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Apple Shows Off Layered Recordings in Voice Memos with the Help of Michael Bublé and Carly Pearce→

Do you remember Music Memos? It was an iPhone app launched by Apple in 2016 that acted as a scratchpad for musicians. The idea was to quickly save musical ideas that could then be exported to GarageBand to be fleshed out. The app didn’t get many major updates and was discontinued in 2021.

Screenshots from the original Music Memos app.

Screenshots from the original Music Memos app.

Music Memos didn’t last, but the idea behind it was sound. When it was introduced, musicians were already using Apple’s Voice Memos app to save ideas for vocals, guitar riffs, and more as the press release announcing Music Memos acknowledged.

In the years since Music Memos’ demise, musicians presumably returned to Voice Memos, a more general utility, but one that has steadily been updated and improved by Apple. Yesterday, with the release of iOS 18.2, Voice Memos took another big step forward by adding the ability to isolate vocals recorded over an instrumental track. As Apple explains it in its press release:

Powered by the A18 Pro chip, and leveraging advanced processing and machine learning to isolate the vocal recording, Voice Memos creates two individual tracks so users can apply additional mixing and production in professional apps like Logic Pro. And with Voice Memos on Mac, Layered Recordings are synced across devices and available on Mac to drag-and-drop into a Logic session.

To prove the power of the new Voice Memos feature, singers Michael Bublé and Carly Pearce, along with producer Greg Wells, used the app on an iPhone 16 Pro to create “Maybe This Christmas,” a new holiday duet available on Apple Music.

Michael Bublé had this to say about Layered Recordings:

I don’t think people realize the critical role Voice Memos on iPhone plays in the creation process for musicians. And now with Layered Recordings, if an artist has a moment of inspiration, being unencumbered by the traditional studio experience becomes the advantage, not the limitation. It’s so typically Apple to build something we didn’t know we needed — and now won’t be able to live without.

This feature is remarkable and a great example of the power of today’s devices. Just a few days ago, I was given a demo of Moises, this year’s winner of Apple’s App Store Award for best iPad app, which does similar sorcery separating vocals and individual instruments. It’s a powerful capability with incredible productivity implications for all musicians.

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Apple Announces the 2024 App Store Awards

iPhone App of the Year winner Kino. Source: Apple.

iPhone App of the Year winner Kino. Source: Apple.

Apple has revealed its annual App Store Awards winners, recognizing the standout apps and games of 2024. This year, the company picked a collection of apps and games from 17 developers across 12 categories, including new categories for the Vision Pro App and Game of the Year.

Apple CEO Tim Cook had this to say about this year’s winning developers:

We are thrilled to honor this impressive group of developers who are harnessing the power of Apple devices and technology to deliver experiences that enrich the lives of users and have a profound impact on their communities. The remarkable achievements of this year’s winners demonstrate the incredible ingenuity that can be unlocked through apps.

This year’s App Store Award winners are:

iPad App of the Year winner Moises. Source: Apple.

iPad App of the Year winner Moises. Source: Apple.

Apps

  • iPhone App of the Year: Kino, from Lux Optics, Inc. 
  • iPad App of the Year: Moises, from Moises Systems, Inc. 
  • Mac App of the Year: Adobe Lightroom, from Adobe, Inc. 
  • Apple Vision Pro App of the Year: What If…? An Immersive Story, from Disney
  • Apple Watch App of the Year: Lumy, from Raja V.
  • Apple TV App of the Year: F1 TV, from Formula One Digital Media Limited
Mac Game of the Year winner Thank Goodness You’re Here! Source: Apple

Mac Game of the Year winner Thank Goodness You’re Here! Source: Apple

Games

Cultural Impact winner Oko. Source: Apple.

Cultural Impact winner Oko. Source: Apple.

Apple also honored the following Cultural Impact winners:

I had a chance to meet with the developers of three winning apps: Thrasher, Oko, and Moises. I wasn’t familiar with any of these apps before my meetings, but every one of them struck a chord with me, and I can see why Apple included them in their awards.

Thrasher takes advantage of the Vision Pro’s many sensors to create a uniquely immersive visual and musical experience. Oko uses the iPhone’s cameras to help low-vision and blind users navigate busy cities safely and independently. Moises leverages AI to break down music in a way that helps musicians practice and improve their skills. They’re all very different apps, but each pushes Apple’s devices in its own way to elevate their users’ daily lives whether it’s improving their skills, helping them through their daily lives, or entertaining them during a moment of downtime.

