Observed arrival · 2026-10-17

Downstep: practice the hard part at your own speed

downstep.app Visit website

Editorial interest 75/100 Selection signal · not a rating of the site

A free, open-source Mac and Windows app for slowing music, changing its key, and looping passages while you practice.

Landing page captured for the 2026-10-17 issue.

For: Musicians learning songs by ear, singers testing vocal keys, and instrumentalists practicing along with recordings.
Worth noticing: Speed ranges from 25% to 200% independently of pitch, and each song retains its own speed, pitch, and loop settings.

Field notes

The desktop app imports MP3, M4A, WAV, and FLAC files, and also accepts YouTube links only for content the user has rights to. Its A–B loop can be set during playback or by dragging timeline markers; nearby controls halve or double the loop or move it to the next phrase. Song settings and playlists are saved locally, and the app lists MP3 export plus library backup and restore.

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