VOCALOID6 (commonly shortened to "V6") is the successor to the VOCALOID5 engine by the company YAMAHA Corporation. VOCALOID6 is equipped with VOCALOID:AI, which utilizes new AI technology, to achieve more natural and expressive singing voice synthesis.
The software was released on October 13, 2022. A lite edition of the software, called VOCALOID6 Editor Lite, was released on October 9, 2024 and is available as a free downloadable bonus included with standalone VOCALOID6 voicebanks purchased from the VOCALOID SHOP and from Internet Co., Ltd.'s SSW Store, and since August 31, 2025 is also available as a bonus to registered owners of eligible Japanese V3 and V4X voicebanks by Crypton Future Media, Inc..
History[]
VOCALOID6 was announced and released on the same day on October 13, 2022 by the Yamaha Corporation, following the announcement of server maintenance also scheduled on October 13.[1] The software made its debut with a set of 4 new vocalists SARAH, ALLEN, HARUKA, and AKITO and also included the VOCALOID5 voicebanks Amy, Chris, Kaori, and Ken.[2] VOCALOID6 was made available for digital download on the official VOCALOID SHOP and was clarified that no physical product would be shipped.[3]
Updates[]
Applying this updater carries out the following updates:
VOCALOID6 Editor:
- Corrected issues with editing operations and screen display.
- Improved sequence editing operations.
VOCALOID Authorizer:
- Compatibility with Apple Silicon.
- Fixed issues with screen display.
Applying this updater carries out the following updates:
VOCALOID6 Editor:
- Fixed an issue in which a "Trial period: Ended" message was shown on the day of installation in regions where Daylight Saving Time is in effect.[6]
Yamaha was later inquired to verify compatibility of VOCALOID products (including VOCALOID6) with macOS 13 Ventura; they recommended Mac users to refrain from updating VOCALOID6 to this version until compatibility could be confirmed.[7]
Applying this updater carries out the following updates:
VOCALOID6 Editor:
- Fixed bug where certain stereo audio files crash when imported on Mac.
- Fixed bug where projects that include parts that start from certain lyrics will not open.
Applying this updater carries out the following updates:
VOCALOID6 Editor:
- Support Chinese song synthesis.
- Improved synthesis quality of singing voices.
- Improved display of phonetic symbol conversion suggestions when entering lyrics.
- Improved pronunciation of short notes.
- Fixed other bugs, improved stability and performance.
VOCALOID Authorizer:
- Support added for authorization and deauthorization of VOCALOID 3/4 products.
- Fixed other bugs.
VOCALOID6 Voicebanks:
- Support singing in Chinese.
Applying this updater carries out the following updates:
VOCALOID6 Editor:
- Fixed bugs and improved stability.
Applying this updater carries out the following updates:
VOCALOID6 Editor:
- Added a feature to customize keyboard shortcuts.
- Added a feature to insert silence between the selection range.
- Added a feature to revert a project to the last saved version.
- Added a feature to select the character encoding of lyrics when importing/exporting MIDI files.
- Added support for mono wave files in multi-track audio mixdown.
- Improved phonetic symbol suggestions when entering lyrics over multiple notes.
- Changed ruler display format to Bar/Beat in Wave Editor.
- Fixed bugs, improved stability and performance.
Applying this updater carries out the following updates:
VOCALOID6 Editor:
- Fixed a bug that default time signature, tempo and main volume events were deleted.
- Fixed bugs, improved stability and performance.
Applying this updater carries out the following updates:
VOCALOID6 Editor:
- Fixed a crash after opening a specific WAV file.
Applying this updater carries out the following updates:
VOCALOID6 Editor:
- Improved synthesis quality of singing voices.
- Added Character as a control parameter of VOCALOID:AI part.
- Improved Expression to be also edited as a control parameter.
- Improved vibrato tool in VOCALOID:AI part.
- Added Take variations.
- Fixed other bugs, improved stability and performance.
