The world of music production has seen a significant shift in recent years. Where once an aspiring rapper would need access to a fully-equipped recording studio, today, a smartphone is enough to create, record, and distribute high-quality music.
Both iPhone and Android platforms offer a plethora of apps specifically designed for rappers. These tools facilitate the creative process, whether it’s crafting beats, recording vocals, writing lyrics, or simply looking for a platform to share their music. In this blog post, we’re going to look at some of the best apps for rappers on both platforms.
Our Top Picks
1. GarageBand
GarageBand is a powerful music creation app for both iOS and MacOS. For rappers, it serves as an accessible platform to create and record tracks with a variety of pre-installed loops and instrument sounds. The intuitive interface makes it easy to drag and drop loops, layer sounds, and adjust volumes, enabling artists to craft professional-sounding tracks even without extensive music production knowledge.
Even though GarageBand is often praised for its simplicity, it’s far from a basic tool. The app includes a wide array of sounds and effects, allowing rappers to experiment and find their unique voices. It’s also compatible with third-party plugins, further expanding its capabilities. Rappers can use GarageBand as a mobile recording studio, laying down verses whenever inspiration strikes.
It’s also worth noting that GarageBand allows for seamless integration with its big brother, Logic Pro X. If you start a track in GarageBand, you can easily transfer it to Logic Pro for further fine-tuning. This compatibility makes it an excellent tool for sketching out ideas, which can then be developed in a more comprehensive digital audio workstation.
2. Rapchat
Rapchat provides a unique experience, combining social networking with music creation. It lets you create and share your raps while also enabling you to connect with a community of like-minded artists. With thousands of free beats available, it’s never been easier to create your rap and share it with the world.
Rapchat takes the intimidation factor out of the creative process. The platform offers voice filters and an auto-vocal tune to help you sound your best, even if you don’t have a fully-equipped studio. It also includes a notepad for lyric writing, a feature that aspiring rappers will find particularly useful. Rapchat makes it possible to create a track from start to finish, all within one app.
Apart from its creation tools, Rapchat has a community that can provide feedback and collaborates on tracks. Users can participate in rap contests, increasing their visibility and potentially catching the attention of music industry professionals. It’s an ideal platform for emerging rappers looking to hone their skills and build an audience.
3. AutoRap by Smule
AutoRap by Smule is an innovative app that makes rapping accessible to everyone, regardless of their skill level. Its magic lies in the ‘auto-rap’ feature which transforms speech into a rap by synchronizing it to the rhythm of any chosen beat. This gives beginners a chance to experiment with rapping without the pressure of getting everything perfect right off the bat.
One of AutoRap’s standout features is the wide selection of beats available. From original compositions to tracks from popular artists, users can choose from an extensive library. It’s an excellent tool for practicing your flow or even creating your own tracks. Plus, with the ability to share your creations, you can get feedback from the community and even challenge friends to rap battles.
AutoRap isn’t just for beginners, though. It’s a valuable tool for more experienced rappers too. It can be used to quickly prototype lyrics and flow, acting as a digital scratchpad. By playing around with different beats and vocal inputs, rappers can experiment with their style and refine their technique.
4. Pro Tools
Pro Tools is a professional digital audio workstation widely used by music producers and sound engineers across the globe. Available on both iOS and Android, this powerful app provides a comprehensive suite of recording, editing, and mixing tools. For rappers, Pro Tools provides a platform to create high-quality music using a mobile device.
At its core, Pro Tools offers multi-track recording and robust editing features. You can record vocals, add effects, and fine-tune your tracks with precision. It’s compatible with a variety of audio formats, ensuring versatility and flexibility in your projects. The ability to edit waveforms directly makes it easier to fine-tune tracks, adjust timings, and achieve the perfect mix.
What sets Pro Tools apart is its rich ecosystem of plugins, ranging from virtual instruments to effects and more. These plugins allow for vast customization and creativity, catering to the unique demands of each rapper. While Pro Tools might seem daunting to beginners, its robust features and industry-standard status make it a worthy investment for serious musicians.
5. Evernote
While Evernote is not specifically designed for music creation, its utility for rappers cannot be understated. As a note-taking app, it’s a convenient platform for jotting down lyrical ideas, brainstorming themes, or sketching out song structures. The best raps often come from a creative spark that can occur at any time, and Evernote ensures you’ll never forget those flashes of inspiration.
One of Evernote’s standout features is its cross-platform compatibility. You can start writing lyrics on your phone and then switch to your tablet or computer without skipping a beat. All notes are synced across devices, providing a seamless experience. This makes it perfect for the on-the-go rapper who never knows when inspiration might strike.
Moreover, Evernote’s organizational capabilities make it an excellent tool for managing your projects. You can create notebooks for different songs or albums, use tags to categorize your notes, and even attach audio files for reference. For rappers who enjoy a methodical approach to their craft, Evernote offers a level of organization that few other apps can match.
6. RapScript
RapScript is an innovative tool designed to help rappers improve their freestyling skills. This app generates random words for you to incorporate into your freestyles, providing an interesting challenge and a way to practice thinking on your feet. Whether you’re a seasoned freestyler or a beginner trying to hone your skills, RapScript can be a fun and useful tool.
RapScript offers various difficulty levels to challenge rappers of all experience levels. At its easiest setting, the app generates new words every five seconds, while the hardest setting generates new words every second. This flexibility allows you to gradually ramp up the challenge as you become more comfortable with freestyling.
What’s particularly beneficial about RapScript is that it helps broaden your lyrical vocabulary. By continually introducing new words, it forces you to explore fresh themes and ideas, pushing you out of your comfort zone. As you adapt to using different words and making them fit within your flow, you’ll develop a more versatile and dynamic rapping style.
