Share songs with GarageBand for iPhone
You can share a song as a GarageBand project or as an audio file. You can share GarageBand songs to a Mac, to SoundCloud or to another app on your iPhone. You can also send a song in an email, share it to nearby devices using AirDrop or use it as a ringtone. If you have set up iCloud, you can also use iCloud to share songs between devices.
You can import a GarageBand song created on another iPad or iPhone. Because GarageBand for Mac offers features and functionality not found in GarageBand for iPhone, you can’t import a GarageBand for Mac song to GarageBand for iPhone.
In Logic Pro and GarageBand for Mac, you can share a special GarageBand for iPhone-compatible version of your project to iCloud. You can add, edit and arrange new tracks in GarageBand for iPhone. When you reopen the project in Logic Pro or GarageBand for Mac, the new tracks are added to the original project.
Share a song to a Mac
In the My Songs browser, touch and hold the song you want to share, then tap Share near the bottom of the quick actions menu.
Do one of the following:
To save the song as an editable GarageBand project: Tap Project.
To save the song as an audio file: Tap Song.
You can add the artist, composer and title information, choose the audio quality and add an image for the audio file.
Tap Share, tap Save to Files, locate and tap the GarageBand folder, then tap Add.
Connect your iPhone to your Mac.
Your connected iPhone appears in a Finder window sidebar under Locations.
On your Mac, select the icon for your iPhone, click Files, then click GarageBand in the Apps list.
Drag the song from the GarageBand list to the Finder.
You can open a GarageBand project in GarageBand on your Mac or play the audio file in the Music app on your computer. You can’t open a GarageBand project on a Windows computer.
Share songs to a Mac using the GarageBand File Transfer folder
GarageBand uses the GarageBand File Transfer folder to store audio files that you can import into GarageBand or use with other music apps. You can copy the GarageBand File Transfer folder to your Mac to create a backup or to use the contents with other apps.
In the My Songs browser, touch and hold the song you want to share, tap Share at the bottom of the quick actions menu, then tap Song.
You can add the artist, composer and title information, choose the audio quality and add an image for the audio file.
Tap Share, tap Save to Files, locate and tap the GarageBand File Transfer folder, then tap Save.
A stereo audio file is saved to the GarageBand File Transfer folder.
Connect your iPhone to your Mac.
Your connected iPhone appears in a Finder window sidebar under Locations.
On your Mac, select the icon for your iPhone, click Files, then click the disclosure arrow for GarageBand in the Apps list.
The GarageBand File Transfer folder appears.
Drag the GarageBand File Transfer folder to the Finder.
To save any changes made on your Mac to your device, drag the GarageBand Transfer folder from your Mac back to the GarageBand area in the Finder window.
Send a song in an email
In the My Songs browser, touch and hold the song you want to share, tap Share at the bottom of the quick actions menu, then tap Song.
You can add the artist, composer and title information, choose the audio quality and add an image for the audio file.
Tap Share, then tap Mail.
A new email is created with the song as an attachment.
In the email, tap the To, Cc/Bcc and Subject fields to edit the recipients and the subject of the email.
Tap the body of the email to edit the message text.
When the email is ready, tap Send.
You can’t send the email until you add at least one recipient.
Send a song using Messages
In the My Songs browser, touch and hold the song you want to share, then tap Share at the bottom of the quick actions menu, then do one of the following:
Send a stereo audio file: Tap Song, then tap Share.
After you tap Song, you can add the artist, composer and title information. You can also choose the audio quality and an image for the audio file.
Send a GarageBand project: Tap Project.
Tap Messages.
Choose a recipient for the message. You can also add message text.
When the message is ready, tap the Send button .
You can’t send the message until you add at least one recipient.
Send a GarageBand song to the Clips app
You can add your GarageBand song to videos you create with the Clips app, available from the App Store.
In the My Songs browser, touch and hold the song you want to share, tap Share at the bottom of the quick actions menu, then tap Song.
You can add the artist, composer and title information. You can also choose the audio quality and an image for the audio file.
Tap Share, then tap Clips.
The Clips app opens and shows a list of projects.
Tap the project you want to add the song to.
If the video project in Clips doesn’t contain imported audio, the song is added to the project. If the project already contains imported audio, you can choose to replace it by tapping Replace.
Important: Replacing imported audio can’t be undone.
Tap Done.
Open a song in another app on your iPhone
You can open a GarageBand song in iMovie or another app on your iPhone. The app must be compatible with the “Open in” feature.
In the My Songs browser, touch and hold the song you want to share, then tap Share at the bottom of the quick actions menu, then do one of the following:
Send a stereo audio file: Tap Song, then tap Share.
After you tap Song, you can add the artist, composer and title information. You can also choose the audio quality and an image for the audio file.
Send a GarageBand project: Tap Project.
Tap “Open in”.
A list shows apps that can open the song. If there are no compatible apps on your iPhone, the list is empty.
Tap the icon of the app you want to open the song in.
Import a GarageBand for iPhone song
Using a Mac, you can import a GarageBand song that was created on another iPad or iPhone. Because GarageBand for Mac offers additional features and functionality not found in GarageBand for iPhone, you can’t import a GarageBand for Mac song to GarageBand for iPhone.
Connect your iPhone to your Mac.
Your connected device appears as an icon in a Finder window sidebar under Locations.
Select the icon for your iPhone, click Files, then select GarageBand in the Apps list.
