In our latest video, available over on our YouTube channel, we took a look at apps and tools that are designed to help musicians use their iPhones and iPads to work on their craft and record high-quality music while wherever they are.

This is a bit of a niche video, but it is suitable for new musicians and those who want to find tools to better take advantage of their mobile devices.


Apple's GarageBand is the first app you'll want to delve into if you're new to making music on the iPhone, as it's loaded with different instruments for you to experiment with.

Music Memos, an app that's always gone under the radar, is super useful for recording song lyrics or making notes on your compositions. There's a one-tap record button so it's easy to get started, and Music Memos will record the exact notes you're playing so you can come back to your work in the future.

For actually recording high-quality audio that's similar to what you'd get in a studio, the iPhone's microphone just isn't good enough. You're going to want an accessory like iZotope's Spire Studio, which is basically a miniature recording studio that can go anywhere. It's not cheap at $349, but it can capture great sound.

There are tons of other apps and tools out there, so if you're a musician who records with an iPhone or iPad, make sure to let us know which accessories and apps you prefer to use in the comments.

Top Rated Comments

roguedaemon Avatar
100 months ago
Music Memos is such an amazing app, it’s just so annoying that Apple hasn’t updated it, among other things, to the iPhone X display. Absolutely ridiculous.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
keysofanxiety Avatar
100 months ago
You know what an awesome audio I/O on an iPhone would be? A 1/8" audio jack! Oh, wait.
Most use an external DAC rather than DI audio. ;)
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mrsaxomaphone Avatar
100 months ago
Since the iPhone lost the headphone jack it’s practically useless in a recording environment. Yes you could run another interface like a spire or class compliant device but why would you? Just pull out your notebook and instantly it’s a better machine. Just this morning I wanted to record a stereo sound with a mic on my phone whilst listening to a click to keep in time. GarageBand would totally do it. Except the latency between monitoring with Bluetooth headphones and a rode iXy mic plugged into the lightning port was useles.

My iPhone 6s would’ve nailed it!
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
H3LL5P4WN Avatar
100 months ago
I was hoping this article was how to bootleg concerts better. I am disappoint.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
rpcclark Avatar
100 months ago
I was hoping this article was how to bootleg concerts better. I am disappoint.
Have you checked out these? https://www.apple.com/shop/product/HLUE2ZM/A/apogee-sennheiser-ambeo-smart-headset definitely the best way to record a concert on an iPhone.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
KazKam Avatar
100 months ago
You know what an awesome audio I/O on an iPhone would be? A 1/8" audio jack! Oh, wait.

Edit: On a serious note though, I really like using DM1 ('https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dm1-for-iphone/id526650611?mt=8') and FunkBox ('https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/funkbox-drum-machine/id350437349?mt=8') for drum sequencing and vintage drum machine libraries.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Available Next Month With These 8 New Features

Tuesday November 11, 2025 9:48 am PST by
Apple released the first iOS 26.2 beta last week. The upcoming update includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, including a new Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics in Apple Music, and more. In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 26.2 will be released to all users in December, but it did not provide a specific release date....
m1 chip slide

Five Years of Apple Silicon: M1 to M5 Performance Comparison

Monday November 10, 2025 1:08 pm PST by
Today marks the fifth anniversary of the Apple silicon chip that replaced Intel chips in Apple's Mac lineup. The first Apple silicon chip, the M1, was unveiled on November 10, 2020. The M1 debuted in the MacBook Air, Mac mini, and 13-inch MacBook Pro. The M1 chip was impressive when it launched, featuring the "world's fastest CPU core" and industry-leading performance per watt, and it's only ...
iphone pocket%402x

Apple Debuts iPhone Pocket, a Limited Edition iPod Sock-Style Accessory

Tuesday November 11, 2025 1:23 am PST by
Apple has teamed up with Japanese fashion house ISSEY MIYAKE to launch iPhone Pocket, a 3D-knitted limited edition accessory designed to carry an iPhone, AirPods, and other everyday items. The accessory is like a stretchy pocket, not unlike an iPod Sock, but elongated to form a strap made of a ribbed, elastic textile that fully encloses an iPhone yet allows you to glimpse the display...
homepod mini colors

New HomePod Mini Coming Soon With These Features

Tuesday November 11, 2025 7:30 am PST by
Apple is expected to announce a new HomePod mini imminently, headlining with new chips. Here are all of the new features we're expecting. The second-generation HomePod mini is highly likely to contain a more up-to-date chip for more advanced computational audio and improved responsiveness. The current HomePod mini is equipped with the Apple Watch Series 5's S5 chip from 2019. Apple is likely ...
ios 26 digital id passport wallet

Apple Announces Launch of U.S. Passport Feature in iPhone's Wallet App

Wednesday November 12, 2025 9:15 am PST by
Apple today announced that iPhone users can now create a Digital ID in the Apple Wallet app based on information from their U.S. passport. To create and present a Digital ID based on a U.S. passport, you need: An iPhone 11 or later running iOS 26.1 or later, or an Apple Watch Series 6 or later running watchOS 26.1 or later Face ID or Touch ID and Bluetooth turned on An Apple Account ...
homepod mini thumb feature

New HomePod Mini, Apple TV, and AirTag Were Expected This Year — Where Are They?

Wednesday November 12, 2025 11:42 am PST by
While it was rumored that Apple planned to release new versions of the HomePod mini, Apple TV, and AirTag this year, it is no longer clear if that will still happen. Back in January, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple planned to release new HomePod mini and Apple TV models "toward the end of the year," while he at one point expected a new AirTag to launch "around the middle of 2025." Yet,...
iphone air thinness

iPhone Air Sales Are So Bad That Apple's Delaying the Next-Generation Version

Monday November 10, 2025 11:41 am PST by
The thin, light iPhone Air sold so poorly that Apple has decided to delay the launch of the next-generation iPhone Air that was scheduled to come out alongside the iPhone 18 Pro, reports The Information. Apple initially planned to release a new iPhone Air in fall 2026, but now that's not going to happen. Since the iPhone Air launched in September, there have been reports of poor sales...
Tesla Charging

Tesla Working to Add Apple CarPlay Support to Vehicles

Thursday November 13, 2025 8:31 am PST by
Tesla is working to add support for Apple CarPlay in its vehicles, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports. Tesla vehicles rely on its own infotainment software system, which integrates vehicle functions, navigation, music, web browsing, and more. The automaker has been an outlier in foregoing support for Apple CarPlay, which has otherwise become an industry standard feature, allowing users to...
AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

Apple Releases New Firmware for AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, and AirPods 4

Thursday November 13, 2025 11:35 am PST by
Apple today released new firmware designed for the AirPods Pro 3, the AirPods 4, and the prior-generation AirPods Pro 2. The AirPods Pro 3 firmware is 8B25, while the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4 firmware is 8B21, all up from the prior 8A358 firmware released in October. There's no word on what's include in the updated firmware, but the AirPods Pro 2, AirPods 4 with ANC, and AirPods Pro 3...
All Screen iPhone 2027 Feature 1

Apple to Hide Selfie Camera Under Display of 20th Anniversary iPhone

Monday November 10, 2025 1:55 am PST by
Apple will conceal the front-facing camera under the screen of its 2027 iPhone, a Chinese leaker said today, corroborating reports that Apple's 20th anniversary iPhone will have no visible cutouts in the display. Weibo-based account Digital Chat Station said Apple's development of under-screen camera technology was progressing as planned for adoption in 2027, one year after it will...