Apple Beefs Up GarageBand for iOS, Launches 'Music Memos'

Heads up, music makers: Apple on Wednesday released a new app called Music Memos designed to help you quickly jot down, organize, and develop your ideas.

The Cupertino tech giant also today released a "major update" for the iOS version of GarageBand, which introduces "Live Loops" to let you play deejay, and a new Drummer feature with nine EDM and acoustic virtual session drummers.

As for Music Memos, the app lets you record any musical instrument through the iPhone's built-in microphone, then name, tag, and rate it to start building a "library of your ideas." Cupertino said many musicians and songwriters already use its Voice Memos app to quickly record ideas, but Music Memos takes the functionality a step further. The app can analyze rhythm and chords of acoustic guitar and piano recordings and pair them with drums and a bass line. It also offers up a "basic notation" displaying the chords you played.

"Musicians around the world, from the biggest artists to aspiring students, use Apple devices to create amazing music; the innovative new Music Memos app will help them quickly capture their ideas on iPhone and iPad whenever inspiration strikes," Apple's Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing, Phil Schiller, said in a statement. "GarageBand is the most popular music-creation app in the world, and this update helps everyone easily tap into their musical talent with the powerful new Live Loops and Drummer features, and adds support for the larger iPad Pro screen and 3D Touch on iPhone 6s($649.99 at AT&T Wireless) and iPhone 6s Plus."

The Live Loops feature lets you create music by "tapping cells and columns in a highly visual grid to trigger different looped instruments and samples," Apple explained. You can perform, arrange, and remix your loops live, and GarageBand "automatically keeps all the beats in sync." It comes with a library of Apple-designed loop templates in genres ranging from EDM to rock to get you started.

Music Memos is free to download in the App Store. Garage Band 2.1 for iOS is bundled free with new iOS devices 32GB and larger, and is available as a free upgrade for those with compatible iOS 9 devices or later. Everyone else will need to pony up $4.99 to use it.

In other music news, Cupertino recently announced that it's getting rid of all free, ad-supported iTunes Radio stations on Jan. 29, according to 9to5Mac. After that date, you'll need an Apple Music($10.99 Per Month at Apple Music) subscription to listen to all radio stations on the service.