Apple has introduced a groundbreaking update to its Voice Memos app, elevating its status as an essential tool for musicians and creators.
With the release of iOS 18.2, iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max users gain access to a new “Layered Recordings” feature, enabling artists to record vocals over existing instrumentals — all without requiring headphones.
Using the advanced A18 Pro chip, the iPhone plays original instrumental ideas through its speaker while simultaneously capturing vocal recordings with its studio-quality microphones. Powered by cutting-edge processing and machine learning, the app creates separate vocal and instrumental tracks, offering flexibility for post-production work in professional software like Logic Pro.
The feature is seamlessly integrated across Apple’s ecosystem. Layered Recordings sync automatically to Voice Memos on Mac, where users can drag and drop them into Logic Pro sessions. Artists can also import compressed instrumental mixes directly from Logic Pro into Voice Memos, making it easy to capture vocal tracks wherever inspiration strikes.
In a real-world demonstration of its potential, a trio of GRAMMY Award winners — Michael Bublé, Carly Pearce, and Greg Wells — utilized Voice Memos on iPhone 16 Pro to create their holiday track, Maybe This Christmas. The artists shared their process in a behind-the-scenes video, showcasing how Voice Memos enabled a studio-like recording experience in a portable, intuitive way.
“I don’t think people realize the critical role Voice Memos on iPhone plays in the creation process for musicians,”
Bublé said.
“Now with Layered Recordings, being unencumbered by the traditional studio experience becomes the advantage, not the limitation. It’s so typically Apple to build something we didn’t know we needed — and now won’t be able to live without.”
Listeners can stream Maybe This Christmas on Apple Music in Spatial Audio, while creators can start experimenting with the new capability.
Layered Recordings are available on iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max with iOS 18.2. Compatibility extends to Logic Pro for Mac (version 11.1, running macOS Sequoia 15.2) and Logic Pro for iPad (version 2.1, with iPadOS 18.2).
This innovation signals a leap forward for mobile music production, giving artists professional-grade tools at their fingertips and redefining what’s possible in a moment of creative inspiration.
