Bounce & export from Logic Pro
Pick the export by where the audio is going
Logic Pro has one command for turning a mix into a file and a different command for turning each track into its own file. Choosing the wrong one is the most common reason an export comes back from a collaborator with a note attached. Start from the destination.
- You want one finished file of the whole song, or of a section. Go to How to bounce in Logic Pro. The command is
File > Bounce > Project or Section, and the page covers every option in the Bounce dialog. - A mix engineer, a producer or another DAW needs every track separately. Go to How to export stems from Logic Pro. The command is
File > Export > All Tracks as Audio Files, and the page covers naming, tails and automation. - The audio is going into a video edit. Bounce the mix as a 48 kHz file. Most editing apps accept WAV or AAC; the bounce page has a settings row for video.
- A distributor or label needs a master. Bounce a 24-bit WAV at the project's sample rate with Normalize off, and read Mastering in Logic Pro first so the file arrives at a sensible loudness and true peak.
On Logic Pro for iPad both jobs live behind the project name in the top-left corner: tap it, then tap Export. Apple documents the iPad flow on its Bounce and save your Logic Pro for iPad project page.
Guides in this hub
GuideHow to bounce a song in Logic Pro
The Bounce dialog option by option, with the right settings for a distributor master, a demo MP3, a video deliverable and a cycle-range section.
10 min read
GuideHow to export stems from Logic Pro
One WAV per track, all starting at bar 1: the export dialog options, what to bypass, how to name files for a mix engineer, and the iPad ZIP export.
8 min read
More guides in this hub are planned; the ones below cover the highest-demand jobs first.
What Logic means by bounce, export and share
Bounce vs export in Logic's vocabulary
In Logic Pro, bounce always means rendering through the output channel strip. File > Bounce > Project or Section renders whatever reaches Output 1-2 (or the selected output) into one file, with every plug-in, send and automation move included. Bounce in Place does the same thing for a single track or region and puts the result back on a track in the project, which is how you freeze a heavy software instrument into audio you can edit.
Export means writing files per track. File > Export > All Tracks as Audio Files renders each track from its own channel strip, with the fader at its current position, and skips the master bus entirely. That is why stems exported this way do not carry the processing on Stereo Out, and why you should bypass any limiter there before exporting if you want the stems to sum back to the mix. The Export submenu also holds MIDI, region and project-level exports; only the audio-file ones are covered in this hub.
Apple's guide uses share for sending a bounce somewhere else, such as a Music library or AirDrop. On iPad the Share button is the last step of every export.
Formats cheat sheet
| Format | Type | Where it appears in Logic | Use it for |
|---|---|---|---|
| WAV (Broadcast Wave) | Uncompressed PCM | PCM destination, File Format pop-up menu | Distributors, mix engineers, video editors, archives. The default choice for anything that is not a casual listen. |
| AIFF | Uncompressed PCM | PCM destination, File Format pop-up menu | Same quality as WAV. Fine for Apple-only workflows; some Windows tools and web uploaders prefer WAV. |
| CAF | Uncompressed PCM (Apple container) | PCM destination, File Format pop-up menu | Very long files and Apple sampler content. Rarely what a collaborator asks for. |
| MP3 | Lossy | MP3 destination | Demos, email, reference mixes. Choose it alongside PCM so you keep a lossless copy. |
| AAC (M4A) | Lossy | M4A: AAC destination | Video deliverables, Apple devices, messaging. Better than MP3 at the same bit rate. |
| ALAC | Lossless compressed | Not a Bounce dialog destination; convert a WAV in the Music app or another converter | Lossless files that need to be smaller than WAV, for a personal library. |
| ADM BWF | Uncompressed with Dolby Atmos metadata | File > Export on a Spatial Audio project | Dolby Atmos masters for distributors that accept them. Apple's guide describes the file as interleaved, holding up to 118 object tracks and a 7.1.2 bed. |
Formats and the Bounce dialog option names are confirmed against the Logic Pro User Guide pages linked under Sources.
Common export mistakes
- Bouncing with Cycle on by accident. When Cycle mode is on, the bounce range follows the locators, so you get a loop of the chorus instead of the song. Apple's guide states this explicitly. Check the
StartandEndfields in the dialog before you click Bounce. - Cutting off the reverb tail. Set
Enda bar or two past the last region, or selectInclude Audio Tail, so the file does not stop while a reverb is still ringing. - Leaving Normalize on for a master.
Normalizeset toOnraises the whole file until the loudest peak hits full scale, which undoes the true-peak headroom a mastering stage left. UseOfffor masters and stems, orOverload Protection Onlyif you only want clipping prevented. - Exporting stems with the master limiter still active. Track exports skip the output strip, so stems sum back to the mix only if the mix itself did not rely on
Stereo Outprocessing. Note what is on that strip and tell your engineer. - Sending a 44.1 kHz file to a video editor. Video projects run at 48 kHz. Set
Sample Rateto 48000 in the PCM options, or better, start the project at 48 kHz. - Choosing 8-bit by mistake. The
Resolutionmenu offers 8 Bit, 16 Bit and 24 Bit. Use 24 Bit unless a service specifically asks for 16-bit.
FAQ
What is the difference between bounce and export in Logic Pro?
Bounce renders the mix through the output channel strip into one file; export writes each track to its own file from its channel strip, without the output strip's processing. Use File > Bounce > Project or Section for a finished song and File > Export > All Tracks as Audio Files for stems.
Which format should I bounce for a distributor like DistroKid or TuneCore?
A 24-bit WAV at the project's sample rate, interleaved, with Normalize off. Check the distributor's own spec page, since some also accept 16-bit or require 44.1 kHz.
Can Logic Pro for iPad export stems?
Yes. Apple's documentation states you can export all tracks or selected tracks as individual audio files, delivered as a ZIP that you save outside the app's default folders.