In this guide
A music loop is a passage designed or selected to repeat. Its length and boundaries determine how it returns to the beginning. Choose a complete phrase, listen across several joins and verify tempo and timing in the destination project.
Want to repeat a whole streamed track? See how to loop a song on Spotify.
A loop in music is a passage that repeats, often to create a continuing rhythm, accompaniment or texture. A two-bar drum pattern, a four-bar piano phrase or a repeated vocal fragment can all function as loops. The repeat may be a prerecorded audio file, a MIDI pattern played by an instrument, or a live performance captured by a looper.
A loop is not defined by a particular instrument or length. Its musical effect comes from what happens when the end returns to the beginning: the timing, sound and phrase need to work for the intended arrangement.
Examples of music loops
| Loop | What repeats | Listen for |
|---|---|---|
| Drum groove | A kick, snare and hi-hat pattern over one or more bars. | Whether the downbeat returns at the expected moment and the last hit leads naturally into it. |
| Chord progression | A short sequence of chords, played by piano, guitar or a software instrument. | Whether the final chord and its decay work with the first chord of the next pass. |
| Vocal phrase | A sung or spoken fragment used as a recurring element. | Breaths, consonants and effects tails at the boundary. |
| Practice passage | A section of a recording repeated for a finite number of plays. | Whether each repetition includes the full cue without a distracting pause or click. |
Apple describes its GarageBand loops as repeating musical patterns and offers audio, instrument and Drummer loop types. A loop can also come from your own recording or a permitted sample.
Loop vs. sample: what is the difference?
A sample is recorded audio used as material in a production. A short drum hit can be a sample without being a loop; it becomes a repeating pattern when placed repeatedly. A loop can use sampled audio, but a MIDI pattern or a live looper performance can repeat without being a prerecorded sample file.
Some sample libraries label a sound as a loop because it is intended to repeat at a stated tempo or key. Verify those labels against the project and your ears. The sampling guide explains preparing and checking a source recording.
How long should a loop be?
Choose a length that captures the complete musical idea. One or two bars can work for a drum groove; a chord progression may need four or more. The number of seconds depends on the tempo, meter and beat being counted.
For example, in a steady 4/4 passage at 120 quarter-note beats per minute, one beat lasts 0.5 seconds, one four-beat bar lasts 2 seconds, and two bars last 4 seconds. That is a starting calculation, not automatic loop detection: the correct start still depends on the performance, downbeat and phrase.
If the tempo changes, a fixed-length repetition may drift against a grid. The tap tempo tool estimates the rate of your taps, while the BPM guide explains how to check a candidate pulse. Neither tool identifies a loop boundary for you.
How to make a loop from an audio recording
- Choose a source you can use. Keep the original and select a phrase with a clear start and a musically complete ending.
- Locate the boundaries. Count the beats and bars while listening. Mark the first intended sound and the point where the next repetition should begin; avoid accidentally including the next downbeat twice.
- Repeat a short test. In the audio looper, open a supported mono or stereo MP3 or WAV, enter the start and end in seconds and choose 2–100 total plays. The first play is included in that count.
- Listen through several joins. A click may indicate an abrupt waveform boundary; a skipped or late beat may indicate a musical timing error. Adjust the endpoints and try again, changing one boundary at a time.
- Preview the actual export. Download the WAV or MP3 you checked. The input and output each have a five-minute and 50 MiB limit; reduce the selected length or play count when the result is too large.
The looper repeats the selected decoded frames without adding a crossfade or detecting beats. Its WAV is 48 kHz 16-bit PCM; MP3 is a new lossy encode that can add delay or padding. The tool creates a finite repeated file rather than an endless live loop. Every sound in the selected passage repeats together.
Why does my loop click or sound out of time?
| Symptom | What to check |
|---|---|
| Click at every join | Move a boundary slightly and compare. A small fade or crossfade in an editor may help, but it can change an attack or the timing. |
| The beat stumbles | Count the intended phrase again. Check for a missing fraction of a beat, extra silence or a duplicated downbeat. |
| The reverb cuts off | Listen to the tail and consider a different boundary or an overlap in a multitrack editor; an overlap changes the result. |
| It drifts in the project | Verify the selected beat, project tempo and duration. A live performance may not have a constant tempo; time stretching can add artifacts. |
The edit-click guide provides a closer boundary diagnosis. The audio joiner can crossfade compatible short clips, but it does not automatically choose musically correct loop points.
Loop a region in GarageBand on iPhone
In Tracks view, tap a region to select it, tap it again and choose Loop. Apple says it repeats to the end of the current song section or the next region in that track; drag its right edge to change the looped length. See Apple’s region-editing instructions. Imported audio and different loop types can respond differently to project tempo and key changes, so preview the actual result.
Common questions
Does every loop need to be perfectly seamless?
No. A deliberately abrupt repeat can be a creative choice. For a continuous groove, listen for unwanted clicks, gaps and timing changes at the join.
Is a loop always one bar?
No. A loop can be a beat, several bars or another duration. Pick a boundary that fits the musical phrase and its intended context.
Can I use any song as a loop in a release?
Repeating or changing a recording does not automatically grant reuse rights. Check the permissions needed for both the recording and underlying composition for your intended use.