Congratulations to all of this year’s App Store Award winners. It’s always great to see developers’ hard work and contributions to Apple’s platforms recognized.

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The Latest from AppStories and Ruminate

Enjoy the latest episodes from MacStories’ family of podcasts:

AppStories

This week, Federico and John reveal the winners of the 2024 MacStories Selects Awards, which celebrate the exceptional design, innovation, and creativity of apps across the iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch.

Ruminate

Snackfishing, digital chicken pets, AI video. Plus adorable 3D-printed Mac Mini enclosures.

  • Pika: Use code RUMINATE20 for 20% off your first year of Pika Pro.

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Club MacStories+: Everything that Club MacStories offers, plus an active Discord community, advanced search and custom RSS features for exploring the Club’s entire back catalog, bonus columns, and dozens of app discounts;

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Celebrate the MacStories Selects App of the Year with the MacStories DS Skins for Delta→

This year’s MacStories Selects App of the Year was never in question. No app has had a bigger political, cultural, and competitive impact on the App Store this year than Delta. On top of that, Delta is a beautifully designed, native app that takes advantage of Apple’s latest technologies, putting it head and shoulders above other iOS emulators. Of course, Delta is also a delightfully fun way to relive classic videogames on the iPhone’s outstanding hardware.

Delta’s impact on the app world this year transcended retro gaming. However, for most people, being able to dip into the world of Pokémon or battle their way through the dungeons of Hyrule on the device they carry with them is all the payoff they need.

That’s why, to celebrate Delta’s many accomplishments in 2024, we commissioned three Delta skins for Nintendo DS games from Sean Fletcher, a Seattle-based designer who has created dozens of Delta skins that pay homage to classic Nintendo hardware. The MacStories DS Skins, which incorporate MacStories’ signature colors and a subtle logo, work in portrait and landscape orientations and are available for $3 on our Gumroad store. As Nintendo’s first touchscreen device, we couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate Delta’s emergence as an emulation powerhouse on the iPhone than with skins for the DS.

The MacStories DS Skins for Delta.

The MacStories DS Skins for Delta.

With the rise of generative AI and the decline of search engines, we’ve made a point of working with as many writers, artists, musicians, developers, and now, designers as possible this year. The fact that Delta enables anyone to make skins for its app allowed us to work with Sean, another talented creative professional, whose work we’ve supported personally and linked to in the past. If you like the MacStories DS Skins, be sure to check out Sean’s other skins, too.

We’re delighted with how the MacStories DS Skins turned out and hope you love them, too. We can’t wait to see screenshots of what you’re playing with them.

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The Latest from Comfort Zone, Magic Rays of Light, and MacStories Unwind

Enjoy the latest episodes from MacStories’ family of podcasts:

Comfort Zone

Niléane has taken to the skies in Flight Simulator, Chris wants to talk about yet another Mac, and the gang all looks for the best open source app (or web app!) they can find.

Magic Rays of Light

Sigmund and Devon preview the new features coming in tvOS 18.2. Then, they recap the first German-language Apple Original series, Where’s Wanda?, and Spanish-language medical drama series Midnight Family.

MacStories Unwind

This week on MacStories Unwind, we kick off the first of our annual ‘best of’ Unwind recaps with the best music releases of 2024.

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Club MacStories+: Everything that Club MacStories offers, plus an active Discord community, advanced search and custom RSS features for exploring the Club’s entire back catalog, bonus columns, and dozens of app discounts;

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The Latest from NPC: Next Portable Console and AppStories

Enjoy the latest episodes from MacStories’ family of podcasts:

AppStories

This week, Federico and I consider the differences between assistive and generative AI and cover the sort of automation tasks for which assistive AI is useful.

On AppStories+, I share my skepticism about the utility of Apple’s rumored home hub device.

NPC: Next Portable Console

Tencent and Intel announce a huge handheld, Sony is taking its time, reviewers share early hands-on testing of the Ayn Odin Portal, the Miyoo Mini Flip is spotted across the Internet, Samsung files an intriguing portable gaming patent, and a new eGPU is on the way. Plus, Brendon revisits the Anbernic RG35XXSP, Federico has a mini-surprise, and Federico and I share oue first impressions of the Retroid Pocket 5.

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What started with weekly and monthly email newsletters has blossomed into a family of memberships designed for every MacStories fan.