VOCALOID6 Voicebanks:
- Added 4 new voice banks (ASAHI, SAKURA, SHION, TAKU) to VOCALOID6 Voicebanks.
- Improved model data.
Applying this updater carries out the following updates:
VOCALOID6 Editor:
- Fixed a bug that Singing Skill in VOCALOID part was not loaded correctly on Windows.
Applying this updater carries out the following updates:
VOCALOID6 Voicebanks:
- Added 2 new voice banks (MICHELLE, LUCAS).
Applying this updater carries out the following updates:
VOCALOID6 Editor:
- Fixed a bug that delayed the rendering process on macOS Sonoma.
- Fixed a bug that prevented editing lyrics under certain conditions.
Applying this updater carries out the following updates:
VOCALOID6 Editor:
- Improved synthesis speed by partial rendering.
- Added "Paste Special" feature.
- Added 8 jobs for note editing (Resolve overlaps, Split note, Divide note equally, Extract lyrics, Join notes, Staccato, Transpose, and Insert rest).
- Fixed other bugs, improved stability and performance.
Applying this updater carries out the following updates:
VOCALOID6 Editor:
- Fixed a bug that occurred in the routing process of audio effects on Mac.
Applying this updater carries out the following updates:
VOCALOID6 Editor:
- Fixed a bug where project data saved in Logic Pro was lost.
- Fixed other bugs, improved stability and performance.
Applying this updater carries out the following updates:
VOCALOID6 Editor:
- Supported VOCALOID6 Editor Lite (a limited version of the VOCALOID6 Editor).
- Fixed other bugs.
VOCALOID6 Voicebanks:
- Added 2 new voice banks (YUINA, NAOKI).
Applying this updater carries out the following updates:
VOCALOID6 Editor:
- Added a feature to draw pitch curves directly on the musical editor for VOCALOID:AI parts.
- Added "Air" as a control parameter to VOCALOID:AI parts.
- Added VOICE COLOR to STYLE in VOCALOID:AI parts.
- Added a setting to turn off AI output for vibrato on notes in VOCALOID:AI parts.
- Added a Cross-Synthesis setting to VOCALOID part.
- Added a project-wide tuning setting.
- Fixed other bugs, improved stability and performance.
VOCALOID6 Voicebanks:
- Added 4 new voice banks (BRIAN, JESSICA, MATTHEW, SANDRA).
VOCALOID Authorizer:
- Fixed a bug that paths containing multi-byte characters could not be handled correctly on Windows.
Applying this updater carries out the following updates:
VOCALOID6 Editor:
- Added Character and Expression to VOICE COLOR in STYLE of VOCALOID:AI parts
- Fixed other bugs.
Applying this updater carries out the following updates:
VOCALOID6 Editor:
- Added a feature to draw pitch curves directly on the musical editor for VOCALOID parts.
- Added auto backup setting.
- Supported toggling acoustic feedback.
- Added sampling rate and bit depth settings for audio mixdown.
- Fixed other bugs, improved stability and performance.
- Fixed other bugs.
VOCALOID6 Voicebanks:
- Added 2 new voice banks (KANA, HAYATO).
Applying this updater carries out the following updates:
VOCALOID6 Editor:
- Fixed a synthesis issue in VOCALOID parts caused by direct pitch curve editing.
Applying this updater carries out the following updates:
VOCALOID6 Editor:
- Expanded "AIR" range of VOCALOID:AI parts from -100 to 100 to enable unvoiced (whispered) singing expression.
- Added option to configure behavior of control parameters beyond the edited range.
- Fixed other bugs, improved stability and performance.
Applying this updater carries out the following updates:
VOCALOID6 Editor:
- Added a feature that automatically switches to the default style of a voicebank when changing voicebanks.
- Modified so the MIDI input feedback sound is muted when no track is armed for recording in the standalone version.
- Fixed other bugs, improved stability and performance.
VOCALOID6 Voicebanks:
- Updated the installer.
