How To Import Audio Files Into GarageBand on iOS 11 and Later

How To Import Audio Files Into GarageBand on iOS 11 and Later
How to Import Audio Files Into GarageBand on iOS 11 and Later

Importing audio files in GarageBand: why do that?

Note: this is an updated version of a post that was published in 2016. The GarageBand app on iPad and the operating system have had some changes since then, so this article is applicable to GarageBand on iOS 11 and later.

Let’s say you or your students have created an audio file in another app or software program – such as Groove Pizza, Incredibox, Beepbox or one of the many other music app options – and now you want to import that audio file into GarageBand so that you can record a vocal part over the top.

The steps are not too difficult and it opens up some useful opportunities for your students to develop their musical creations.

You can use Apple’s Files app as the “portal” to access audio (and MIDI) files in locations like Google Drive, Dropbox, iCloud Drive and more.

Here’s a list of the quick, basic steps:

  • Save the audio file in an accessible location
  • Create a new document in GarageBand with an Audio Recorder track and head to Tracks View
  • Open the Loop Library and import your file into Files list
  • Drag the file from the Loop Library into the project you’re working on

For a more detailed explanation, read on.

Save the audio file in an accessible location

First, you’ll need to save the audio file you want to import into GarageBand into a location that you can access on your iPad. Luckily, Apple improved this process greatly with the introduction of the Apple Files app in 2017.

Apple’s Files app is a central file management system for all of the files on your iPad and iPhone. Through the Files app you can access documents, photos, videos, and audio files that live in iCloud, Google Drive, Dropbox or any other compatible app.

Apple Files app

If the file is currently on your laptop you can save it in one of these cloud locations for easy access inside GarageBand.

How to access the file inside GarageBand

When you open the My Songs browser in GarageBand you can see the collection of files – the same ones that you can see in the Files app – in a list on the left of the screen.

The options you can see in your Locations list will vary, depending on which apps you have installed on your iPad.

My Songs browser On My iPad

At the top there will be an On My iPad location. Tapping on this allows you to access the files inside apps on your iPad. Some files that you can see here will be greyed out since they are not compatible with GarageBand. For instance, the files in my Keynote app folder are greyed out because they are not audio, MIDI or GarageBand files and therefore not compatible with GarageBand.

If you have Google Drive, Dropbox or iCloud (you have the apps installed and you are signed into those services) you will also see those in the Locations list. Again, some of the files that you can see here in those folders will be inaccessible because they are not audio, MIDI or GarageBand files.

So, in order to import an audio or MIDI file into GarageBand, first save it into Google Drive or Dropbox OR one of the other locations you can see here.

Steps for importing an audio file into GarageBand

  1. First, make sure the file you want to import is in an accessible location (see above)
  2. Next, open GarageBand
  3. Create a New Document
  4. Locate the Audio Recorder (microphone) on the instrument browser and tap on the Voice option
  5. Tap the Tracks View button

6. Tap the Song Sections button (the “+” at top right of the screen)

7. Tap Section A and turn Automatic on (this will allow GarageBand to accommodate the length of the file you’re importing. If the song section is too short, the file will be cropped)

 Section length set to automatic

8. Tap the Loop Library button and then tap the Files tab. At the top, you will see a list of any files that have already been imported. To import your new file, tap Browse items from the Files app at the bottom of this window

Loop browser showing files

9. The Files app will open. Choose the location of the file you want to import (such as Drive or Dropbox), find the file and then select it. Your file will be added to the list of files that live inside GarageBand

10. Next, drag the file into your project: tap and hold your finger on the audio file and drag it across into the empty audio recorder track (or even underneath the empty track – it doesn’t really matter which option you choose)

File dragged into project

From email attachment to GarageBand

Instructions for this depend on which email client you are using (Gmail, Apple Mail etc), but the overall steps are:

  1. Open your email app.
  2. Locate the email with the audio file attachment you want to import into GarageBand.
  3. Choose Save/Share and then save the audio file into the Files app (or directly into Drive or Dropbox)
  4. Follow the instructions above to import it into GarageBand.

