2009 / Video / Musical news remix series
Auto-Tune the News
The news became a source for catchy song remixes.
The original is hosted off-site; this page provides context and a link to it.
What was this?
The Gregory Brothers used each week’s broadcast clips as musical material: they selected phrases, tuned them into hooks, added beats, and appeared alongside the footage as a backing band. The series made cable-news dialogue sound suited to pop choruses.
Why it spread
Episodes moved through YouTube embeds, blogs, Twitter, and workplace sharing. The series created a recurring expectation that a news line might become the next musical refrain.
What happened
The Gregory Brothers used each week’s broadcast clips as musical material: they selected phrases, tuned them into hooks, added beats, and appeared alongside the footage as a backing band. The series made cable-news dialogue sound suited to pop choruses.
Where it came from
The Gregory Brothers began making Auto-Tune the News in April 2009, turning clips of anchors, politicians, and pundits into tightly produced songs. By December, nine episodes had accumulated nearly 12 million views.
Why it mattered
Auto-Tune the News showed how news satire could combine remixing with original production. Its songs often outlasted the broadcasts that supplied their source material.
How it spread
Episodes moved through YouTube embeds, blogs, Twitter, and workplace sharing. The series created a recurring expectation that a news line might become the next musical refrain.
Keep going
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