Applying this updater carries out the following updates:
VOCALOID6 Editor:
- Added support for importing Piapro Studio song file (.ppsf).
- Added an option for Split Note to assign the vowel from the original note’s phoneme to the split notes (Japanese only).
- Fixed an issue where breath sounds were inserted even when BREATH was disabled in VOCALOID:AI parts.
- Fixed other bugs, improved stability and performance.
VOCALOID6 Voicebanks:
- Added 2 new voicebanks (AYA, KAZUYA).
Applying this updater carries out the following updates:
VOCALOID6 Editor:
- Added a new AI voicebank “asa” bundled with VOCALOID6 Editor.
- Fixed other bugs, improved stability and performance.
Requirements[]
- OS: 64-bit; Windows 10 and 11 (Version 22H2 or later); macOS 11 (Big Sur), 12 (Monterey), 13 (Ventura), 14 (Sonoma)
- CPU: Haswell (4th generation) or later Intel Core series or Xeon series; Apple Silicon
- RAM: At least 8 GB
- HDD: At least 25 GB
- Other: Audio device, internet connection (for authentication, deauthentication, software updates, etc.)
- Monitor Size:
- Minimum Display Size: 1366 x 768
Additional Installation Notes[]
Note these requirements only apply to the VOCALOID6 engine itself. Users need to check each VOCALOID package and its requirements before installation as some variation may occur between releases. When used as a VST/AU together with a DAW, the operating requirements of the DAW must also be met at the same time.
The license, much like in VOCALOID3 + NEO, VOCALOID4, and VOCALOID5 still allows the user to install on either Windows or Mac, though they can only have one or the other. The software must be uninstalled from its current OS to be able to install on the opposing one. However, note that regardless, only one license of VOCALOID6 is given upon purchase, therefore VOCALOID6 cannot be installed on multiple computers at the same time. This is the same for all voicebanks as well as the engine so while the user can have the installation on either Windows or Mac, they cannot install it on both or multiple computers.[36]
Similar to the installation of VOCALOID5, VOCALOID6 installs according to the version of the OS, meaning an English OS will result in the VOCALOID6 interface being in English when installed. Users wanting the software in any other language have to change their language OS to force VOCALOID6 to be installed in that language. This is different to VOCALOID3 and VOCALOID4 where the language was selected upon installation.[37]
HARUKA is the default vocal for VOCALOID6 and the engine will always revert back to her voicebank if an issue occurs, though this can be changed to other vocalists if the user doesn't want her to be the default vocalist. Users can also set the default vocalist for the VOCALOID:AI track and VOCALOID TRACK individually.[38]
Releases[]
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Vocal libraries released for the VOCALOID6 engine.
Starter Packs[]
Starter Packs are VOCALOID6 releases that are sold with the VOCALOID6 engine included. The idea is this cheapens the first vocal a producer buys for the engine. Not all normal releases for VOCALOID6 have been given starter packs. Below is a list of vocals that have been sold as "starter" vocals.
VOCALOID6 PLUS Voice Bank Campaign
VOCALOID6 Starter Packs labeled as a "VOCALOID6 PLUS VOICEBANK SET" when purchased from the official VOCALOID SHOP include the VOCALOID6 engine as well as copies of the Silhouette Series and the VOCALOID5 vocals Amy, Chris, Kaori, & Ken. Purchasing from the Japanese VOCALOID SHOP allows users the option of purchasing the VOCALOID6 Editor in addition to one to two additional voicebanks at a 10% discount of the normal purchase price, excluding the upgrade discount, during the campaign period.[39] On the English VOCALOID SHOP, users have the option to select one of the current available PLUS VOICEBANK SET options, currently including: AI Megpoid, Po-uta, Fuiro, and galaco BLACK & WHITE.[40]
Announced Vocals[]
Announced Vocals for the VOCALOID6 software. Names and images presented are placeholders and may not reflect the final product when complete.
We urge readers be considerate and careful when supporting unconfirmed projects, especially if they ask for financial endorsement.
