How do you use your own sounds in a sampler app on iPhone?
Save the audio to the Files app (or iCloud Drive), open the sampler app, choose a pad, and import the file. Then trim the start and end, set the sample's tempo if it's a loop, and play it from the pad. Most iPhone sampler apps accept WAV, AIFF, and M4A. Some also take MP3, FLAC, or the audio from a video.
What You Need
- An iPhone with a sampler app that supports file import
- The audio you want to use, in the Files app, iCloud Drive, Voice Memos, or your camera roll
- Headphones, so you can hear trim points clearly
Step 1: Get the Audio onto Your iPhone
Where the sound lives decides how you bring it in:
| Source | How to get it into Files |
|---|---|
| A file on your Mac | AirDrop it to the iPhone, then choose Save to Files |
| A file on a Windows PC | Upload to iCloud Drive, Google Drive, or Dropbox, then open it in Files |
| A Voice Memo | In Voice Memos, tap the recording, then Share → Save to Files |
| A video you shot | Many sampler apps import the audio track straight from Photos |
| A sample pack you bought | Download the ZIP in Safari; Files unzips it when you tap it |
Keep your samples in one folder in Files (for example Samples) so they're easy to find from any app.
Step 2: Pick a Pad and Import
Open the sampler, select an empty pad, and choose import. The iOS file picker opens. Browse to your folder and tap the file. Apps that support video show a separate option to pick a clip from Photos.
If a file is greyed out, the app doesn't support that format. Converting it to WAV or M4A on a computer, or exporting it from another app in one of those formats, usually fixes it.
Step 3: Trim the Start and End
Most imported audio has silence or extra material at the start. Drag the start marker to just before the first sound, and the end marker to where you want the sample to stop. For drum hits, trim tightly to the attack. For a melodic phrase, leave a little tail so it doesn't cut off abruptly.
Step 4: Match the Sample to Your Tempo
This step matters for loops (a drum break, a guitar riff, a chord progression). One-shots like a single snare don't need it.
Tell the app the sample's original BPM. You can type it if you know it, tap along to it, or use a detect feature if the app has one. Then turn on tempo sync so the app stretches the sample to your song's tempo. Without this, a 90 BPM loop drifts out of time in a 120 BPM song.
Step 5: Shape the Sound
Adjust the pad's volume, pan, and pitch. Attack and release controls help too: a short attack keeps drums punchy, and a longer release lets pads and vocals fade naturally instead of clicking off.
Step 6: Play It, Chop It, or Play It in Key
You now have three ways to use the sample:
- As a one-shot. Tap the pad to trigger it, and record it into a loop like a drum hit.
- Chopped. Slice a longer recording into pieces across several pads (see How to Chop Samples on an iPad; it works the same on iPhone).
- Pitched across the pads. Some samplers can spread one sample across every pad as a keyboard, so a single note or vocal becomes a playable instrument.
Tips
- Normalize or turn up quiet files before importing; it's easier than boosting the pad later
- Name files clearly before you import them, since the pad label often uses the file name
- Only use audio you have the rights to if you plan to release the track
Doing This in ARC-24
ARC-24's sampler is a 4×4 grid of your own audio, shared across every loop in a song. Switch the header toggle to Edit, tap a pad, and choose Import, then Files or Videos. It accepts WAV, AIFF, CAF, M4A, AAC, MP3, and FLAC, plus MOV and MP4 video (the audio track is imported). Clips longer than 10 minutes are rejected.
The trim screen has draggable start and end handles and a Tempo row where you type, Tap, or Detect the original BPM, then turn on Sync to song tempo. The pad settings sheet has volume, pan, pitch (±24 semitones), attack, and release knobs.
Back in Perform, play pads as one-shots, use the scissors icon to chop, or switch to Keys to play one sample across all sixteen pads, in your song's scale or chromatically. One thing to know: if you change the song's BPM later, reopen each synced pad and tap Save so it re-stretches to the new tempo.
ARC-24 has eight tracks for synths, samples, and drums, a 7-day free trial, and a one-time unlock ($9.99 USD on the US App Store, varies by region).
FAQ
What audio formats can I import into a sampler app on iPhone?
WAV and AIFF are supported almost everywhere, and M4A (AAC) nearly as widely. Many apps also take MP3 and FLAC. Some can import the audio track from a video file.
Can I use Voice Memos as samples?
Yes. In Voice Memos, share the recording and choose Save to Files, then import it into your sampler from the Files app. Voice Memos saves M4A files, which most samplers accept.
Can I sample audio from a video on my iPhone?
Some sampler apps import the audio track from a video in your Photos library directly. Otherwise, export the audio with a video editor first and import the result.
Why does my imported loop sound out of time?
Its original tempo doesn't match your song's tempo. Set the loop's original BPM in the sampler and turn on tempo sync, or change the song tempo to match the loop.
Where should I store samples on my iPhone?
A dedicated folder in the Files app, on iCloud Drive or on the device, works with every app that uses the standard iOS file picker.