers have developed several different methods of producing their sound banks and results for the voicebanks vary because of this.
.
Its main attraction is not only based on it being freely distributed on the internet, but because it allowed a user to insert their own voice into the database for use for music, opening the doors for users to further develop their own music. UTAU owes its growing popularity to its ability to provide a free method of creating voices for music use and has established a large number of music producers working with the software on sites such as Nico Nico Douga
and YouTube
. Users also see it as an alternative to the Vocaloid software, which only offers a more limited supply of voices at a costly price and may not offer the voice types they are seeking for music, as the large database of voices often has a much greater chance of offering the voice they seek. However, despite the number of voicebanks offered, the software has overall far fewer producers working with it than Vocaloid.
A radio station set up a 1 hour program containing nothing but Vocaloid and UTAU-based music.
products such as those produced for the , released for the programs Reason 4 and GarageBand
, into the program. These products were sold by Act2 and by converting their file format, were able to also work with the UTAU program.
The default voicebank "Defoko" (Uta Utane) borrows her voice from the software AquesTalk, specifically the voice "AquesTalk Female-1" produced by A-quest. Premission had been granted for her distribution free with the software. Koe Utane, Uta's "sister" product also borrows her voice from the AquesTalk software.
Due to the software's own copyright agreement, non-open license software such as VOCALOID is not permitted to be imported into the UTAU software.
A number of plug-ins for the software have also been developed by users of the software which add and enhance the vocals of the software.
The software "Sugarcape", based on the same freeware intention as UTAU, has already entered beta stage.
There's now also a Mac OS version of UTAU. It has about the same features as the Windows version, but there's no English translation available yet. The Mac OS version can import both voices and songs made with the Windows version, and vica versa.
s from Karen-T, under Crypton Future Media
, as a special release. This is the first licensed release of any UTAU.
Vocaloid
is a singing synthesizer application, with its signal processing part developed through a joint research project between the Pompeu Fabra University in Spain and Japan's Yamaha Corporation, who backed the development financially—and later developed the software into the commercial product...
software, with the difference that it is freeware instead of being released under third party licensing.
Overview
In March 2008, Ameya/Ayame released UTAU, a free, advanced support tool sharewareShareware
The term shareware is a proprietary software that is provided to users without payment on a trial basis and is often limited by any combination of functionality, availability, or convenience. Shareware is often offered as a download from an Internet website or as a compact disc included with a...
software that was made free to download from its main website. UTAU, meaning "to sing" in Japanese, has its origin in . It was created by re-editing an existing singing voice, extracting tones as WAV
WAV
Waveform Audio File Format , is a Microsoft and IBM audio file format standard for storing an audio bitstream on PCs...
files and reassembling them. UTAU has the ability to create a unique voice, so that one can be synthesized by introducing song lyrics and melody. The program has at least 50 different usable audio files, composed of Japanese syllables. It comes with the company's "AquesTalk" pre-loaded, which allows any user to load their own voice data to be programed for usage within UTAU. UTAU also includes tools for tone, among other functions. As a default, UTAU features the computer synthesized voice Utane Uta (commonly known as Defoko), pre-loaded. Voices synthesized in the UTAU program are officially called "UTAU" as well but often colloquially known as "UTAUloids", a reference to "Vocaloids". Hundreds of voicebanks have already been developed by independent users. These voicebanks are normally distributed directly from their creators via internet download.
UTAU is mostly a Japanese program and thus many voices are written specifically for the Japanese language. However, the languages have been expanded and there are many bilingual UTAUloids, mostly singing in Japanese and English. While there are a high number of bilingual UTAU, multilingual UTAU have also been made that can sing in three or more languages. A few notable creators have also developed some that are capable of singing in as many as 15 languages. Regardless of the language, the software menus remain in Japanese and a users computer must support Japanese text or AppLocale
AppLocale
AppLocale is a tool for Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 by Microsoft. It is a launcher application that makes it possible to run non-Unicode applications in a locale of the user's choice. Since changing the locale normally requires a restart of Windows, AppLocale is especially popular with...
in order to run the software. Most of its documentation is in Japanese, but its User Manual has been translated into English. Recently, the program has been user translated to English, and other translations are still pending. Even with the translations still require for the computer to support japanese text.
