Logic Pro for iPad: Price, release date, and everything else you need to know

It's taken a long time, and longer than some might have liked, but Logic Pro is coming to the iPad. And it looks pretty great.

The app was announced alongside a new Final Cut Pro app for the iPad in May, giving creatives new pro-level video and audio editing apps on their tablets. And while there were already plenty of apps in the App Store for those who need to edit their music on the go, Logic Pro is the one many had been waiting for.

Now, it's coming. And here's everything you need to know about Apple's new app.

Logic Pro for iPad: Release Date

Logic Pro for iPad will be available for download from the App Store on Tuesday, May 23, 2023. The app isn't currently available for pre-order, and it is a standalone download. That means that you will need to download the app afresh even if you have the Mac version installed — this isn't a universal binary, although we can't rule out the chance of that changing in the future.

Logic Pro for iPad: Price

Logic Pro for iPad is a free download from the App Store but you'll still need to hand over some money to use it. Although, not initially.

Apple says that the Logic Pro for iPad app will come with a free one-month trial right out the gate, but after that time is up you will have to pay $4.99 per month or $49 per year to continue using the app.

That subscription model has divided potential users, but it does have its benefits. The lower barrier of entry means that more people can use the app but long-time subscribers could wind up paying more than the $199 one-time asking price of the Mac version of Logic Pro. It's possible Apple could move that app to a similar subscription model in the future, however.

Compatibility: Which iPads does Logic Pro work with?

Logic Pro for iPad can be used on any iPad with an Apple A12 Bionic chip or later inside. That means that there are a number of iPads and iPad Pro models that support the new music-making app, not just Apple's best iPads.

Compatible iPads include:

• 2018 11 and 12.9-inch iPad Pro and newer
• 5th-gen iPad mini and newer
• 3rd-gen iPad Air and newer
• 7th-gen iPad and newer

All compatible iPads also need to be running iPadOS 16.4 or later in order to install and use Logic Pro for iPad.

Logic Pro for iPad features: All-new sound browser

Logic Pro for iPad includes an all-new sound browser that Apple says uses dynamic filtering to help people find the right sound at the right time. The browser will show different audio and instrument patches as well as plug-in presets and more.

Each one can be tapped to get a preview of the sound before loading it into their project, making the creative process as streamlined as possible without the back and forth of adding and then removing unsuitable sounds.

Logic Pro for iPad: Instruments and Effects

Logic Pro for iPad includes more than 100 different instruments and effects plug-ins that can be used to create the perfect sound. Vintage EQs, compressors, and reverbs are all available while Multi-Touch compatibility means that musicians can play instruments using multiple different play surfaces.

Synths and realistic-sounding instruments are just a tap away, and a new sample manipulation instrument means creatives can alter the audio sample with ease. 

Logic Pro for iPad: Pro-level mixing

Thanks to the power of the iPad's Multi-Touch capabilities Logic Pro users can make use of a new mixer in ways that previously weren't possible. Apple says that Logic Pro will allow users to mix and move multiple faders at the same time.

On top of that, the mixer bridge will also let people quickly see track levels right from the iPad's touchscreen.

Logic Pro for iPad: Production tools

New beat-making and production tools mean that musicians can chop and flip samples, craft their own custom drum kits, and more. A new time and pitch-morphing plug-in called Beat Breaker lets creators use pinch and swipe gestures to reshape their sounds.

Next, Quick Sampler can transform audio samples while Drum  Machine Designer can apply samples and plug-ins to any drum pad to create something entirely new.

Logic Pro for iPad: Easy import and export

Already own Logic Pro on the Mac? Apple says that Logic Pro for iPad will support full roundtrip capabilities which means that you can move projects from the Mac to the iPad and back again. 

"iPad users can export their finished songs in a variety of compressed and lossless audio formats, as well as individual audio track stems," Apple says. "Music creators can make a soundtrack in Logic Pro for iPad and export it into Final Cut Pro for iPad — providing incredible flexibility for working across music and video. Logic Pro for iPad also supports the ability to open projects created in GarageBand for iOS, so users can take their music to the next level with pro features and workflows.

A great time to create on an iPad

With Logic Pro and Final Cut Pro finally coming to the iPad there has never been a better time to be a creator on Apple's tablets. It's unfortunate that you have to pay for the app all over again even if you already own the Mac version, but at $49 per year, the cost isn't too high. There is also the possibility that Apple could roll the Mac version in under a single subscription in the future, but there has so far been little indication of that.

It's also great news that Logic Pro will work on a variety of tablets and not just the best iPad with its beefy M2 chip. We'll have to wait and see just how performant the app is on older A12 Bionic iPads, however.