iReal Pro for macOS

Description

People looking for an iReal Pro torrent are usually players who already know their way around a lead sheet. They want the rhythm section to follow their tempo, not the other way round. This is the app that gets called for late-night shed sessions and last-minute dep gigs.

Export and transposition tools you actually use

The mixer lets you pull a proper backing track out when the chart is ready. Export as WAV, AAC or MIDI — useful for dropping a quick reference into a DAW or sending a rhythm guide to a bandmate. Transposition goes beyond shifting keys: you can flip any chart to number notation, which makes calling tunes for a different vocalist much less painful. Charts export as PDF and MusicXML too, so a quick print or a Sibelius import is never more than a couple of clicks away.

The practice tools underneath the charts

Fifty-one accompaniment styles cover a lot of ground, from swing and bossa to pop and funk. The 50 built-in exercises drill common progressions until the voice-leading is muscle memory. iCloud sync keeps setlists and edits current across your Mac and phone, which means the chart you tweaked at soundcheck is there when you plug in later. No frills, just a working band that shuts up when you tell it to.

MIDI export that skips the DAW

iReal Pro doesn't try to be a DAW and it doesn't pretend to replace a notation editor. It fills the gap between scribbling changes on a napkin and firing up Logic. The MIDI export sends a clean performance — drums, bass, piano — into any DAW that accepts a standard MIDI file. Drag it into GarageBand, Logic, or Reaper, and you have a rhythm section ready for further arranging or a quick demo vocal on top.

MusicXML export is the bridge to serious scoring. Open the file in MuseScore, Dorico, or Sibelius, and the chords arrive as proper notation, not a screenshot. That saves the tedious step of re-entering changes by hand when a lead sheet needs to graduate to a full arrangement.

On the macOS side, the app plays nicely with iCloud without demanding attention. The sync is folder-level and silent — your practice setlist from the phone appears on the Mac without a progress bar or a sign-in prompt. AirPlay sends the accompaniment straight to a Bluetooth speaker or an Apple TV, which turns a hotel room into a passable rehearsal space. And because the audio engine runs as a standalone mixer, it doesn't fight for the same audio device Logic or Ableton is using.

Muting a part to learn a new set by Friday

Working rhythm-section players get the most mileage. A bassist learning a new set on Friday afternoon can mute the bass channel and play along with piano and drums. The mixer's per-instrument volume sliders and pan controls let you carve out your own space in the mix — drop the piano to the left, push the drums right, and lock into the groove.

Vocalists use it as a portable rehearsal pianist. Transpose the chart to any key, set the tempo, and the band follows without complaining. The scale suggestions — small text above each chord showing which scales fit — help horn players and singers navigate altered dominants without a theory textbook.

Teachers pass it around in ensemble classes. One tap shares a chart or a whole playlist, and the built-in exercises give students fifty common progressions to woodshed. The guitar tab and piano fingering overlays mean a saxophone teacher can still show a guitarist where to put their fingers. No one needs to be the accompanist for the whole lesson.

Typing chord qualities without the mouse

A few shortcuts live just below the surface. Double-clicking a chord in edit mode opens the chord-quality picker, and from there you can type the quality you want — "m7b5", "dim", "alt" — without touching the mouse. That same picker remembers your last few choices, so charting a tune full of half-diminished chords takes half the time.

The number notation system (NNS) isn't just a display toggle. When you switch a chart to numbers, the playback respects it. Call a tune in a different key and the numbers stay the same — the rhythm section transposes, but your chart still reads "1 6- 2- 5" in every key. Bandleaders who think in Nashville numbers treat this as essential.

The iOS version can act as a remote control for the Mac app. Start playback on the phone, and the Mac follows; useful when your Mac is wired into a PA and you want to cue tunes from across the room. It's not a heavily advertised feature, but it's been there for years and it works over a local network without any setup.

The count-in is customisable — one bar, two bars, or none — and the visual click flashes in time with the beat. If you're recording yourself singing over the accompaniment, the built-in recorder captures both the backing track and your mic input to a single WAV, no routing tricks required.

Requirements

• macOS 12.4 or later
• Apple Silicon and Intel Macs