How to Record R&B and Pop Vocals on Your Phone

Whether you're laying down a polished pop vocal or a silky R&B take, Voloco gives you the tools to get a professional-sounding result from your phone. No studio, audio interface, or external mic required.

Here's how to set up Voloco specifically for singing-forward genres like R&B and pop.


Choose the right effect

The biggest difference between rap and R&B vocal production is how pitch correction is used. In R&B and pop, you usually want correction that keeps you on pitch without calling attention to itself, or lush harmony stacking that creates a full, produced sound.

These effects work especially well for R&B and pop:

• Natural Tune — Voloco's subtle pitch correction. It nudges your vocals onto pitch without a heavy, processed effect. This is the go-to for singers who want to sound polished, not robotic.
• Big Chorus — Adds rich vocal harmonies layered behind your voice. Good for hooks and choruses where you want a full, stacked sound without recording multiple takes.
• P-Tain — Combines heavy pitch correction with seventh chord harmonies. Great for melodic vocal hooks that sit somewhere between singing and rapping.
• Bon Hiver — Lush harmony and automatic voice tuning in the style of dense, layered vocal production. If you want a texturally rich, stacked sound, start here.

Premium subscribers have access to additional R&B-oriented packs. Browse the full effects library to find the sound closest to what you're going for.
 

Set the key correctly

For singers, the key setting matters more than almost anything else. Voloco automatically detects the key when you load a backing track. If something feels slightly off (your pitch correction sounds strained or fighting your natural pitch), manually check and adjust the key in Project Settings. Make sure the scale matches your song too: major and minor scales sound very different.
 

Layer your vocals

R&B and pop production almost always involves layered vocals: a lead, a double, and backing harmonies. In Voloco, you can build this arrangement yourself:

1. Record your lead vocal on the first take.
2. Add a second track and record your double. Sing the same melody slightly differently to create natural width.
3. Add a third track for harmonies (thirds or fifths above or below your lead).
4. Apply a heavier harmony effect like Big Chorus to your backing tracks and a more subtle effect to your lead.

This approach creates the stacked, produced vocal sound common to R&B and pop without needing a full DAW.
 

Tips for singers

• Warm up before you record. Cold vocals tire quickly and pitch correction can only do so much. Even five minutes of gentle scales will get you a noticeably better take.
• Record in short segments. Voloco's segmented recording approach makes it easy to punch in and re-record a specific line without starting over. Use it.
• Monitor your voice through wired earbuds. Hearing your processed vocal in real time while you sing helps you pitch naturally around the effect rather than fighting it.
• Export stems for mixing elsewhere. If you want to finish your track in GarageBand or another DAW, export just your vocal track (without the beat) as a WAV for clean mixing.