One more option: iTunes

If you have a Mac laptop or desktop computer you can also use iTunes to transfer files in GarageBand.

  1. On your computer, open iTunes and add the audio files you want to import to the GarageBand File Sharing area.
  2. Open GarageBand on your iPad and follow the steps above to create a new document.
  3. Tap the Loop browser button and you will see a message asking if you want to move the audio files to the GarageBand File Transfer folder. Tap Move Files and the audio file will be moved to the GarageBand File Transfer folder where you can access it in your project.

Download a copy of this list

Would you like to take a copy of this list with you? Click on the download button below and we’ll send a copy straight to your email inbox. You’ll also receive weekly music tech tips and news (if you don’t already). You can unsubscribe at any time.

Want More?

Hello! I’m Katie Argyle – an Australian music technology trainer and consultant with a passion for helping music teachers through my business Midnight Music.

I’m a qualified teacher but no, I don’t currently teach in a school. I help teachers through my online professional development space – the Midnight Music Community – where there are tutorial videos, courses, links and downloadable resources.

I like to focus on easy ways to incorporate technology into what you are already doing in your music curriculum through a range of creative projects. I also run live workshops and have presented at countless conferences an other music education events.

If you want simple, effective ideas for using technology in music education, I would LOVE to help you inside the Midnight Music Community.

Learn more and take a sneak peek inside

9 Comments

  1. Frank September 9, 2019 at 6:48 am - Reply

    Hi I understand bus process but it keeps telling me my audio files are NOT compatible with garage band. They are all mp3 or m4a… do I need to convert? And if so, how? What am I missing?

    • Katie September 11, 2019 at 9:38 pm - Reply

      Hi Frank – yes you may need to convert the files. Sometimes an audio file is using a codec which is not supported by GarageBand. You could try converting to WAV, MP3 or M4A using the Voice Recorder app.

  2. Mishel Walker May 6, 2020 at 11:22 am - Reply

    Thank you so so much!!! this saved my life!!

    • Katie May 14, 2020 at 1:47 pm - Reply

      You’re welcome!

    • Darren Smith May 18, 2020 at 11:26 am - Reply

      Ditto! Amazing site- so glad I found you. As we regroup as a school district and figure out our game plan for distance-learning going forward, I think you’ll be hearing from us!

      • Katie May 18, 2020 at 12:03 pm - Reply

        Thanks Darren!

  3. Ron July 11, 2020 at 9:03 am - Reply

    My files are in the waw format and they remained grayed after import. How difficult can this be? Also, clicking on the loops tab, I don’t get these multiple options I see displayed in other videos, only two tabs, ie, files and Apple loops.

  4. Aaron Stone August 9, 2023 at 8:48 am - Reply

    Thank you so much Katie!!
    It worked for me, it’s very simple, take care!

    • Katie September 11, 2023 at 2:43 pm - Reply

      I’m happy to hear that!

Leave A Comment

You might also like...

Introducing

The Midnight Music Community

An online community where music tech professional development, lesson ideas, and accountability come together.
Ultimate Free Music Tech Resource Guide Guide 2023/24

Download Now for FREE...

The Ultimate Music Tech Resources Guide for 2023-2024

Claim your copy of our annual guide to free music technology resources, designed especially for music teachers. Discover interactive music websites, software, productivity tools, and assessment resources you can use in your music classroom for free.

Follow Me on Social Media

PRIVACY POLICY

This is the Privacy Policy for the Midnight Music website located at www.midnightmusic.com (“Site”).

The Site is operated by Midnight Music Pty Ltd ABN 87 619 652 603 (“Midnight Music” or “Company” or “we” or “us”).

Midnight Music understands the importance of protecting your personal information and undertakes to adhere to this privacy policy at all times to ensure your personal information is effectively safeguarded.

Information you provide to us

The Site provides various places for users to provide information. We collect information that users provide by filling out forms on the Site, communicating with us via contact forms, responding to surveys, search queries on our search feature, providing comments or other feedback, providing information when ordering a product or service via the Site, and other circumstances where collecting personal information is reasonable and permitted by the Laws of the State of Victoria, Australia.

