Blackcap
The Blackcap app icon: a blackcap with its black cap, white face and grey wing, on black

Everyone has a song to make.

The easiest way to turn your idea into a song: chords and lyrics, a band behind you, your own voice, and a mix you can share.

Download on the App Store
iPhone, iPad and Mac One purchase No subscription Works offline
Verse4 bars · Key of C
1CI got some words in my head
2GAnd I feel the song a'humming
3AmSo open this app
4FAnd I make it into something
100BPM

Chords as letters, or as numbers that stay the same in any key. Press play to follow the bars in time (the page stays silent).

From a hum to a finished song

Blackcap starts where songs start: a melody, a few chords, a line of words. It walks you the rest of the way.

  1. 1

    Start from your idea

    Sing it, play it or type the words, and Blackcap lays out the verse and chorus. Or start from one of 27 styles, from funk and 60s soul to lo-fi, swing, outlaw country and Americana.

  2. 2

    Write the song

    Chords and lyrics lined up bar by bar, part by part. Chord pads and scale lock keep every note in key.

  3. 3

    Play and record

    Real instruments, your voice, your guitar. After each take, hear it alone or in the song, then keep it, redo it or tune it.

  4. 4

    Mix and share

    Balance it on the mixer, then share a lossless WAV, a video with a moving waveform, or every part for another app.

The song sheet: a verse with a chord on each bar and the lyrics beside it
The song sheetParts, chords and words together.
The Beat screen: kick, snare and hi-hat rows of steps at 100 BPM
The beatTap in a groove, or start from one of 25.
Chord pads for the song's key
Chord padsEvery chord in your key, one tap each.
The Vocals screen with the lyrics following along
VocalsYour words follow along as you sing.
The Sampler with sixteen pads
The samplerRecord any sound, chop it, tune it, play it.
The Mixer with a channel for each instrument
The mixerLevels, effects and a master limiter.
The built-in tuner
A tuner that talksIt tells you which way to turn.

Real instruments, built in

Recorded instruments, all included and all playing offline. Nothing to download and no sound packs to buy.

The whole app, every recorded sound included, is under 60 MB.

Concert grand pianoAcoustic drum kitJazz kit Eight drum kits in allMarimbaXylophone VibraphoneGlockenspielTubular bells String sectionChurch organElectric bass Upright bassReed electric pianoClassic electric piano Tonewheel organThereminBig mono synths Vintage poly synthsDual-layer expressive synthsSix-operator FM ArpeggiatorGroovebox pads

Just play, and every idea caught

Play along, try things out, and never lose the good bits.

  • Quick SongThe easiest way in: one question at a time, from a hum, some words or a few chords to a song with a band.
  • A band that plays your songDrums, bass, keys, guitar and a pad, in 85 styles. Softer in the verse, fuller in the chorus, fills into every new part. Change a chord and it follows.
  • Just PlayA beat already going, a bass line and keys to play around on. Keep what sounds good, then turn it into a song.
  • Record an idea in seconds"Hey Siri, record an idea in Blackcap", the Action button, or a long press on the icon: straight to recording, like a voice memo.
  • Play your song's parts liveTap Verse, Chorus, Bridge in any order, and each comes in right on the beat. Keep the order you like.
  • A song sheet to printYour chords above your words, part by part, as a PDF for the band.
  • Release-readyOne switch brings your song to the loudness Spotify and Apple Music play at, without distortion.

Works with your gear

Bring your guitar, your bass, your keyboard, your pads or your groovebox. Blackcap is where the song comes together.

Play it

  • Guitar, bass and morePlug in with a guitar adapter or an audio interface. Play through built-in amps and cabinets and hear yourself as you record.
  • MIDI keyboards and padsUSB or Bluetooth. Play the synth, the sampler or the drums, with sustain, pitch bend, mod wheel and aftertouch — and your keyboard's knobs shape the sound.
  • Pads on the right drumStandard drum notes, pads in order, groovebox-style banks, or teach it: tap a drum, hit a pad.
  • Play your groovebox's soundsSend the drums, the synth or the chords to another device or app, in time with the song.

Connect it

  • In time with other gearLead or follow over MIDI clock, starting mid-song too, by cable or Wi-Fi.
  • Audio interfacesChoose which inputs to record: a mic on input 1, a guitar on input 2, a groovebox on 3 and 4.
  • Plug-ins and other appsAudio Unit instruments and effects. Export every part, plus MIDI, for Logic, Ableton, Pro Tools or GarageBand.

Made for every musician

VoiceOver works on every screen, and Blackcap follows larger text, Increase Contrast, Reduce Motion and Differentiate Without Colour.

  • Play and stop from anywhereTwo-finger double-tap
  • A tuner that speaks"In tune"
  • Beats read out bar by bar"Kick, steps 1, 7 and 11"
  • Keys you play by touchWith VoiceOver on

Buy it once. It's yours.

One purchase covers iPhone, iPad and Mac. Your songs sync through your own iCloud; everything else stays on your device.

  • SubscriptionNone
  • AdsNone
  • AccountNot needed
  • Data collectedNone
  • Works offlineEverything

Questions

Do I need to know how to make music on a computer?

No. The first screen asks how you'd like to start, the Song Guide walks you from a beat to a finished song one step at a time, and a few tips point the way the first time you use it. Every screen is explained in the app's Help. If you can hum it or strum it, you can start.

Is there a subscription, or anything to unlock?

No. One purchase includes every instrument, effect and feature, on iPhone, iPad and Mac.

Does it work without an internet connection?

Yes, all of it. Every sound is inside the app, and nothing you make is sent anywhere.

Can I put my songs on Spotify and Apple Music?

Yes. Export a full-quality WAV with Release-Ready Loudness on (Blackcap brings it to the loudness streaming services expect), then release it through a distributor. The support page walks you through it.

Can I finish a song in another app?

Yes. Blackcap exports every instrument as its own lossless file, plus a MIDI file, for Logic, GarageBand, Ableton, Pro Tools and others.

What does Blackcap do with my data?

Nothing: it collects none. Read the privacy policy.

Get Blackcap

On the App Store for iPhone, iPad and Mac. One purchase, every feature, no subscription.

Download on the App Store
Questions, or something you made?