Trial Version[]
A trial version of VOCALOID6 was released the same day of its release including the base four vocals, usable for up to 31 days.[41]
Lite Version[]
A free version of VOCALOID6, called VOCALOID6 Editor Lite, was released as a bonus included with the voicebank Vocalo no Ci-chan on October 9, 2024. Unlike the full paid version, it can only be used in standalone mode, and up to a maximum of 2 tracks (VOCALOID:AI track or VOCALOID track, and Audio Track) can be created and saved in a project.[42]
On October 30, Internet Co., Ltd. announced that owners of registered copies of its VOCALOID6 voicebanks (like AI Megpoid, AI Otomachi Una, and Hibiki Koto) would be able to download and register VOCALOID6 Editor Lite for free from YAMAHA's VOCALOID download portal, after entering the download code provided to them at the SSW Store's support webpage.[43] On November 1, VOCALOID6 Editor Lite was finally added to all other remaining standalone (non-Starter-Pack) VOCALOID6 voicebanks bought from the VOCALOID SHOP as a free bundle, including for purchases made prior to this date.[44]
On August 31, 2025, Crypton Future Media, Inc. announced that customers who bought MEIKO V3, KAITO V3, Hatsune Miku V4X (or her Bundle with V4 English), Kagamine Rin & Len V4X (or their Bundle with English), Megurine Luka V4X, and/or the PIAPRO CHARACTERS SUPER PACK and registered them into their Crypton (physical) and/or SONICWIRE (digital) accounts were eligible to freely download and register VOCALOID6 Editor Lite. These registered copies of VOCALOID6 Editor Lite were also eligible to be upgraded (through SONICWIRE) to the full VOCALOID6 Editor version, either as a standalone editor (for ¥14,850) or bundled with the Silhouette Series voicebanks (for ¥24,750, slightly lower than the ¥27,500 asked for on the Japanese VOCALOID SHOP).[45]
On September 18, following in Crypton's footsteps, Internet Co. extended its free VOCALOID6 Editor Lite download/registration offer to registered owners of its VOCALOID4 voicebanks (Megpoid V4, Gackpoid V4, and Otomachi Una), and also allowed for copies of VOCALOID6 Editor Lite obtained through its VOCALOID4 and VOCALOID6 voicebank campaigns to be upgraded (through SSW Store) to the full VOCALOID6 Editor at discounted prices.[46]
Additional Notes[]
Examples of Usage[]
An example of solfège using VOCALOID6 technology. See also, a listing of vocal stats here.
To contribute an example- see this blog entry to download the VSQx.
New Features[]
- For a list of VOCALOID6's new parameters, see Parameters.
In addition to importing VOCALOID5 vocals, VOCALOID3 and VOCALOID4 vocals can also be imported.
As previously mentioned, all new purchases of VOCALOID6 from the official VOCALOID website come with four VOCALOID6 voicebanks: SARAH, ALLEN, HARUKA, and AKITO, as well as the four starting VOCALOID5 voicebanks Amy, Chris, Kaori, and Ken. This is reminiscent of VOCALOID5's debut with the inclusion of the VOCALOID5 STANDARD bundle, including Amy, Chris, Kaori, and Ken as well as the VOCALOID5 PREMIUM bundle including VY1, VY2, CYBER DIVA II and CYBER SONGMAN II.
VOCALOID6 offers new features including:
- VOCALOID:AI: VOCALOID6 features VOCALOID:AI, an AI-based technology for generating a highly expressive singing voice that’s more natural than ever before.
- See the main VOCALOID:AI article for additional details.
- Direction: Users are able to use the new editing tools to freely edit the accents, vibrato, rhythmic feel, and more.
- Vocal work, also known as Doubling: a function that is "essential for producing high-quality vocal tracks". With VOCALOID6, users are able to instantly create harmony parts.
- VOCALO CHANGER, a function that allows users to import vocal data to replicate their own singing style as-is, as a VOCALOID voicebank.