We use information you provide to us to deliver the requested product and/or service, to improve our overall performance, and to provide you with offers, promotions, and information.

Information we collect through automatic data collection technology

As you navigate through the Site, we may use automatic data collection technologies including Google Analytics to collect certain information about your equipment, browsing actions, and patterns. This will generally include information about your location, your traffic pattern through our Site, and any communications between your computer and our Site. Among other things, we will collect data about the type of computer you use, your Internet connection, your IP address, your operating system, and your browser type.

The information we collect automatically is used for statistical data and will not include personal information. We use this data to improve our Site and our service offerings. To the extent that you voluntarily provide personal information to us, our systems will associate the automatically collected information with your personal information.

Use of cookies and pixels

Similar to other commercial websites, our Site utilises a standard technology called “cookies” and server logs to collect information about how our site is used. Information gathered through cookies and server logs may include the date and time of visits, the pages viewed, time spent at our site, and the websites visited just before and just after our own, as well as your IP address.

A cookie is a very small text document, which often includes an anonymous unique identifier. When you visit a website, that site’s computer asks your computer for permission to store this file in a part of your hard drive specifically designated for cookies. Each website can send its own cookie to your browser if your browser’s preferences allow it, but (to protect your privacy) your browser only permits a website to access the cookies it has already sent to you, not the cookies sent to you by other sites.

The Company reserves the right to use technological equivalents of cookies, including social media pixels. These pixels allow social media sites to track visitors to outside websites so as to tailor advertising messages users see while visiting that social media website. The Company reserves the right to use these pixels in compliance with the policies of the various social media sites.​

How we manage personal information

Midnight Music undertakes to take all commercially reasonable steps to ensure that all personal information collected by us is accurate, up-to-date, complete and stored securely. When your personal information is no longer required for the purposes which Midnight Music uses personal information, all commercially reasonable steps will be undertaken to securely destroy that information.

How your personal information will be used

We use personal information for purposes of presenting our Site and its contents to you, providing you with information, providing you with offers for products and services, providing you with information about your subscriptions and products, carrying out any contract between you and the Company, administering our business activities, providing customer service, and making available other items and services to our customers and prospective customers.
From time-to-time, we may use the information you provide to us to make you offers to purchase products and services provided by third parties in exchange for a commission to be paid to us by such third parties. Should you opt to take part in such promotions, the third parties will receive your information.

Disclosure of your information

Midnight Music considers personal information we collect about you to be confidential and will not disclose such information to third parties except in the following circumstances:

  • Where you have consented to your personal information being provided to a third party;
  • Where Midnight Music is required by law to disclose your information; and
  • Gaining access to your personal information held by Midnight Music

Except in circumstances where access to your personal information may be denied by the Privacy Act or other Law of the State of Victoria, Australia, your personal information will be provided to you upon request.

Visitors’ General Data Protection Regulation rights

If you are within the European Union, you are entitled to certain information and have certain rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). These include the following:

  • We will retain the any information you choose to provide to us until: (a) you ask us to delete the information; (b) we decide to cease using our existing data providers; or (c) the Company decides that the value in retaining the data is outweighed by the costs of retaining it.
  • You have the right to request access to your data that the Company stores and the rights to either rectify or erase your personal data.
  • You have the right to seek restrictions on the processing of your data.
  • You have the right to object to the processing of your data and the right to the portability of your data.
  • To the extent that you provided consent to the Company’s processing of your personal data, you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time, without affecting the lawfulness of processing based upon consent that occurred prior to your withdrawal of consent.
  • You have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority that has jurisdiction over issues related to the General Data Protection Regulation.
  • We require only the information that is reasonably required to enter into a contract with you. We will not require you to provide consent for any unnecessary processing as a condition of entering into a contract with us.

Contact us

Should you have any queries in relation to the above or require further information regarding the Privacy Policy please contact us:

Midnight Music Pty Ltd
PO Box 219
Glen Waverley
Victoria 3150
AUSTRALIA

Email address: support@midnightmusic.com