Apple Introduces Layered Recordings in Voice Memos for iPhone 16 Pro [Video]

Apple has announced an update to its Voice Memos app that introduces layered recordings support for iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max. The update arrives alongside iOS 18.2 which was officially released to all users today.

Voice Memos, a go-to app for musicians of all kinds, now offers iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max users the ability to layer a vocal track on top of an existing instrumental recording — without the need for headphones. With iOS 18.2, users will be able to play their original instrumental ideas through the iPhone speaker while simultaneously recording vocals using the new studio-quality microphones on iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max.




Powered by the A18 Pro chip, and leveraging advanced processing and machine learning to isolate the vocal recording, Voice Memos creates two individual tracks so users can apply additional mixing and production in professional apps like Logic Pro. And with Voice Memos on Mac, Layered Recordings are synced across devices and available on Mac to drag-and-drop into a Logic session.

With Voice Memos, users can incorporate a variety of background instrumentals — like acoustic guitar or piano — as the first layer. In Logic Pro, artists and producers can also send an instrumental music mix as a compressed audio file directly to Voice Memos, making it easy to then record a vocal layer on top, wherever and whenever inspiration strikes.

A trio of GRAMMY Award winners — multiplatinum entertainer Michael Bublé, country star Carly Pearce, and record producer Greg Wells — teamed up to bring their new track "Maybe This Christmas" to life with Voice Memos on iPhone 16 Pro. In a behind-the-scenes video, the artists share the inspiration for their powerful holiday song, and detail how the new Voice Memos feature allowed them to record their vocals solely on iPhone 16 Pro.

"I don't think people realize the critical role Voice Memos on iPhone plays in the creation process for musicians," said Bublé. "And now with Layered Recordings, if an artist has a moment of inspiration, 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. The Layered Recordings capability for Voice Memos is available on iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max for users running iOS 18.2. Sharing to Voice Memos and importing a Layered Recording is available on Logic Pro for Mac 11.1 with macOS Sequoia 15.2, and Logic Pro for iPad 2.1 with iPadOS 18.2.