There are tons of apps available to creators of music who want to record their next smash hit. Compared to 10 years ago, the technology has made recording music much easier and cheaper on aspiring and established musicians. A cheap (or free) iPhone app will do the recording and you can send it straight out to your adoring fans using Facebook or SoundCloud. Here's our list of the best studio recording apps for iPhone.
The best studio recording apps for iPhone
22 Jul 2021, by Christine Pamintuan
With Splice, the good iPhone app for recording music musicians and sound designers can browse, audition, and create with millions of sounds across all genres from anywhere, anytime. Sounds sync across devices for a seamless workflow. Artists, composers, and bedroom beat-makers use Splice Sounds to create Grammy-winning songs, movie scores, club hits, and more.
- Browse, audition, & search for sounds
- Filter sounds by instrument type & genres
- Try out sounds in Beatmaker
- Make your own beats in Sequencer
- Like sounds on the app and save them for later
- Sync sounds with the Splice desktop app
n-Track Studio, a Recording studio app is a powerful, portable music-making app that turns your iOS device into a complete Recording Studio & Beat Maker.
Record a virtually unlimited number of Audio, MIDI & Drum Tracks, mix them during playback and add effects: from Guitar Amps, to VocalTune & Reverb. Edit songs, share them online & join the Songtree community to collaborate with other artists.
- On-screen MIDI keyboard
- EQ with 2D & 3D Spectrum analyzer + chromatic tuner*
- VocalTune* - pitch correction: automatically correct any pitch imperfections on vocals or melodic parts
- Collaborate with other musicians with the integrated Songtree music making community
- Languages included: English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Indonesian
Spire Recorder is a 4-track recorder that makes it seem like you have an audio engineer on personal retainer, available day and night. The app allows you to record, mix, and share fantastic-sounding audio from anywhere. Any tracks you record are automatically and instantly enhanced, you can creatively customize each track, and you'll never lose the beat with the in-app metronome. Voice command allows hands-free control to start your recording so you don't have to take your hands off your instrument. Once you've finished recording, share your music through email, text, or other storage services.
- Like having an audio engineer in your pocket
- Great audio quality
- Voice command
- In-app metronome
- Free studio recording app for iPhone
Music Studio Lite is a pared-down version of Music Studio, a complete music production environment for your iPhone. The free version offers a 60-key piano keyboard (85 in the full version), 11 instruments (118 in the full version), extensive note editing, a 127-track sequencer, reverb, and more. The release and attack time is configurable for each instrument, you get instant positioning using the slide gesture, pinch to resize, and you are also able to record from a microphone. You also get background audio playback and recording functions. The Lite version does not allow you to save, export, or share and the number of audio tracks is limited to two.
- 85-key keyboard
- 10 beat and metronome settings
- Two audio tracks in the Lite version
- Unlimited undo and redo
- Full version is available as separate purchase
GarageBand is quite possibly the best studio recording app available for the iPhone. It allows you to make music anywhere you go using your iPhone as a musical instrument. You can play an entire string orchestra using Smart Strings, tap chords to create keyboard songs with the Smart Keyboard, trigger autoplay patterns or strum using Smart Guitar, and use a variety of Smart Basses. You can also make music like a DJ with Live Loops. Even if you have never played an instrument before, you will sound like a pro. Once you have created your music you can sync using iCloud Drive, share using SoundCloud, Facebook, or YouTube, and create custom ringtones.
- Anyone can create music like a virtuoso
- Smart Guitar, Smart Keyboard, Smart Bass, Smart Strings
- Add a virtual session Drummer
- Create and record anywhere
- Free studio recording app for iPhone
apeMatrix is a unique AU/IAA routing tool that gives you total control over what and how you want to do it. Holding true to the standard of apeSoft, apeMatrix continues to push the limits of possibilities in music creation. Automating almost every aspect of linked control, apeMatrix brings all your creation tools together and links them both in MIDI and audio.
