By Tug·July 13, 2026·6 min read

Can You Record Multitrack on an iPhone?

Yes. A modern iPhone can record real multitrack audio, layer parts, take multiple inputs at once and mix them, all on the phone. What you need depends on whether you are stacking parts one at a time or capturing several sources together. Here is the honest picture of what is possible and where the limits actually are.

The app is what makes it multitrack

Put a multitrack recording app on the phone and it becomes a multitrack recorder. Reel gives you four tracks, other apps give more, and all of them let you build a song from several separate parts rather than a single take.

So the question is really two questions, because there are two kinds of multitrack, and they need slightly different things.

Layering, one part at a time

The first kind is overdubbing: record one part, then record another on top of it, and keep going. Vocals over a guitar, a bass line under a beat, a harmony over a melody. This needs nothing but the phone and a multitrack app. You can do it with the built-in mic or a single input.

This is how most songs actually get built on a phone, and it is where a four-track shines. You commit each part and stack the next, and you never need more than one input at a time.

Recording several sources at once

The second kind is capturing multiple sources simultaneously, like a full band, or a singer and a guitar on separate tracks at the same moment. For that you need more than one input, which means a class-compliant USB audio interface or mixer with several channels, plugged into the phone.

The phone handles the recording, the interface provides the inputs. With the right interface you can bring in several channels at once and land them on separate tracks.

How many tracks can you get?

It depends on the app. Some, like Reel, are deliberately four tracks, which is plenty for capturing and finishing most ideas. Others go to eight, sixteen or more. More tracks is not automatically better, since a tight limit is often what gets a song finished, but the range is there if you need it.

The practical ceiling on recording many inputs at the same time is usually the interface and the app, not the phone itself.

Where Reel fits

Reel is a four-track built for exactly this. Record with the built-in mic or plug in any class-compliant interface or instrument, overdub and punch in to stack parts, loop a section, and mix it, all in clean 32-bit float. It is made for capturing and finishing ideas rather than running a forty-track session.

See how Reel works

Here is a quick overview of multitrack recording on Reel.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can an iPhone record more than one track?

Yes. A multitrack recording app lets you record several separate tracks and layer parts on top of each other. Reel gives you four tracks with overdub and punch-in, and other apps offer more.

Do you need an audio interface to record multitrack on an iPhone?

Only to record several sources at the same time. To layer parts one at a time you need nothing but the phone and a multitrack app. To capture, say, a whole band at once, you need a class-compliant USB interface with multiple inputs.

How many tracks can you record on an iPhone?

It depends on the app, from four tracks in a focused recorder like Reel up to sixteen or more in bigger apps. For capturing and finishing most ideas, four is plenty, and a tight track count often helps you actually finish.

Can you record a band on an iPhone?

Yes. With a class-compliant USB audio interface or mixer providing several inputs, you can record multiple band members onto separate tracks at once, then mix on the phone. A simple stereo capture of the room works with no interface at all.