Files containing sample placement, pitch, and tempo are saved under the ".ust" extension. These files can be freely distributed, allowing different UTAU with sufficient voicebanks to sing the same piece. It is important to make note of the guidelines the UST creator has provided in terms of the .usts distribution and use. Song sampliers have developed several different methods of producing their sound banks and results for the voicebanks vary because of this.
Cultural impact
Though the software is very popular in Japan, its origins and cultural impact are owed to the already established popularity of the Vocaloid software. UTAU itself was first made famous when the creator of Teto Kasane released the character posing as a Vocaloid character as part of an April Fool's joke in 2008. The influence of the Vocaloid software also led to both programs commonly being used side by side. Often popular UTAU mascots like Teto Kasane appear in Vocaloid-based media such as Maker Hikōshiki Hatsune MixMaker Hikoshiki Hatsune Mix
is a Japanese manga written and illustrated by Japanese artist Kei. The manga was originally based on the Vocaloid 2 character Hatsune Miku, but came to feature other Vocaloid 1 and 2 characters as the series progressed. The manga was serialized in Jive's shōnen manga magazine Comic Rush between...
.
Its main attraction is not only based on it being freely distributed on the internet, but because it allowed a user to insert their own voice into the database for use for music, opening the doors for users to further develop their own music. UTAU owes its growing popularity to its ability to provide a free method of creating voices for music use and has established a large number of music producers working with the software on sites such as Nico Nico Douga
Nico Nico Douga
is a popular video sharing website in Japan managed by Niwango, a subsidiary of Dwango. Its nickname is "Niconico" or "Nico-dō", where "nikoniko" is the Japanese ideophone for smiling. Nico Nico Douga is the thirteenth most visited website in Japan...
and YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
. Users also see it as an alternative to the Vocaloid software, which only offers a more limited supply of voices at a costly price and may not offer the voice types they are seeking for music, as the large database of voices often has a much greater chance of offering the voice they seek. However, despite the number of voicebanks offered, the software has overall far fewer producers working with it than Vocaloid.
A radio station set up a 1 hour program containing nothing but Vocaloid and UTAU-based music.
Related software
Unlike Vocaloid, UTAU files are not restrictive. It is possible to Open-source licenseOpen-source license
An open-source license is a copyright license for computer software that makes the source code available for everyone to use. This allows end users to review and modify the source code for their own customization and/or troubleshooting needs...
products such as those produced for the , released for the programs Reason 4 and GarageBand
GarageBand
GarageBand is a software application for Mac OS X and iOS that allows users to create music or podcasts. It is developed by Apple Inc. as a part of the iLife software package on Mac OS X.-Audio recording:...
, into the program. These products were sold by Act2 and by converting their file format, were able to also work with the UTAU program.
The default voicebank "Defoko" (Uta Utane) borrows her voice from the software AquesTalk, specifically the voice "AquesTalk Female-1" produced by A-quest. Premission had been granted for her distribution free with the software. Koe Utane, Uta's "sister" product also borrows her voice from the AquesTalk software.
Due to the software's own copyright agreement, non-open license software such as VOCALOID is not permitted to be imported into the UTAU software.
A number of plug-ins for the software have also been developed by users of the software which add and enhance the vocals of the software.
The software "Sugarcape", based on the same freeware intention as UTAU, has already entered beta stage.
There's now also a Mac OS version of UTAU. It has about the same features as the Windows version, but there's no English translation available yet. The Mac OS version can import both voices and songs made with the Windows version, and vica versa.
Usage in music
The licensed songs from the album Graduation from Lie featuring Teto Kasane were released for music downloadMusic download
A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
s from Karen-T, under Crypton Future Media
Crypton Future Media
, or Crypton, is a media company based in Sapporo, Japan. It develops, imports, and sells products for music, such as sound generator software, sampling CDs and DVDs, and sound effect and background music libraries...
, as a special release. This is the first licensed release of any UTAU.