- High quality audio up to 32-bit 96kHz
- Supports Audio Unit extensions, Inter-App Audio
- Integrated and configurable MIDI keyboard with scales
- Sender/Receiver (up to 16 buses)
This is a pro-level music recorder which will allow its users to create professional music as they record entire songs and create AAC mixes from one humble app. The app boasts over 78 loops in 13 genres to create the right feel in your music. Users can also have this app as a space to store their strokes of genius such as riffs, beats, lyrics, and more. There are options to hone musical skills by practicing skills, improv, as well as specific songs. It can also be used as a non-musical recording device to grab lectures, verbal ideas, or conversations with ease.
- Record entire songs and create AAC mix
- Store your riffs, lyrics, and other ideas
- Practice scales, improv, and specific songs
- Record anything such as lectures, conversations, and more
- Over 78 loops of 13 styles to create the right feel
This studio recording app combines the best of studio editing with the ease of voice memo technology. It’s a wonderful blend of ease and power that will surely accomplish what you are looking for. The user interface makes it an efficient and quick process, a one tap recording makes it easy to record, monitor recording levels and more. After the recording is complete, you can edit with a wide range of powerful and handy tools. The free version of that app has limitations. The paid version gives you full access to the tremendous tools within the app. Some of these features include adding professional effects, automate volume and effect settings, fine-tune automation curves, easily find recordings and projects, split view with other apps and more.
- A powerful studio recording app
- Easy to use, Quick to record
- Free version has limitations, Paid version gives full access
- Plenty of professional editing tools and effects
- Split view with other apps, Quickly find recordings and projects
This recording studio app is like a hub for your iDevice. It offers plenty of flexibility as an audio mixer and a recorder. The app can connect with a variety of music sources through hardware inputs and outputs. The MIDI capabilities are enough to make you want to download this app. However, you still have a wide range of editing tools, processing functions and much more. This app is powerful, it’s packed with features, and it’s simple to use. You will be hard pressed to find a more powerful app with a simple-to-use approach. Some of the features include high quality audio, unlimited number of channels and effect slots, internal busses, audiobus state saving, accurate transport clock, variety of recording functions, fully MIDI controllable, built-in signal processing and so much more!
- An audio mixing hub for your iDevice
- Packed with many professional features
- Fully MIDI controllable, Built-in MIDI keyboard
- Numerous recording functions
- Built-in signal processing
MultiTrack DAW is a digital audio workstation you can carry in your pocket. You can record up to 24 high-quality audio tracks with the option to record multiple takes, solos, harmonies, and experiments. Each instrument can have its own track and you can build new songs just as if you were in a real recording studio. Trim and move audio until it sounds just right, monitor and overdub, and mix until you're satisfied. The app has a wide variety of input capabilities, different file types, and a metronome that is adjustable from 40 to 240 BPM.
- Zip compress song projects for backup and restore
- Sync recorded material perfectly with other tracks
- Multi-touch pinch/zoom support
- Monitor input signal with effects
- Paid app with in-app purchases
Songtree Recorder has everything you need to make music. It's a free collaborative recording app you can use to create songs, add effects, edit, and post to the Songtree community. It has a built-in metronome, high-quality audio effects, and you can cut, copy, and paste tracks, add fades, and loop parts. You can use Audiobus, Audiocopy, and Inter-app audio to record. To create songs with other musicians you can contribute to another user's track or start a recording session that others can join. Share your work to Twitter and Facebook, or invite other music creators to join in.
- User rankings shown on artist page
- Share your work and invite others to join your recording
- Join in on other users' recordings
- High-quality audio effects
- Free iPhone app to make music and jam online
Animoog for iPhone is a professional synthesizer that lets you create a visually vibrant and sonically rich soundscape. Key features include a timbre page that lets you assemble unique sounds, polyphonic modulation you manipulate with your fingers, a classic analog-style ping pong delay, Anistropic Synth Engine, and a thick module. The Moog filter gives you High Pass, Low Pass, and Band Pass modes, and you can use any MIDI controller. It's easy to export to Audiocopy and the user controls are intuitive, even for newbs. This is a paid app with many in-app expansion options.
- Polyphonic modulation
- Anistropic Synth Engine
- Visually captivating
- MIDI in
- Paid app with many in-app purchases