7. SoundCloud
SoundCloud is a widely-used platform that allows artists to upload, share, and promote their music. For rappers, SoundCloud offers an accessible way to distribute their tracks and reach a global audience. With its user-friendly interface and social networking features, SoundCloud is an essential tool for any aspiring rapper.
One of the standout features of SoundCloud is its vibrant community. As an artist, you can interact with your listeners, receive feedback, and gain insight into what resonates with your audience. Furthermore, SoundCloud’s algorithm can suggest your music to users who listen to similar artists, helping you grow your fanbase organically.
Additionally, SoundCloud provides analytical tools that can help you understand your audience better. You can see which tracks are most popular, where your listeners are from, and how they’re discovering your music. This information is crucial for planning promotions, scheduling releases, and generally understanding how your music is received.
8. Voloco
Voloco is an auto-tune app designed to help rappers and singers sound their best. This powerful tool offers real-time voice processing, applying pitch correction and reverb to your vocals to create a polished, studio-quality sound. Whether you’re recording demos or releasing final tracks, Voloco can enhance your vocal performance.
One of the standout features of Voloco is its library of preset tunings and effects. From subtle pitch correction to the distinctive sound of robotic auto-tune, you can experiment with different effects to find your unique sound. The app also lets you combine effects for a more customized experience.
Beyond processing vocals, Voloco also allows users to record video of themselves singing or rapping and share it on social media. This feature makes it easier to engage with your fans and share your music. For those looking to experiment with vocal effects or simply add a professional touch to their recordings, Voloco is a great choice.
9. Songwriter’s Pad
Songwriter’s Pad is a songwriting app designed to streamline the creative process. It offers a suite of tools to assist in the brainstorming, organization, and composition of lyrics. For rappers, this app can be a valuable tool to capture ideas and transform them into fully-fledged songs.
The app includes a rhyming dictionary, a thesaurus, and a word and phrase idea generator, which can be immensely helpful in overcoming writer’s block. In addition, emotion-based word and phrase suggestions can assist rappers in writing lyrics that truly convey their intended feelings.
Songwriter’s Pad also shines in its ability to organize your songwriting process. You can structure your songs into sections (verse, chorus, bridge), attach notes and ideas to each section, and rearrange them as needed. This organizational feature can be beneficial for rappers who want a clear and structured way to develop their songs.
10. FL Studio Mobile
FL Studio Mobile is a complete music production environment for mobile devices. It allows rappers to create multi-track projects with a vast range of instruments and effects. If you’re a rapper who enjoys getting hands-on with the production side of your tracks, FL Studio Mobile is a tool worth considering.
The app offers high-quality synthesizers, samplers, drum kits, and sliced-loop beats, allowing for a broad palette of sounds. You can manipulate these sounds with pitch bend, EQ, and a range of effects to create your unique beats. With its step sequencer and piano roll, arranging your tracks becomes a breeze.
One of the standout features of FL Studio Mobile is its compatibility with the desktop version of FL Studio. This means you can start a project on your mobile device and then transfer it to your desktop for further refining. This seamless transition makes it ideal for capturing ideas on the go and developing them into full-fledged tracks.
11. iMPC Pro 2
iMPC Pro 2 brings the classic Akai Professional MPC (Music Production Center) experience to iOS devices. The app offers a comprehensive production suite for creating beats, sampling audio, and arranging tracks. It’s an ideal tool for rappers who want a classic, hands-on beat-making experience with the convenience of mobile production.
With iMPC Pro 2, you can build and sequence beats using classic MPC swing, note repeat, and full 64-track sequencing. Its sampling functionality lets you record audio from anywhere, manipulate the audio, and incorporate it into your beats, providing limitless potential for creativity.
In addition, iMPC Pro 2 offers an audio track recording feature, which is perfect for laying down rap vocals. With real-time time-stretching and pitch-shifting, you can manipulate your vocals and ensure they fit perfectly with your beat. It’s a comprehensive tool that brings the robust functionality of an MPC to your mobile device.
12. Rap Fame
Rap Fame is a rap community and recording studio app. It provides a platform for rappers to record their raps, share them with a community, and receive feedback. It’s a social networking tool specifically designed for rappers, offering a unique blend of music creation and community interaction.
The app includes a range of beats from international producers, allowing users to lay down their raps over professional-quality tracks. With voice effects and a lyrics pad, it offers a complete toolkit for rapping, from brainstorming to recording.
What sets Rap Fame apart is its community element. Users can participate in rap battles, contests and collaborate with other artists. It’s a platform that not only facilitates the creation of music but also helps rappers build a following and engage with their audience.
13. Vocal Effects Live
Vocal Effects Live is an app that offers a range of vocal effects which can be applied in real-time during live performances. For rappers who perform live, this app can be a valuable tool to enhance their performances and engage their audience.
The app includes a variety of effects such as reverb, echo, pitch shift, and harmonizer. These effects can be fine-tuned to match your preferences and the requirements of your performance. Additionally, the app supports the use of external microphones, making it suitable for professional live performances.
One standout feature of Vocal Effects Live is its loop station. This feature allows you to loop your voice, create layers, and build up a complex soundscape all on your own. It can be a powerful tool for live performances, opening up new creative possibilities.
Final Words
There’s a multitude of apps available for rappers today, each offering a unique set of tools to enhance the music-making process. Whether you’re looking to hone your freestyle skills with RapScript, create professional-quality tracks with Pro Tools, or share your music with the world through SoundCloud, there’s an app out there to meet your needs.
Remember, the best app for you will depend on your specific needs as a rapper. Are you primarily a lyricist, or do you also produce your own beats? Do you need a tool for live performances or something to help you record demos? Once you understand your own needs, you can pick and choose from these apps to create your ultimate toolkit.