While the native GarageBand app has plenty of great sounds and instruments, you can also add additional sound packs to get even more variety.
If you want to expand your iOS or iPadOS GarageBand setup, here is how to install additional sound packs.
Step 1. Open the Sound Library
To find sound packs and instruments available for download, you first must go to the Sound Library.
To do this, open the GarageBand app and tap Create Song. Once here, you’ll see a screen where you can choose between live loops and tracks. You’ll also see an option called Sound Library. Tap here to open it.
Step 2. Choose Your Sound Packs and Instruments
Once the Sound Library is open, you’ll see all the available sound packs for download. To download a pack, tap on the pack and then tap Get.
The pack will then begin to download.
Once a pack has finished downloading, you can access that pack in your workspace.
Step 3. Open Downloaded Sound Packs
To open a downloaded pack or instrument, tap the add icon on the far left side of your GarageBand workspace.
Then, choose to add a loop or instrument. If you downloaded a sound pack, select Loop.
Once selected, you’ll see a dropdown menu of all the loops that are on your device. Under the loop names, you’ll see the name of the sound pack that it belongs to.
To find loops from a specific sound pack, tap Filter by and choose your desired sound kit.
Step 4. Open Your Downloaded Instruments
To open a downloaded instrument, tap the add (+) icon on the left and select Instrument. This will open up a menu of all your instruments.
For this example, we will open a downloaded keyboard. To do this, tap Keyboard to open up the instrument.
At the top, you’ll see a bar that selects your type of keyboard. Tap this to open all available options.
Once opened, you can select your custom downloaded instruments. On the right-hand side, you’ll see what sound kit it belongs to.
Then, just start playing and enjoying your custom sounds.
Expanding GarageBand With Sounds and Instruments
GarageBand is a fun and simple way to get started in music production. If you’re on your iPhone or iPad, you can still make plenty of great songs without having to move to a desktop.
By downloading custom sounds and instruments, you can make something unique to you. Who knows, maybe you’ll make your next great hit on GarageBand right from your mobile device.
