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Bounce for Mac · Manual

Everything you need to make a track in Bounce.

From your first project to exporting a finished mix. Version 3.7.1 · updated July 2026.

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#01Welcome to Bounce

Bounce is a full music studio that runs on your Mac, iPhone, and iPad. Record, arrange, mix, and master a track — and open the same project across every device.

Unlike an AI song generator, Bounce never hands you a finished, locked file. Describe a vibe and you get a full, editable multitrack project you own — every drum, bassline, chord, and melody is a real track you can change, replace, or mute. It’s a tool for artists, not a replacement for them.

What makes the Mac version special Mac

Bounce for Mac is a native macOS app — not a stretched tablet app. It hosts your third-party Audio Unit (AU) plugins (FabFilter, Valhalla, and the like) with their full editors, gives you a desktop arrange window with a sidebar mixer and inspector, and lets you drag audio straight in from Finder.

Requirements & download

  • Mac: macOS 15 (Sequoia) or later, Apple Silicon or Intel. Free download at getbounce.app/mac — a signed, notarized DMG (no App Store needed).
  • iPhone / iPad: free on the App Store.
Note
The free tier includes 4 tracks and 2 projects. Bounce Pro is a one-time purchase (no subscription) that unlocks unlimited tracks and projects and adds 50 AI credits.

#02Getting started

Install & open

  1. Download Bounce.dmg from getbounce.app/mac.
  2. Open the DMG and drag Bounce into your Applications folder.
  3. Launch it from Applications. The first time you record, macOS asks for microphone access — click OK.

Your first project in five minutes

  1. Describe a vibe. In the bottom command bar, use Spark a Part, or open a new project and type into the Spark field — e.g. “dusty lo-fi at 82 bpm, A minor.”
  2. Let it build. Bounce creates a full project — drums, chords, bass, melody — each on its own track.
  3. Play it. Press Space or the play button in the top transport bar.
  4. Make it yours. Mute a track, drag a clip, change the tempo, add an effect.
  5. Export. Share it as an audio file or a playable link (see Importing, exporting & sharing).
A brand-new Mac project — type a vibe into the Spark field and Bounce builds the full track.

#03Interface tour

Bounce for Mac is a single window with three columns:

  • Sidebar (left). A Browse section (Projects, Sounds, Instruments, Plugins, Settings), your Recent Projects (up to 6, most recent first — with a “View All” row when you have more), and a Tracks rail with a compact mute / solo / gain strip per track.
  • Arrange (center). The timeline where clips live, with the transport bar across the top of the window and a “Tell Bounce…” command bar along the bottom.
  • Inspector (right). Appears when a track is selected — Track, Clip, and FX tabs, plus quick Auto-Mix and Bounce actions.
Tip
Hover any icon-only control on Mac to see a tooltip explaining what it does.
One window: sidebar (left), the arrange timeline with the piano roll docked below (center), and the inspector (right).

#04Projects

Everything you make lives in a project. Bounce saves automatically as you work — there’s no “save” button to remember.

Create, open & organize

  • New project: Sidebar → Projects → New.
  • Open: pick any project from Recent Projects in the sidebar or the Projects browser.
  • Duplicate / delete: right-click a project in the sidebar.
The Projects browser — open a recent project, Import a .bounce file, or start a New Project.
Heads-up
Project names become folder names. Avoid / and : in a name — recent builds convert them to “-” automatically, but older names with a slash can behave oddly.

Cross-device sync

Sign in with a free Bounce ID (Settings) and your projects sync across your devices — start on your phone, finish on your Mac. Sync is optional; Bounce works fully offline without an account.

Settings → Bounce ID. Signing in is optional — your credits and projects then follow you to every device.

Sharing a project

Export a .bounce file to send the whole project (audio included) to someone, or share a Project Card — a public link with a playable preview that opens in any browser. See Importing, exporting & sharing.

#05Timeline & transport

The top bar: play, rewind, record, and ＋ on the transport row; project time, BPM, loop, and export above.

Playback

  • Play / stop: press Space or the play button in the top bar.
  • Rewind: the ⏮ button returns the playhead to the start.
  • Move the playhead: drag on the ruler (the bar-number strip at the top of the timeline), or tap in the timeline to jump.
  • Zoom: pinch the timeline to zoom in and out. Pinch the track-header column to change track height.

Tempo, metronome & count-in

Open the tempo control (the BPM readout) to set the project tempo, toggle the metronome, and turn on a 1-bar count-in before recording. Changing the tempo re-fits tempo-synced loops to the new speed.

Loop (cycle) region

Use the loop button (⟳) → “Loop from current bar” to repeat 1, 2, 4, or 8 bars. Choose Cycle off to play the whole arrangement.

Note
The loop currently maxes out at 8 bars from the transport menu. To play a longer arrangement, turn the loop off — the timeline itself extends automatically as you add clips past bar 8.

#06Tracks

A track holds one instrument or one audio source and its mixer settings.

Add & remove

  • Add: use Add another track under the arrange, or the ＋ button in the top bar, then pick a source.
  • Delete: right-click a track header → Delete Track.
The ＋ Add sheet — build a track yourself (MIDI, Beat, Vocals, Import) or create one with Bounce AI.

