Cost of Living

The astounding origin of Auto-Tune and its connection to the energy sector

The now-ubiquitous Auto-Tune has a surprising provenance: the oil and gas industry. Naturally the Cost of Living had to "Cher" the story.

We "Cher" the surprising provenance of the popular music plugin: the oil and gas industry

Singer Cher was one of the first musicians to embrace the use of Auto-Tune technology on her 1998 single, "Believe." (AFP/Getty Images)

Love it or hate it, auto-tune is here to stay. The twenty-year-old technology, made famous by Cher, saves the music industry millions of dollars every year.

But where did it come from originally?

  • CBC Radio's new business and economics show, Cost of Living, airs on CBC Radio One every Saturday at 11:30 a.m. (12 p.m. NT) or online anytime at CBC Listen.

CBC Edmonton's Ariel Fournier hits all the right notes as she digs into auto-tune's origin story — which has deep and surprising roots in the oil and gas industry.