If you have an iPhone 16 Pro or iPhone 16 Pro Max, updated to iOS 18.2, and regularly use the Voice Memos app, then your phone just got even better if you’re a musician. Originally teased in September’s iPhone 16 event, Layered Recordings is now available in the Voice Memos app with the iOS 18.2 update.
What exactly are Layered Recordings? Basically, you can now add a vocal track layer on top of any existing instrumental recording without the need for headphones. In the iOS 18.2 update, users are now able to play original instrument ideas through the iPhone’s built-in speakers while simultaneously recording vocals with the studio-quality microphone on the iPhone 16 Pro or Pro Max.
How is all this possible? With the A18 Pro chip on the iPhone 16 Pro models, as well as utilizing advanced processing and machine learning on device, Voice Memos can create two individual tracks that users can apply extra mixing and production in apps like Logic Pro. And since there is also Voice Memos on Mac, Layered Recordings can be synced across devices and even drag-and-dropped into a Logic session on a Mac.
This update is definitely geared more toward musicians. Voice Memos Layered Recordings now means users can incorporate many different background instruments, such as acoustic guitar or piano, as the first layer of a recording. Logic Pro can even turn that instrumental music mix into a compressed audio file and send it to Voice Memos without a hitch.
Apple showcased Michael Bublé, Carly Pearce, and Greg Wells, all of who teamed up in a new track, Maybe This Christmas, which was brought together using Voice Memos on iPhone 16 Pro. You can listen to this track in Apple Music in Spatial Audio. You can also find it above.
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The Layered Recordings feature is only available in Voice Memos on the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max with iOS 18.2.