How to Record A Song With Background Music (iPhone, Android, PC, Mac, Multitrack Recorder)

Background music can be utilized in a variety of ways to create recordings. You can use a phone, PC, Mac, however, using a professional DAW program is the best way to go.

This article tells you exactly what you need to know to record songs with background music on either iPhone and iPad, Android, PC, or Mac.

You can do this without buying any gear, such as by using the built-in microphone on your phone, or, if you want to get better audio quality, you can use an external microphone or (the best option) a good vocal microphone with an audio interface.

If using a laptop, you can either use a USB microphone or for the best quality, you can get an audio interface and microphone.

1. Recording A Song with Background Music on Your Phone (Android or iPhone)

We recommend using a Karaoke app for this. A great app that we can recommend to record background music on your phone is Smule.

Screenshot of play.google.com

This is a social singing app, and it includes millions of songs that you can record your singing over. It includes top hits, all-time favorites, and classics.

You can sing by yourself or in a group performance. The app is available on the iOS App Store, so you can get it on your iPhone or iPad or get it on the Android Google Play Store.

The easiest way to record is to just use the microphone on your phone or the built-in microphone on your headphones like the Apple in-ear headphones. A lot of the videos you see online for Smule use the small microphone on your headphone cable.

For a better audio quality of your singing, a great option is to get a good quality microphone such as the Shure MV51, which will connect directly to your phone.

For EVEN better audio quality, you can get an audio interface such as the Focusrite iTrack Solo, which works great for iPads. You can then plug in a great quality condenser or dynamic microphone via XLR (the type of cable used for microphones in recording studios) to this interface.

2. Recording Songs with Background Music on PC or Mac

If you want to record your songs or background music on a PC or Mac, then there are many different options available.

For example, you can use Audacity, the free recording software. You simply just drag in a music file and then record your singing on top of this.

Screenshot of www.audacityteam.org

You can either use a USB microphone or get an interface and hook in a standard XLR cable. 

The best option to record your singing to background music is to use a dedicated DAW on your computer. DAW stands for Digital Audio Workstation and some examples are Garage Band for Mac, Ableton Logic Pro, and Pro Tools.

Some of these cost money, but some of them are free. For example, the Reaper DAW is very cheap. If you want to get the best sound quality and actually mix the sounds in the best possible way, then we would recommend spending a bit of time learning how to use these programs.

Screenshot of www.reaper.fm

4. Recording A Song On Your Phone with a Dedicated Music Making App

There are plenty of dedicated music-making apps that range from casual to professional. Check out our list of the 10 Great Music Making Apps for iOS and Android for more information.

We’ve also written some other very useful articles that you should definitely check out:

Best Vocal Range Test Apps and Websites

10 Great Apps for Singers

Best Lyric Apps

Apps for learning Piano and Keyboard

5. Recording A Song Using The Overdubbing Capabilities of a Multitrack Recorder

Multitrack recorders can be used to produce a large number of separate audio tracks. If you’re looking for an audio-recording program that includes multitrack capabilities and can help you record your voice-over background music, the newest models of multitrack recorders offer overdubbing features.

A good recommendation would be the Zoom H6 field recorder.

While this is considered an option on this list, it is nowhere near the other options mentioned above. You’ll find that it’s considerably simpler to edit and mix a recorded project on a computer or smartphone than with a multitrack field recorder.

Nevertheless, it’s still an option that can be used in a specific situation if a person is capable and willing to pursue it.

Summary

Recording a song with background music can be achieved in several different ways. But for the best possible approach, using a professional DAW program is the most recommended option.

While some ways are better than others, the DAW option is the best. The other ways can work in some cases, but aren’t quite as capable and do not always produce high-quality results.

Nevertheless, there are still worthy options that can definitely get the job done.

Some of these options are free, which is good for people on a tight budget and only need to record their music occasionally. If you’re not sure what’s best for your needs, we recommend taking a look at our other articles to make a good choice.

Garage Band Image by: GarageBand application’s Resource folder., Fair use, Link

Brian Clark

Brian Clark

I’ve been a writer with Musician Wave for six years, turning my 17-year journey as a multi-instrumentalist and music producer into insightful news, tutorials, reviews, and features.

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