Remember Music Memos? Me either. But the app’s latest update, version 1.0.7, says that it is going away on March 1, 2021. Apple is urging users to migrate from Music Memos to Voice Memos as soon as possible.
As a refresher, Apple pitched Music Memos as a “better” version of the built-in Voice Memos app on the iPhone. It was tailored to musicians and artists. Music Memos is able to “automatically detect your tempo, rhythmic feel, and chords,” and enabled musicians to insert “a virtual drummer and bass player, who follow along like a live band in the room,” according to Apple. But I guess musicians didn’t care for any of that.
Apple says in a support document:
The Music Memos app won’t be updated after Music Memos version 1.0.7, and you won’t be able to download it after March 1, 2021. If you have an iPhone with iOS 14 or an iPad with iPadOS 14, you can continue to use Music Memos.
When you open Music Memos, the very first thing you see is a notification asking you to move all of your recordings to Voice Memos. Simply tap “Export” and the app conveniently creates a folder within Voice Memos called “Music Memos.” Apple says that it can take several minutes for everything to transfer, especially if you have a ton of recordings. If any errors arise, the company suggests checking and clearing up some space on your device.
If you haven’t downloaded Music Memos yet but want to use it in the future, you’ll need to make sure you download it by March 1, 2021. That way the app is in your purchase history, which means it’ll be available to download after it gets pulled from the App Store.
It’s worth noting that version 1.0.7 of Music Memos requires the latest iOS or iPadOS 14 update. Users still on iOS or iPadOS 13 or older can continue to use version 1.0.6 of Music Memos. Just know that you won’t have the option to automagically export your existing recordings to Voice Memos.
And if you create new Music Memos after the initial export, you’ll need to move each recording manually into Voice Memos if you want to keep it.
If I had to guess, one reason Voice Memos is more popular than Music Memos is simplicity. You just open the app and hit record. And when you’re done, you can easily share the recording with others or quickly AirDrop it to your Mac, so you can throw it into your GarageBand or Logic Pro project. Plus, it’s built right into your iPhone. No need to download a separate app.
Version 1.0.7 of Music Memos is available as a free download on the App Store. If you want to try it out, you better hop on it soon before it disappears for good.