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Club MacStories: Weekly and monthly newsletters via email and the web that are brimming with apps, tips, automation workflows, longform writing, early access to the MacStories Unwind podcast, periodic giveaways, and more;

Club MacStories+: Everything that Club MacStories offers, plus an active Discord community, advanced search and custom RSS features for exploring the Club’s entire back catalog, bonus columns, and dozens of app discounts;

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Wallace and Gromit Video Shot on iPhone and Projected onto Battersea Power Station→

If you were around London’s Battersea Power Station – home to Apple’s UK headquarters – over the weekend, you might have spotted plasticine heroes Wallace and Gromit projected onto the station’s two 101-meter-high chimneys. While this could be dismissed as some giant-sized promotion for the duo’s new film, set to be broadcast on the BBC this Christmas (and Netflix outside of the UK), the story behind it is more interesting.

These short animations were created by Aardman Animation using the iPhone 16 Pro Max. Apple shared the details in a press release:

iPhone 16 Pro Max was mounted on motorised heads on set to capture two angles of the Christmas trees, shooting a total of 6,000 frames. Eight iPhone 16 Pro Max devices used the 5x Telephoto camera to shoot super-high-resolution images in ProRAW, which were then assembled frame by frame to produce a stunning 6K video.

Apple even created a special page on its website featuring a behind-the-scenes video (also available on YouTube), details of how to visit Battersea Power Station, and another video with quick tips for making your own stop-motion video using Aardman’s app.

Additionally, the director of the short, Gavin Strange, will be giving a talk at Apple’s Regent Street store on Thursday, December 12.

The projection will be on display every night from 5:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. until New Year’s Eve. It follows artist David Hockney’s Christmas display from last year, which was created on an iPad and similarly projected onto the Battersea Power Station.

It’s lovely to see Apple commission projects that highlight artists’ talents, with the use of Apple devices serving as the thread between them rather than the focus.

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The Latest from Comfort Zone, Magic Rays of Light, and MacStories Unwind

Enjoy the latest episodes from MacStories’ family of podcasts:

Comfort Zone

“The gang has so much to be thankful for, including you, dear listeners. ❤️

Oh yeah, and they find new ways to listen to music before being revealing their absolute favorite Apple app.”

Magic Rays of Light

Sigmund and Devon discuss Steve McQueen’s Blitz, new Apple Original documentary Bread & Roses, and the first episode of Concert for One featuring an immersive performance by RAYE.

MacStories Unwind

This week, a Thanksgiving guessing game, neighborly pies, NotebookLM, the Infamous Cousin Dave’s emoji habits, and getting started with retro gaming.

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Founded in 2015, Club MacStories has delivered exclusive content every week for nearly a decade.

What started with weekly and monthly email newsletters has blossomed into a family of memberships designed for every MacStories fan.

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Club MacStories: Weekly and monthly newsletters via email and the web that are brimming with apps, tips, automation workflows, longform writing, early access to the MacStories Unwind podcast, periodic giveaways, and more;

Club MacStories+: Everything that Club MacStories offers, plus an active Discord community, advanced search and custom RSS features for exploring the Club’s entire back catalog, bonus columns, and dozens of app discounts;

Club Premier: All of the above and AppStories+, an extended version of our flagship podcast that’s delivered early, ad-free, and in high-bitrate audio.

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The Latest from AppStories and Ruminate

Enjoy the latest episodes from MacStories’ family of podcasts:

AppStories

This week, John is joined by his NPC: Next Portable Console co-host Brendon Bigley for a conversation about Control Ultimate Edition coming to the Mac, Bluesky, a friendly interrogation about the apps and gear Brendon uses, and more.

On AppStories+, Brendon and John talk about videogame tracking apps and services.

This episode is sponsored by:

Ruminate

John and Robb consider the legal ramifications of telling people to drink McRib sauce, John nearly gets caught up in notebook hype, then they both discuss Sill, Bluesky, and cross-posting.

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Access Extra Content and Perks

Founded in 2015, Club MacStories has delivered exclusive content every week for nearly a decade.

What started with weekly and monthly email newsletters has blossomed into a family of memberships designed for every MacStories fan.

Learn more here and from our Club FAQs.

Club MacStories: Weekly and monthly newsletters via email and the web that are brimming with apps, tips, automation workflows, longform writing, early access to the MacStories Unwind podcast, periodic giveaways, and more;

Club MacStories+: Everything that Club MacStories offers, plus an active Discord community, advanced search and custom RSS features for exploring the Club’s entire back catalog, bonus columns, and dozens of app discounts;

Club Premier: All of the above and AppStories+, an extended version of our flagship podcast that’s delivered early, ad-free, and in high-bitrate audio.

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