Mute, solo & levels

Every track has M (mute) and S (solo) buttons and a gain fader, right in the sidebar Tracks rail. Full volume, pan, EQ, and effect controls live in the inspector.

The sidebar Tracks rail — mute (M), solo (S), and a gain fader for each track. The selected track is highlighted.
Note
Bounce supports up to 16 tracks. The free tier is limited to 4; Bounce Pro removes the limit.

#07Recording

Before you record

  • Grant microphone access when prompted (first record).
  • Bounce records from your Mac’s current audio input. Choose the input in System Settings → Sound if needed.
  • Turn on the 1-bar count-in (tempo control) so you have time to get ready.

Record a take

  1. Select or create the track to record onto.
  2. Press the record button. After the count-in, play or sing your part.
  3. Press stop. Your take lands as an audio clip on the track.

Vocal Booth

For vocals, open Booth mode — it gives you a lyrics teleprompter, multiple takes, and punch-in recording so you can drop in and re-sing a single line. See Vocal workflows.

The Booth — paste or type your lyrics, then hit record. Use headphones so the beat doesn’t bleed into your vocal.
Heads-up
If you hear an echo or squeal while recording, you’re getting feedback — use headphones, or lower playback volume.

#08Clips & editing

A clip is a piece of audio (or a MIDI pattern) on a track. Edit clips right on the timeline.

ActionHow
MoveDrag the clip along the track.
TrimDrag either end of the clip inward or outward.
SplitSelect a clip → Split (scissors) at the playhead.
DuplicateSelect a clip → Duplicate. The copy snaps directly after.
DeleteSelect a clip → Delete.
LoopTurn on Loop for a clip so its source repeats to fill its length.
FadeDrag the top-corner fade handles; pick Linear, Smooth, or S-curve in the Fade menu.
PitchChange a clip’s pitch in semitones (varispeed).
Time-stretchFit a loop to the project tempo, keeping its pitch.
Select a clip and the inspector’s Clip tab shows its fades, curve, and pitch — with Split, Duplicate, and Delete. The top edit bar mirrors these.
Tip
Undo and redo are always available from the edit bar — experiment freely.

#09MIDI & instruments

MIDI tracks play a built-in instrument (or a hosted plugin) from notes you enter — no recording required.

Two ways to write notes

  • Step sequencer — a grid of steps, ideal for drums and repeating patterns. Tap steps on and off; set the pattern length (1–8 bars).
  • Piano roll — draw and drag notes freely for melodies and chords, with control over each note’s length and velocity. On Mac it docks below the arrange when you tap a MIDI clip.
The step sequencer — tap cells across the drum rows (kick, snare, clap, hats) to build a beat; set the pattern length in bars.
The piano roll, docked below the arrange — each block is a note; drag to move, or drag an edge to change its length.

Instruments & the Sampler

Choose from Bounce’s built-in instruments, or load the Sampler to play your own sound across the keyboard. On Mac you can also host third-party AU instruments — see Mixing & effects.

The instrument picker — the Sampler, Bounce’s own kits and synths, plus multisampled instruments.

Sounds & loops

Beyond instruments, the Sounds browser (sidebar → Sounds) holds ready-made drums, one-shots, and loops. Preview any sound, then drop it straight onto a track.

The Sounds browser — sample packs and categories (kicks, snares, hats, 808s, and more) you can audition and add.

Perform pads

The pad grid lets you play and record parts by tapping. Melodic pads have an octave −/+ bar; drum kits and slices stay fixed.

#10Mixing & effects

The channel strip

Each track has volume, pan, a 3-band EQ, a compressor, and two sends (reverb and delay). Find them on the inspector’s FX tab when a track is selected.

The inspector’s FX tab — EQ, dynamics and sends, the track’s instrument, and its plugin chain.

Insert effects & plugins Mac

Add insert effects to a track’s FX chain. Bounce for Mac hosts your installed third-party Audio Unit (AU) plugins with their full editors — open FabFilter, Valhalla, and others directly on a track.

The effect browser lists every Audio Unit your Mac has validated — Apple’s built-ins and your own installed plugins.
A third-party plugin (FabFilter Pro-Q 3) open on a track, listed in the FX chain on the right.

Automation

Draw volume and pan changes over time: turn on automation from the edit bar and add points to the lane. The mix follows your curve on playback.

Auto-Mix & mastering

  • Auto-Mix listens to your tracks and balances levels, pan, and EQ automatically — a fast starting point you can then tweak.
  • Mastered export brings your final mix to a target loudness (for streaming, or matched to a reference track) — see Export.
Auto-Mix listens to every track, then sets levels, pan, and EQ for you — here it confirms “Auto-mixed 3 tracks.”

Flip a song into stems

Flip splits an existing track into separate stems (drums, bass, vocals, and more) placed on their own tracks — great for remixing or for editing an AI-generated track part by part.

