To export in Logic Pro, set your cycle region or make sure the whole project plays back cleanly, then go to File > Bounce > Project or Section (or press Command + B). Pick your file format — WAV for archiving and distribution, MP3 for quick sharing — choose a destination, and click Bounce. Logic renders the mix in real time or offline and drops a finished stereo file on your drive.
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That is the short version. The reason so many first exports come out too quiet, clipped, or in the wrong format is that the Bounce window packs a lot of options into one screen. This guide walks through every setting so your bounce sounds exactly like what you hear in the project, and covers the most common problems people hit on the way out.
Before you bounce: get the project ready
A clean export starts before you ever open the Bounce dialog. Play the song from the very start to the very end and watch the output meter on your Stereo Out channel strip. If the meter lights up red at any point, your master is clipping, and that distortion will be baked permanently into the exported file. Pull your master fader or your loudest tracks down until the peaks sit comfortably below 0 dBFS — leaving a little headroom, around -1 dB, is a safe habit.
Next, confirm the boundaries of what you want rendered. Logic exports either the whole project or a defined section. If you only want a section, drag a Cycle region across the ruler at the top so it covers exactly the bars you need. If you want the entire song, make sure there is no stray audio or a long reverb tail getting cut off at the end — give yourself a bar or two of silence after the last note so trailing reverb and delay can decay naturally.
Finally, listen for muted or soloed tracks you forgot about. A soloed channel is the single most common reason an export sounds wrong: Logic bounces exactly what plays back, so if one track is soloed, that is all you will get.
How to export in Logic Pro with the Bounce dialog
With the project ready, here is the core workflow to export in Logic Pro from start to finish:
- Go to File > Bounce > Project or Section, or press Command + B. The Bounce window opens.
- On the left, tick the destination format you want. You can select more than one at once — for example, PCM and MP3 — and Logic will render all of them in a single pass.
- Set the Start and End positions at the bottom. If you drew a cycle region, these fill in automatically; otherwise type the bar numbers or drag the handles.
- Choose your Mode: Realtime plays the song through in real time (necessary if you use certain external hardware), while Offline renders faster than real time. Offline is fine for almost every in-the-box project.
- Configure the format-specific options on the right (covered below).
- Click OK (or Bounce), pick a folder and file name in the save dialog, and let it render.
When it finishes, you will have a stereo file — or several — sitting wherever you chose. That is the whole job. The detail that decides whether it sounds right lives in the format panels, so let’s break those down.
Choosing the right file format and settings
The Bounce window offers several formats down the left side. The two you will reach for most are PCM and MP3.
PCM is uncompressed audio — this is where you get WAV and AIFF. Choose PCM whenever you need the highest quality: sending a mix to a mastering engineer, uploading to a distributor, or archiving your finished master. In the PCM options, set the File Format to WAV (the most universally compatible), and match the Sample Rate and Bit Depth to your intended use. A 24-bit WAV at your project’s sample rate is the standard for delivering an unmastered mix; 16-bit/44.1 kHz is the classic CD-quality choice for a final master. If you are unsure how these numbers work, our explainer on sample rate and bit depth clears it up.
MP3 is compressed and lossy — smaller files, some quality traded away. It is perfect for emailing a rough mix, posting a demo, or sending something to a client for feedback. Set the bit rate as high as it goes for the best-sounding MP3. Don’t use MP3 as your master; export a WAV for that and make MP3s from it as needed.
You will also see M4A: AAC (good quality at small sizes, common for Apple platforms) and a Burn to CD/DVD option. For streaming platforms and most distributors, a WAV is the safe delivery format.
Normalize, dither, and the settings that trip people up
Two options in the Bounce window cause more confusion than the rest combined.
Normalize raises the whole file so its loudest peak hits a target level. The dropdown offers Off, Overload Protection Only, and On. If you have already mastered your track to a deliberate loudness, leave Normalize Off — you don’t want Logic changing your carefully set levels. Overload Protection Only is a useful safety net: it only pulls the file down if it would otherwise clip, and never pushes it up. Turn full Normalize On only for rough bounces where you just want the file to be a reasonable volume.
