How to Record Vocals in GarageBand on Mac

GarageBand comes free on your Mac and works fine for recording your first vocals. All you need is a mic, headphones and a beat. Here's how to set everything up and record your first take.

1. Connect your mic and select it in GarageBand

Plug in your USB mic or audio interface. In GarageBand, go to GarageBand > Settings (or press Command-Comma) and click Audio/MIDI. Under Input Device, choose your mic or interface, and under Output Device, choose what you listen on. Use headphones, not speakers. Otherwise the beat ends up in your recording too.

2. Create a project and an audio track

Start an empty project and choose an audio track for recording with a microphone. Set the project tempo to your beat's BPM right away. Don't know it? Check it with the free Beat Lab.

3. Bring in the beat

Drag your beat into the project and put it exactly on bar 1. Turn the beat track down a bit, so there's room for your voice later. More tips in bought a beat? How to set it up for recording.

4. Set your input and recording level

Select your vocal track and open Smart Controls. In the recording settings, choose the right input and set the recording level. Rap or sing your loudest part and make sure the signal doesn't hit the red. There's also an option to set the level automatically, but setting it by hand gives you more control.

5. Want to hear yourself while recording?

Click the Monitoring button in the track header. Then you hear your voice through your headphones. Apple recommends turning monitoring off when you're not recording, because otherwise your computer can pick up sound from your speakers and cause feedback. Hearing yourself twice? Monitoring is often switched on on your interface too. Turn one of them off.

6. Record

Press R or the record button. Record your verse in sections, say four or eight bars at a time. That way you can pick the best take for each section. Want to record the same section a few times in a row? Turn on the cycle area around it.

7. Export your song

Done? Use Share > Export Song to Disk to save your song as an audio file. Getting it mixed? Then export your vocal tracks separately.

Tips for a better recording

• Set up your mic properly first. Read how to set up your mic for rap recording at home.
• Record in a quiet room with soft stuff around you, like a closet full of clothes. More on that in how to remove room echo from rap vocals.
• Stay at the same distance from the mic.

Recording on your phone? Read how to record rap on iPhone with GarageBand. Using a Scarlett Solo? Read how to set up the Scarlett Solo for vocals. Want autotune on your voice? Read autotune in GarageBand. Done recording? Read how to build a rap vocal chain in GarageBand. Need a beat? Browse all beats.

FAQ

Is GarageBand good enough for recording rap?

For your first recordings, definitely. You can record tracks, compare takes and export your song.

Why do I hear myself twice?

Monitoring is probably on in both GarageBand and your interface. Turn one of them off.

Where do I select my microphone?

In GarageBand > Settings > Audio/MIDI, under Input Device. Then choose the input per track in Smart Controls.

Source: Apple's GarageBand user guide on recording, monitoring and Audio/MIDI settings.