Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

Importing song from iTunes to GarageBand on ipad

This past weekend, I recorded our praise band and imported it into iTunes. I want to take that track and import it into GarageBand on the iPad. I see on the My Song main page of GarageBand on my iPad where it has an option to import a song from iTunes, and when I tap on it, it tells me there are no songs available in iTunes that are able to be imported. Any suggestions?

IPad, iOS 4

Posted on Mar 15, 2011 5:37 PM

Reply
55 replies

Mar 18, 2011 7:44 PM in response to Colke01

@colke01, I'm pretty sure that the option to import/export from/to iTunes, is the way to get ".band" files between iPad Garageband and Mac Garageband (through iTunes). If you export a song you've made on the iPad, to iTunes, then it will show up on that menu you are talking about.

So if you don't have a Mac, then the import/export won't ever be of much use to you. (As it happens it's not much use to Mac owners yet either, since the import into the latest Mac GB doesn't work yet. But will soon). I suspect that that fix is what Kirs is talking about.

Anyway, you can't even import from iTunes per se, into the full-featured Garageband on the Mac, so I wouldn't hold your breath waiting for it here. I suspect it would require resampling the sound, which would reduce the quality, but that's just a guess.

I'd say your best bet really is to go back next week and record onto the iPad itself (either using the iPad mic, which is surprisingly good, or some microphone connection kit to a better mic)

Mar 18, 2011 8:25 PM in response to HangTime

Yeah, it's quite simple to drag a song from iTunes into GB on the Mac. All the more frustrating that this capability doesn't seem to be activated in the iPad version. Lameness on their part that the "Copy from iTunes" button and the itunes FTP were included but don't seem to be working and don't seem to be addressed anywhere. for those who are trying to contributr to and complete multiplayer recordings by passing rough tracks between players and layering parts in GB, this is particularly frustrating. Hopefully it will fixed soon, despite all the hype around the app currently.

Mar 18, 2011 9:30 PM in response to Colke01

ok, i tried importing into GB on the Mac, and yep that's wonderful. But now I'm less optimistic about this coming to iPad anytime soon.

Firstly, if you "Send to iTunes" on any song in the iPad, it goes to your GB's file sharing place, and when you look in iTunes, under file sharing under apps, you see the ".band" file there.

And if you "copy from iTunes", you only see those files. My point is that if we were gong to import audio files as well, the button would say "Import from iTunes" ? It cant just copy...

Anyway, I don't really know, and I'd go back to my advice, take your iPad along next time and record straight to it 🙂

Mar 19, 2011 11:58 AM in response to steve kiwi

Thank you for the reply. Currently right now I have our MacBook pro being plugged into an output on the sound board to change the signal to digital into our GarageBand software via qtr inch to USB patch cord. After service, then I move file from garage band to iTunes. When I sync my devices in iTunes, the service I recorded comes onto my iPad. I thought there was a way I could get what I recorded onto the iPad, but sounds like it can't right now.thank you fir taking the time to help!

Mar 30, 2011 6:49 AM in response to Colke01

In ipad Garage band app itself on the top right hand corner there is a spanner (tool) for settings in there you will find the help menu I found this and copied and pasted it here. I hope it helps.

Share GarageBand songs
You can import GarageBand songs via iTunes, and export them as editable songs or as compressed (AAC) audio files to share with your friends or to use on another iPad. You can also email a song from GarageBand.

Import a GarageBand song:
Connect your iPad to your Mac and open iTunes on your Mac.
At the top of the iTunes window, click Apps.
Under File Sharing Apps, select GarageBand.
Do one of the following:
Drag a song into the GarageBand Documents list.
Click Add, navigate to the location of the song you want to add, select the song, then click Choose.
Sync your iPad with your Mac.
In GarageBand, tap My Songs, then tap the Import Song button .
Tap the song you want to import.
After you import a song, you can open it in the My Songs browser.

Mar 30, 2011 7:37 AM in response to Milandra

unfortunately these instructions are for getting music from iPad GB into iTunes. the thing nobody seems to have figured out yet (and I suspect Apple hasn't created the capability to do yet) is importing a song from iTunes into GB on the iPad that you can then record over. This is a function that the Mac GB allows, but does not seem to be available on the iPad (in spite of what appears to be a completely, as of yet, useless/disabled "Copy from iTunes" function in GB for iPad. alas...

Apr 1, 2011 10:45 AM in response to Colke01

Here is a way you might be able to do it:

I just got an iRig and, among other things, I plugged my iPhone into it so I could record sounds from the Fairlight app into GarageBand (how geeky can you get?)

Anyway, you could record out from pretty much anything with a headphone jack into GB this way. The trick is, it will only be mono. If your idea is to overdub a bunch of stuff onto your original recording, you can do that, then mute the track with the original song, export your overdubs, and merge them with the original in whatever software you used to make the original recording.

In addition to the iRig, you'll need a 1/8" to 1/8" cable, available at any Radio Shack.

Apr 2, 2011 2:55 PM in response to Mister Cenzo

Mister Cenzo wrote:
This is a function that the Mac GB allows, but does not seem to be available on the iPad (in spite of what appears to be a completely, as of yet, useless/disabled "Copy from iTunes" function in GB for iPad. alas...



There are a few factors to think about, if you take a GB iPaD Doc from the ipad, to itunes, then unto your GB docs folder on the desktop, by removing the .BAND at the end of the name GB on the desktop will read it, what i dont get is how to get what i did on the Desktop to iTunes to GB ipad so i can leave the house and record VOs or vocals elsewhere, then return to export it back to GB or Logic Pro.

thats the ultimate idea behind GB in the future, with Video as well and iMovie.

Apr 2, 2011 9:09 PM in response to Ptit

I found a way to import tracks into the ipad garageband by simply copying the aif files into the .band file (Kinda a work around...right click on the .band file and click show package contents on your mac).

Steps:
1. On the ipad, create a few 1 second recordings
2. Save the file and export it into itunes so you can copy the .band file out
3. Do the right click show package and go into the media folder
4. Replace any of the Audio Recorder#01.aif with the tracks you want to import
5. Copy it back into the ipad with itunes and then you can drag your imported tracks to your desired length.

The only thing only takes a few seconds to do if you know what you're doing... hope this helps!

Brian Tate

Importing song from iTunes to GarageBand on ipad

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple ID.