- Multilingual, a function that allows lyrics to be sung in a mixture of Japanese, English, and Chinese using a single voicebank. This gives users the freedom to write lyrics that "transcend language barriers".
- ARA2 support: The paid version of VOCALOID6 offers improved workflow with DAWs. Locator operations such as play and stop can be performed from the included plug-in.
- Note: This option is not available in the VOCALOID6 Editor Lite version.
- Support for MIDI export: VOCALOID6 now allows users to freely export MIDI data that has been input.
- Cubase AI support: The paid version of VOCALOID6 comes bundled with Steinberg Cubase AI, so that users can enjoy making music right away.
- Note: This option is excluded from the upgrade version discount and is also not available in the Lite version.
VST Plugin Support[]
While VOCALOID6 does not support third-party Job Plug-ins, nor (until version 6.5) the inclusion of Cross-Synthesis, purchases of the AI Megpoid voicebank include the XSyn DAW-based VST3 plugin, developed by Internet Co., Ltd.. XSyn allows the blending of other VOCALOID6 voicebanks as well as voicebanks released by Internet Co., Ltd. from previous generations with the AI Megpoid product, to create a similar effect to that of the Cross-Synthesis feature from VOCALOID4.[47]
Refinements[]
As with VOCALOID5, additional vocals are no longer referred to as "Plug-in Libraries Databases" (VOCALOID2 and VOCALOID3), "VOCALOID libraries" (VOCALOID4), Add-on Voicebanks and other names but are now simply known as "Voicebanks". A minor change of classification, though the use of "voicebank" is notable. Previously "voicebank" had been used in English speaking communities as a shorthand or common term to refer Vocaloid library database as a simplification. Later the term had slowly seen an increase in usage over time among studios. As noted by Gizmodo unlike all past VOCALOID versions, VOCALOID5 has the engine and VOCALOID Library are now more interlocked with each other, which is why it is now referred to as a "voicebank".[48]
Known Issues[]
Cross-Synthesis initially did not return in the VOCALOID6 engine. Users could opt to use the external feature XSyn developed by Internet Co., Ltd for similar results. Cross-Synthesis was later re-added into VOCALOID6 by popular demand upon release of the free 6.5 update.[49][50] VOCALOID6 also does not support third-party VST/AU plugins nor the VocaListener plugin.[51][52] VOCALOID6 vocals are unable to utilize the Growl parameter, as it's only available in the VOCALOID TRACK, and not the VOCALOID:AI TRACK.[53]
Criticism[]
WORK IN PROGRESS
Software Reaction[]
The announcement and release of VOCALOID6 was met with surprise by the VOCALOID and Voice Synth communities, especially due to the lack of voicebank updates and new releases for VOCALOID5, and the amount of third-party studios that departed VOCALOID after V5's release and migrated to other Voice Synths, with some having assumed that YAMAHA had quit VOCALOID as a result. They were equally as surprised when AI Megpoid was announced and released the same day as the engine's release. A number of producers commented regarding VOCALOID6, including ShareotsuP, OSTER project, Mitchie M, and Circus-P, and the Voice Providers of MEIKO and Megurine Luka commented on it as well, with Yuu Asakawa joking that a world where she doesn't have to sing is coming.
3rd Party Developer response[]
Upon release of VOCALOID6, Internet Co., Ltd. released the first 3rd-party voicebank for VOCALOID6, AI Megpoid as both voicebank only and Starter Pack options.[54]
Gallery[]
Media Gallery[]
Tutorials[]
Official VOCALOID6 Guide Tour[]
The reference manual for this program can be found here.