Flip a Song — pick any track and Bounce pulls it apart into vocals, drums, bass, and the rest, each an editable clip. (Uses credits; flip only music you have the rights to use.)
Tip
Watch the master meter. If it’s hitting the top (clipping), pull down a few track faders or run Auto-Mix.

#11Vocal workflows

Bounce’s Booth mode is built for recording voice.

  • Lyrics teleprompter — paste your lyrics and they scroll as you record.
  • Multiple takes — record several passes and keep the best.
  • Punch-in — re-record a single line without redoing the whole take; Bounce splices it into place.

Sing a Hook

Sing a Hook generates a sung vocal hook you can stretch and pitch to fit your track. Like all AI features, the result is an editable clip — not a locked file. (Uses AI credits.)

Sing a Hook — type a lyric, optionally a vibe and voice, and get an a-cappella vocal as an editable clip to stretch and pitch onto your beat.

#12Spark & creative tools

Bounce’s AI tools give you material to build on — always as editable tracks, never a finished, locked song. You stay the artist.

Spark a Project — describe a vibe or pick one from the grid, set tempo/key/structure, then Spark it for a full editable session.
ToolWhat it does
SparkDescribe a vibe (genre, BPM, key) → a full editable multitrack project.
Spark a PartGenerate a single part (e.g. a bassline) to add to the current project.
Generate a SoundCreate a one-off sound or sample from a text prompt.
Sing a HookGenerate a sung vocal hook to drop into your track.
FlipSplit an existing song into editable stems.
Generate a Sound — describe any sound (or tap a quick-start), set a length, and it lands as an editable clip.

How generated material enters your project

Everything an AI tool makes arrives as ordinary tracks and clips. Mute it, replace it, chop it, add effects — it behaves exactly like anything you recorded or played in yourself.

Credits

Sound-generation, hooks, and Flip use AI credits. New accounts get 15 free credits; Bounce Pro adds 50, and credit packs are available. Spark and the built-in instruments/editing don’t cost credits.

Get credits — one-time packs (no subscription). 1 credit per sound, 5 per hook; checkout opens in your browser.
Note
Prefer not to see AI features? Turn on Hide AI features in Settings → Interface.

#13Importing, exporting & sharing

Importing audio

  • Drag & drop audio from Finder, Splice, or anywhere straight onto the arrange. You can also import from the Add menu.
  • Supported formats include WAV, AIFF, MP3, M4A, and CAF. Imported audio is converted to the project’s format automatically.

Exporting your track

ExportResult
Mix (WAV)A single stereo audio file of the full mix.
Mastered mixThe mix brought to a streaming loudness target, or matched to a reference track.
Stems (ZIP)Each track exported as its own audio file.
Video for SocialsAn MP4 with a waveform visual — ready to post.
Project File (.bounce)The whole project, audio included, to archive or send.
Project Card (link)A public web page with a playable preview — anyone with the link can listen.
The export menu — Raw or Mastered mix (Streaming, Loud, or matched to a reference), Video, Stems, a Project Card link, or a .bounce file.
Tip
A Project Card is the fastest way to share a work-in-progress — the person you send it to just clicks and listens, no app required.

#14Keyboard shortcuts

Bounce is designed to be fast with a trackpad and mouse, so it keeps keyboard shortcuts minimal and focused:

ShortcutAction
SpacePlay / Stop
ReturnConfirm the default button in a dialog (e.g. Done)
EscClose a sheet or plugin window
Note
Most actions — split, duplicate, undo, mute, add effects — are one click in the interface. This table lists only the keys the app binds today; we’ll expand it as more shortcuts ship.

#15Troubleshooting

ProblemTry this
No sound on playbackCheck your Mac/device volume and output device. If you just returned to the app after a while, it re-activates audio automatically — press play again.
Microphone not detected / permission deniedSystem Settings → Privacy & Security → Microphone → enable Bounce. Then relaunch.
Echo or squeal while recordingThat’s feedback — use headphones, or lower playback volume.
A plugin doesn’t appear MacMake sure the Audio Unit is installed and validated on your Mac. Bounce lists AUs the system recognizes.
A plugin editor looks cramped MacUse the fill/fit button in the plugin window header to switch between the plugin’s own size and filling the window.
Project looks empty after openingConfirm you opened the right project. Avoid / in project names (older names with a slash can nest folders).
Export failedMake sure the project has at least one track with audio, then try again.
Playback cracklesHeavy plugin chains can strain the CPU — freeze or bounce a track to audio to free it up, or remove an effect.

#16FAQ & support

Is Bounce free?

Yes. The free tier is fully usable. Bounce Pro is a one-time purchase (no subscription) that unlocks unlimited tracks and projects; AI features use credits.

Do my projects sync between devices?

Yes — sign in with a free Bounce ID and projects sync between your Mac, iPhone, and iPad.

Does Bounce replace me with AI?

No. Bounce gives you editable starting material and tools — you make the music. Every AI output is a set of tracks you own and control.

Report a bug or request a feature

Use the feedback page or the support page. Real user reports shape what gets built — a lot of Bounce was made because someone asked.

Bounce 3.7.1 · Manual updated July 2026 · getbounce.app · Download for Mac