Plug it in and let it rip.

Plug a USB music keyboard into your Mac and over 100 realistic software instruments are at your fingertips. You’ll find pianos, strings, drums, guitars and horns — everything from bass to woodwinds. Just create a new track, choose your instrument and play. Don’t have a keyboard? Try the onscreen one — it can display up to 10 octaves at once and it’s resizable. Or turn on Musical Typing and use the keys on your computer keyboard to play. As you record software instruments, GarageBand can display your notes on a piano roll or as notation, complete with rests and other musical events. Edit individual notes directly on the staff, then print the notation.

Play guitar like a legend.

You don’t need a studio full of big, expensive amps to play like your heroes. Just plug an electric guitar into your Mac and play through amps modelled on the most revered in the world. Add virtual stompbox effects that reproduce classic foot pedals. Then get a 3D view of your rig — complete with amp, speaker cabinet and stompboxes.

Jam with your band.

The roadies have set up. The band is ready to jam on a full-screen stage. Now pick your instrument and step into the spotlight. Playing or singing along with Magic GarageBand Jam is the perfect way to practise and have fun. Assign instruments and styles to your guitarist, bassist, drummer and keyboard player. Or shuffle instruments randomly to hear a new sound from your backing band. When you’re happy with rehearsals, record straight into Magic GarageBand. Create a custom mix. Share it with your fans. Then go at it again.

Give me a beat.

To write a song, start with a beat. It’s easy to build with the included Apple Loops. Then plug in a guitar, bass or microphone. You can even play (or sing) into the mic on your Mac. GarageBand captures the audio and turns it into digital files you can manipulate using recording and mixing tools.

Make some arrangements.

As you record, GarageBand helps you add structure to your song. Most songs are arranged in distinct sections: introduction, verse and chorus. With the sections clearly defined, you can rearrange your song at any time. Want to repeat a verse? Copy and paste. Move the chorus? Click and drag. All the tracks that belong to a section go along with it.

One-click wonders.

GarageBand brings you Apple Loops — over 1,000 professionally recorded (and pretty short) performances you can use in your songs. You’ll find loops created with just about every instrument in every genre, playing style and mood. In the Loop Browser, click a loop and take a listen. If you like it, drag it into your project. You can piece loops together to create complete songs or backing tracks. Apple Loops automatically stretch to match your project’s key and tempo so they’re always in time and in tune. And you can create your own Apple Loops from real or software instrument tracks you’ve recorded. If you still need more backing musicians, you’ll find thousands of additional Apple Loops in GarageBand Jam Packs (sold separately).

Multi-track recording.

Got a guitar or keyboard? Just plug it into your Mac and start playing. Sing into the built-in microphone (or plug one in). And suddenly you’re a recording artist. You can use over 100 built-in software instruments that even include backing vocals. Record each track one by one or bring the whole band over and lay down multiple tracks together. GarageBand supports Mac OS X–compatible audio I/O devices, so it’s possible to record up to eight real instruments simultaneously and hundreds of tracks.

Take one. And two, three and four.

Record a part as many times as you like. GarageBand can keep track of every take and saves it to a multi-take region. Play your song back while switching between different takes to choose the one that sounds best. Keep the takes you love, delete the ones you don’t.

Get your groove on.

Once you’ve laid down a few tracks, it’s time to mix. Just like a professional recording engineer, GarageBand helps you create a sound all your own. Are a few guitar notes out of time? Flex Time can fix them. It lets you quickly change the timing of your recording just by dragging the notes to the right spot. If more of your tracks seem a little off, Groove Matching will help bring them together. Just select any track — like a steady drum beat — as the Groove Track and all other tracks instantly match its rhythmic feel.

Master your mix.

Add basic effects such as compression, reverb or EQ. Take it up a notch by adding fun effects like Chorus, Auto Wah and Distortion. Tweak your mix by adjusting the volume of each track or panning between speakers. Then rock out and get down.

Your own digital download.

Export the songs you make in GarageBand to your iTunes library so you can listen to them on your iPod, iPhone or iPad and share them with everyone. You can choose to export them in CD-quality AIFF format or as near-CD-quality AAC or MP3 files.

Your ringtone release.

Even your phone rocks your single. GarageBand can take your song, Apple Loop or any recorded audio and instantly turn it into a custom ringtone optimised for iPhone. So when your friends call, your song plays. (Tell them to call often.)

Your podcast premiere.

Share your GarageBand project as a podcast. Or create a radio-style programme entirely in GarageBand. Record and edit a voiceover, add sound effects and jingles, and record interviews. You can even use built-in audio enhancement to sound like a professional radio host.

Share your songs online.

GarageBand exports smaller versions of your projects so it’s easy to share them over the Internet. Friends, bandmates or music instructors can download them fast when you want some comments or collaboration. Your GarageBand projects are compatible with Logic Express and Logic Pro, so it’s easy to swap tracks with the pros. And even go pro yourself someday.