References[]
- ↑ https://x.com/vocaloid_yamaha/status/1577856420015267840
- ↑ https://www.vocaloid.com/en/vocaloid6/
- ↑ https://www.vocaloid.com/en/support/purchase_guide/
- ↑ https://www.vocaloid.com/en/news/support_001/ Update 6.0.1
- ↑ https://www.vocaloid.com/en/news/support_04/ Update 6.0.2
- ↑ https://www.vocaloid.com/en/news/support_003/
- ↑ https://www.vocaloid.com/en/news/support_005/ via Wayback Machine
- ↑ https://www.vocaloid.com/en/news/support_06/ Update 6.0.3
- ↑ https://www.vocaloid.com/en/news/support_11/ Update 6.1.0
- ↑ https://www.vocaloid.com/en/news/support_13/ Update 6.1.1
- ↑ https://www.vocaloid.com/en/news/support_14/ Update 6.2.0
- ↑ https://www.vocaloid.com/en/news/support_15/ Update 6.2.1
- ↑ https://x.com/vocaloid_yamaha/status/1676908862207852545
- ↑ https://www.vocaloid.com/en/news/support_17/ Update 6.2.2
- ↑ https://www.vocaloid.com/en/news/support_24/ Update 6.3.0
- ↑ https://www.vocaloid.com/en/news/support_26/ Update 6.3.1
- ↑ https://www.vocaloid.com/en/news/support_27/ Update 6.3.1a
- ↑ https://www.vocaloid.com/en/news/support_29/ Update 6.3.2
- ↑ https://www.vocaloid.com/en/news/support_32/ Update 6.4.0
- ↑ https://x.com/vocaloid_yamaha/status/1801205655837286723
- ↑ https://www.vocaloid.com/en/news/support_33/ Update 6.4.1
- ↑ https://www.vocaloid.com/en/news/support_34/ Update 6.4.2
- ↑ https://www.vocaloid.com/en/news/support_38/ Update 6.4.3
- ↑ https://www.vocaloid.com/en/news/support_41/ Update 6.5.0
- ↑ https://x.com/vocaloid_yamaha/status/1864637295774847394
- ↑ https://x.com/VocaSphereNews/status/1865705887140323371
- ↑ https://x.com/vocaloid_yamaha/status/1867483897753481504
- ↑ https://www.vocaloid.com/en/news/support_44/ Update 6.5.1
- ↑ https://www.vocaloid.com/en/news/support_48/ Update 6.6.0
- ↑ https://www.vocaloid.com/en/news/support_49/ Update 6.6.1
- ↑ https://www.vocaloid.com/en/news/news_24/ Update 6.7.0
- ↑ https://x.com/vocaloid_yamaha/status/1940697021519667420
- ↑ https://www.vocaloid.com/en/news/support_52 Update 6.8.0
- ↑ https://www.vocaloid.com/en/news/support_53 Update 6.9.0
- ↑ https://www.vocaloid.com/en/news/support_54 Update 6.10.0
- ↑ https://www.vocaloid.com/en/support/faq/605
- ↑ https://www.vocaloid.com/en/support/faq/657
- ↑ https://www.vocaloid.com/en/support/faq/669
- ↑ https://www.vocaloid.com/news/plus_voicebank/
- ↑ https://www.vocaloid.com/en/vocaloid6_plus_voicebank/
- ↑ https://www.vocaloid.com/en/vocaloid6/trial/
- ↑ https://www.vocaloid.com/en/news/news_16/
- ↑ https://x.com/INTERNETjp/status/1851496377442058439
- ↑ https://x.com/vocaloid_yamaha/status/1852289493987913899
- ↑ https://sonicwire.com/news/special/vocaloid6-editor-lite
- ↑ https://x.com/INTERNETjp/status/1968570687737753748
- ↑ https://x.com/GUMIfromMegpoid/status/1596024928658395137
- ↑ https://www.gizmodo.jp/2018/07/vocaloid5.html
- ↑ https://www.vocaloid.com/en/support/faq/624
- ↑ https://www.vocaloid.com/en/learn/ln6214/
- ↑ https://www.vocaloid.com/en/support/faq/616
- ↑ https://www.vocaloid.com/en/support/faq/615
- ↑ https://www.vocaloid.com/en/support/faq/641
- ↑ https://www.ssw.co.jp/products/vocaloid6/megpoid/index.html
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