Dither matters when you reduce bit depth — for example, bouncing a 24-bit project down to a 16-bit file. Dither adds a tiny, inaudible layer of noise that smooths over the rounding errors that would otherwise create faint distortion in quiet passages. If you are exporting at 24-bit, you can leave dither off. If you are dropping to 16-bit for a final master, switch on one of the dither algorithms (POW-r settings are the common choice). When in doubt, only dither once, at the final stage.
The last easy mistake is leaving Add to Project or Add to iTunes/Music Library ticked when you don’t want it. These are convenience options; untick them if you just want a plain file on disk.
The faster Share menu for quick uploads
If your goal is simply to get a song out to a platform rather than deliver a precise master, the File > Share menu is quicker. From there you can export directly to your Music/iTunes library, to AirDrop, or as a single song to disk without opening the full Bounce dialog. Share is great for demos and casual sharing; when quality and exact format control matter, come back to Bounce.
There is also a distinct feature worth knowing: File > Export. That menu handles things Bounce doesn’t — exporting individual tracks or channel strips as separate audio files (stems), or exporting selected regions. If a collaborator asks you for stems so they can mix elsewhere, use File > Export > All Tracks as Audio Files, not Bounce.
Common export problems and how to fix them
The file is distorted or crackly. Your master was clipping during the bounce. Lower the Stereo Out level until peaks stay under 0 dBFS and re-export, or enable Overload Protection as a stopgap.
The export is too quiet. Your mix simply isn’t loud enough yet. Loudness comes from mixing and mastering, not from the export step — brush up with our guides on EQ and compression fundamentals and what mastering actually does. For hitting a specific streaming target, see how loud your master should be in LUFS.
Only part of the song exported. A cycle region was active and only covered part of the project, or your Start/End positions were wrong. Turn Cycle off or redraw it, and double-check the positions at the bottom of the Bounce window.
Something is missing from the mix. A track was muted or another was soloed. Clear all solos and mutes, then bounce again.
The end got chopped off. Your End position landed before the reverb tail finished. Move the End marker a couple of bars past the last sound so the decay isn’t cut.
If you want a reference loudness to check your finished file against, drop it into a metering tool — our free browser audio tools include quick utilities for spot-checking a bounce without opening another session.
A note on mastering before you export
Exporting doesn’t make a track louder or more polished — it just captures what is already on your Stereo Out. If your bounces keep coming out weak next to commercial releases, the fix is upstream, in the mix and master. Logic’s stock Limiter and Adaptive Limiter on the master bus will get you a competitive level, and for many home producers the built-in tools are genuinely enough. If you find yourself wanting more transparent loudness or better metering than the stock plugins give, a dedicated mastering limiter such as those sold through Plugin Boutique is a worthwhile upgrade. For the fundamentals, our beginner’s guide to mixing your first song and the wider Home Studio Setup hub will set you up. New to DAWs entirely? Compare your options in our roundup of the best free DAWs for beginners.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Bounce and Export in Logic Pro?
Bounce renders your whole project (or a selected section) down to a single stereo file — the finished song. Export, found under File > Export, is for pulling out individual tracks or regions as separate audio files, which is what you use to hand off stems. If you want one final song file, use Bounce; if you want the parts separated, use Export.
What format should I export in for streaming platforms?
Deliver a WAV (PCM) file. Most distributors and streaming services want an uncompressed WAV, typically 24-bit at 44.1 kHz, and they handle the conversion to streaming formats on their end. Only bounce to MP3 or AAC for casual sharing, previews, and email — never as your master.
Why does my exported song sound different from the project?
The usual culprits are a soloed or muted track, an active cycle region that only captured part of the song, or clipping on the master. Occasionally people bounce with Normalize on and get an unexpected level change. Clear solos and mutes, turn off Cycle unless you need it, set Normalize to Off or Overload Protection, and confirm the master isn’t hitting red before you export in Logic Pro again.