Drag a song to the GarageBand files list.
After you import a song, you can open it in the My Songs browser.
Share a song to nearby devices using AirDrop
You can share songs to other devices using AirDrop. AirDrop is available for devices featuring a Lightning connector.
Before sharing a song using AirDrop, you must turn AirDrop on in Control Centre. You can also choose whether to share with all devices using AirDrop, or only those in your Contacts.
In the My Songs browser, touch and hold the song you want to share, then tap Share at the bottom of the quick actions menu, then do one of the following:
Send a stereo audio file: Tap Song, then tap Share.
After you tap Song, you can add the artist, composer and title information. You can also choose the audio quality and an image for the audio file.
Send a GarageBand project: Tap Project.
Tap the device you want to share with.
To return to the My Songs browser without sharing the song, tap Cancel.
A notification appears on the device it is shared with. After the song is downloaded to the device, it opens in GarageBand (if GarageBand is the only compatible app) or presents a list of compatible music apps.
Collaborate with other users using iCloud Drive
You can invite people to collaborate with you on songs stored in iCloud Drive. When you or one of the other users close a song you are collaborating on or close GarageBand, the song is updated with the latest changes in iCloud Drive. If changes made on multiple devices are out of sync, a copy of the song with the new changes is saved to the same location as the original in iCloud Drive.
Ensure that you are signed in to iCloud on all devices you want to share with.
In the My Songs browser, tap iCloud Drive in the sidebar, and locate the song you want to share.
In the My Songs browser, touch and hold the song you want to share, then tap Share at the bottom of the quick actions menu, tap Project, then tap Add People.
Tap Share Options to change access and permissions settings.
Do one of the following:
Tap Message to share a link to your song using Messages.
Tap Mail to send a link to your song in an email.
Tap Copy Link to copy the link to your song to the clipboard.
If “Only people you invite” is selected in Share Options, a window appears where you can add people that can access the song. When you’re done, tap Copy Link.
Send a GarageBand song to SoundCloud
In the My Songs browser, touch and hold the song you want to share, tap Share at the bottom of the quick actions menu, then tap Song.
After you tap Song, you can add the artist, composer and title information. You can also choose the audio quality and an image for the audio file.
Tap Share, then tap SoundCloud.
If you are not logged in to SoundCloud, log in.
Type a title for the song.
To choose an image for the song, tap Photos, then locate and tap the image.
Tap Continue and tap the Visibility, Permissions and Quality settings you want the song to have, then tap Share.
The song is uploaded to SoundCloud as an audio file with the selected quality setting.
Do one of the following:
Open SoundCloud in Safari: Tap Visit.
Send an email with a link to the song on SoundCloud: Tap Tell a Friend.
Return to GarageBand: Tap Close.
Share a GarageBand song using a sharing extension
In the My Songs browser, touch and hold the song you want to share, then tap Share at the bottom of the quick actions menu, then do one of the following:
Send a stereo audio file: Tap Song, then tap Share.
After you tap Song, you can add the artist, composer and title information. You can also choose the audio quality and an image for the audio file.
Send a GarageBand project: Tap Project.
Tap the icon for the social network or service.
Follow the instructions in the dialogue for your social network or service.
Before you can share GarageBand songs using a sharing extension, you must install one or more apps that include a sharing extension.
Share a GarageBand song as a ringtone or text tone
In the My Songs browser, touch and hold the song you want to share, tap Share at the bottom of the quick actions menu, then tap Ringtone.
The Export Ringtone panel opens, showing the name of the ringtone. By default, the ringtone uses the same name as the song.
The maximum length for exported ringtones is 30 seconds. If the exported ringtone exceeds the maximum length, a dialogue appears. Tap Continue to have GarageBand shorten the ringtone automatically, or tap Cancel to return to the song so you can shorten it.
To rename the ringtone, tap the name and type a new name.
Tap Export.
In the Ringtone Export Successful panel, do one of the following:
Return to the My Songs browser: Tap OK.
Choose a use for the ringtone: Tap “Use sound as”, then do one of the following:
Use the ringtone as your standard ringtone, replacing the existing ringtone: Tap Standard Ringtone.
Use the ringtone as your standard text tone, replacing the existing text tone: Tap Standard Text Tone.
See a list of your contacts: Tap “Assign to contact”, then tap the contact you want to use the ringtone with.
Return to the My Songs browser without assigning the ringtone: Tap Done.
Manage exported GarageBand ringtones
In the My Songs browser, touch and hold the song you want to share, tap Share at the bottom of the quick actions menu, then tap Ringtone.
The Export Ringtone panel opens.
Tap Your Ringtones.
A window opens showing all previously exported ringtones.
To delete a ringtone:
Tap Edit, tap the Delete button , then tap Delete for any ringtone you want to delete.
When you finish, tap Done.
To return to the Export Ringtone panel without deleting ringtones (or if there are no existing ringtones), tap Export Ringtone.
Send a GarageBand song to YouTube or Facebook via iMovie
In the My Songs browser, touch and hold the song you want to share, tap Share at the bottom of the quick actions menu, then tap Song.
After you tap Song, you can add the artist, composer and title information. You can also choose the audio quality of the file, and choose an image for the audio file.
Tap Share, then tap Copy to iMovie.
Add your idea to a new iMovie project, then share the resulting movie to YouTube or Facebook.
If iMovie is not installed on your iPhone, download it from the App Store.