iCreate - UK (2019-09)

GarageBand

Protected AAC files?

When we talk about importing prerecorded media

into GarageBand, we of course do so with caution.

Commercial music is licensed and not something

we’re technically allowed to use in our compositions if

we plan to redistribute or perform them publicly. This

is why protected AAC file formats are unsupported,

with the format typically used by Apple for songs

purchased from the iTunes Store.

Knowledge base

Import audio and MIDI files

F

orthemostpart,it is hugelycreditablethatGarageBand

is a wonderfullyself-containedmusic-makingsuite.What

thatmeansis,noviceuserscangosometimewiththe

packagedmediathatcomesbundledwiththeapplication.

Appleof courseperiodicallyexpandsitsavailablelibraryof

loopshere,providinglimitlesscompositionalpossibilitiesfrom

theoff.However,beginnersmightbehappilysurprisedthatthis

isn’ta closedsandbox,withGarageBandmakingit simpleto

importexternalfiles.Thisessentiallymakesit possibletoadd

prerecordedaudiofilesacrosssixformats,betheyshortloops

orfullsongsandbackingtracks.PopularstandardslikeMP3,

WAVandAIFFareacceptedontheaudioside,withstandardised

MIDIfilesalsocompatible.Soin thisguide,we’lldemonstratethe

methodsforimportingaudioandMIDIfilesintoa project.

GarageBand allows you to import numerous prerecorded file

types, so here we learn how to add them to a project

8-16

Time needed

Developer

Apple, Inc

Difficulty

GarageBand is a flexible home studio app that allows you to

import a wide range of prerecorded file types

Import points

Casting a closer eye at how importable

audio files look in and around GarageBand

Imported audio

Imported, prerecorded

audio tracks show as

brown regions. As with any

audio region, they can be

looped out to expand them

or split and resized where

desired. Here we see an

AIFF, CAF, MP3 and WAV

clip imported.

Imported MIDI

Imported MIDI files show

as green regions and often

comprise multiple tracks.

Each can have instrument

patches applied via the

Library (Y) and note edits

made as normal within the

Editor (E) panel below.

Desktop media

You don’t have to have your

media files within a Finder folder

of course. If the files you wish to

import into GarageBand are on

your desktop instead, you can

simply drag them in from here.

Finder files

Most common media files are

browsed within a Finder window,

stored in a folder. GarageBand

allows you to select and drag

them into the Tracks area to

import them into your project.