3 Ways to Record Vocals in BandLab on Your Phone (Plus a Bonus Tip for Desktop Users)
In this post, I’m going to show you three different ways to record your vocals using BandLab on a mobile device. These methods range from the most common approach—though it yields the worst quality—to the least common, which delivers the most professional results.
And as a bonus, I’ll also be sharing a powerful recording tip for all the desktop users out there.
If you’re new here, my name is Cole Mize, and I’ve been helping rappers sharpen their rap skills on this channel for over 11 years.
Method 1: No Headphones (Quick Demo Style)
The first and most common method is recording without headphones. With this approach, you’re simply playing the beat out loud on your phone while recording your vocals in BandLab.
The problem with this method is you’re not just recording your vocals—you’re also picking up the instrumental through the mic. This leads to a messy, low-quality recording, which is definitely not what you want for your final track.
That said, this method is perfectly fine if you’re just trying to quickly capture a demo or preserve some spontaneous ideas before you forget them. But don’t use this for your final vocal takes.
If you’re new to BandLab and not sure how to record, here’s a quick walkthrough to get you started:
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Open the BandLab app and tap the red button with a cross in the middle at the bottom center of your screen.
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Select “Open Studio.”
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At the bottom of the screen, tap “Import File” and choose the instrumental you want to use.
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Lower the volume of the instrumental by tapping the mixer icon (it looks like volume faders) in the bottom left corner. Drop it down by around -10 dB. There’s no magic number, but instrumentals are often mastered loud, and you don’t need them that loud while recording—you can turn it up later.
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Tap the mixer icon again to close the mixer, then tap the “+” icon beneath your instrumental track and choose “Voice/Audio” to add your vocal track.
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At the top of your screen, tap the settings icon (to the right of the lyrics icon) and scroll down to “Latency Fix.”
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Run the latency test to calibrate your device. Latency is just the delay between when your mic hears something and when it gets recorded. This test helps your vocals stay better in sync with the beat.
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Once that’s done, tap back to your main project view. Scroll to the part of the track where you want to start recording—usually the beginning.
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Make sure to tap the vocal track you added—not the instrumental—or you might accidentally overwrite the beat.
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Hit the big red record button at the bottom and start recording your vocals!
Here’s an example of what that might sound like:
As you can hear, the result is brittle, sharp, and piercing—not ideal. But again, it’s okay for rough drafts and idea sketches.
If you’re enjoying these tips be sure to check out my Quick Guide for Recording and Producing Professional Rap Vocals
Method 2: Using Wired Headphones
Now let’s level up. This next method is similar to the first, but this time we’ll use headphones—specifically wired headphones.
Do not use Bluetooth headphones—there’s too much latency, which will throw off your timing and make it sound like you’re rapping off-beat.
For this example, I’ll switch over to my tablet, which also shows a cool benefit of using BandLab: it’s available across multiple devices. Once you’re logged into your BandLab account, you can start a project on your phone and continue working on it from a tablet or even a desktop later on.
So now I’m on my tablet. I’ve got my project pulled up, and I’m using my wired earbuds with a built-in mic. This is a big step up from recording without headphones, because now the mic only picks up your voice, not the beat, which gives you a much cleaner recording.
I’m using a USB-C to female headphone adapter since my tablet doesn’t have a headphone jack, but if your phone or tablet does, you can just plug your wired headphones straight in.
Here’s what that sounds like with the same vocal take:
Right away, you can hear a big improvement. The vocals are much clearer. There’s no bleed from the instrumental, and we’re one step closer to getting a professional-sounding vocal recording.
Method 3: Condenser Microphone with Audio Interface
Now let’s move on to the third and best method for recording vocals on your mobile device.
This is for those of you who want the highest quality possible from your phone or tablet. All you need is a Condenser microphone and an audio interface.
The audio interface plugs into your phone, tablet, or computer and allows you to connect multiple microphones or instruments, headphones, and even speakers which all connects to your device via 1 USB connection!
With this setup, you’re basically turning your phone into a mini recording studio.
Check out my studio gear guide for all my recommend equipment for your studio setup.
Here’s a take recorded with this setup.
That’s pro quality, right from your mobile device. Clean. Crisp. Controlled.
So just to recap:
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No headphones = quick and dirty. Fine for demos, but the worst sound quality.
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Wired headphones = way better, clean vocal takes, no beat bleed.
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Condenser Mic + Audio Interface = the best quality, pro-level sound from your phone or tablet.
Bonus Tip: Desktop Recording with BandLab
Now let’s jump over to desktop.
If you’re using BandLab on a computer, the biggest thing to watch out for is latency. This is the delay between when you speak or rap and when your voice is actually recorded or played back.
Be sure to run a latency test just like we did before. On desktop this option is in a slightly different place.
Click the hamburger menu icon at the top right hand corner of the screen.
Then Select tools, latency test.
Also, disable direct monitoring as we did before.
And one more major bonus tip, is to remove the headphone from one of your ears. This is a workaround for situations where you can’t use direct monitoring. Removing one ear from the headphones allows you to hear yourself live in the room while you also can still hear the instrumental you’re recording over in the other headphone.
You can also use this technique more mobile devices as well.
That wraps up the three main ways to record vocals in BandLab on your phone, plus a bonus tip for desktop users. Hopefully, this helps you get the best sound possible no matter what setup you’re using!
And if you’re serious about improving your rap skills, I’ve got something that you are going to absolutely love and it’s 100% FREE.
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Once again, I’m Cole Mize with ColeMizeStudios.com, and always remember:
When it comes to rapping, there’s no rules— there’s only techniques.
Peace!
