How do I import files into GarageBand on iPod touch?

I'm trying to import the m4a files that iTunes synchronized from the Voice Memo app, but the files are not showing up in the GarageBand app in iOS when I open it.

Any idea how to import these sound files?


To import audio files into Garageband for iOS, connect your iOS device to your computer. Then do the following:

On your computer:

  1. Open iTunes
  2. Click your device in the left-hand column
  3. Click "Apps" in the bar at the top of the right-hand pane
  4. Under "File Sharing" select "Garageband" in the "Apps" column
  5. Click "Add..." in the bottom-right of the "GarageBand Documents" area
  6. In the dialog that opens up, select the file(s) you want to transfer over
  7. Once you've selected the file(s), it transfers over to your iOS device.

On your iOS device:

  1. Open GarageBand
  2. If you're not already, switch to the multi-track view by tapping the enter image description here button
  3. In the upper right-hand area, you should see a loop icon with the number of newly transferred files on top of it, like this:

    enter image description here

  4. Tap this icon. It brings up a screen like this:

  5. Just like the screen says, you can tap and hold and drag the desired audio files into your track listings. They each appear as Audio Recorder tracks:

That's it!

There is one caveat: GarageBand for iOS is limited to a maximum of 320 "bars" for the length of a project, and it does not appear that it's possible to bypass this. If you need to edit audio that's longer than that, you will need to use another app.