Bouncing is the process of exporting the result of what plays back in your DAW, a track or the whole project, as an audio file such as WAV, AIFF, MP3, or AAC. It turns the final result, including the mix, effects, automation, and software instruments, into a form that other players and video editors can use.
What gets exported
Normally the sound of all unmuted tracks sent to the main output is bounced. EQ, compressors, and limiters on the master output are included if they sit in that path. Before exporting, check the start point, the end point, the cycle range, and any mutes you did not intend.
Offline and real-time
An offline bounce can process faster than playback time. On the other hand, if the signal includes gear that runs in real time, such as external MIDI instruments, outboard effects, or a recording input, a real-time bounce may be required. Check what your DAW and your gear support.
File formats and settings
For saving work in progress or handing material to mastering, uncompressed formats such as WAV and AIFF are the default. MP3 and AAC are fine for distribution or review, but information lost to lossy compression cannot be restored. Match the sample rate, bit depth, and dither to the destination and the purpose.
Bounce in place
Besides exporting the whole project, there is also a function that converts a single track or region to audio and places it at the same position. Rendering heavy software instruments and plugins to audio reduces CPU load, but it makes later changes to the tone or the MIDI notes harder, so keeping the original track is safer.
Check after exporting
Once the bounce is done, check the head and tail, the level, the silence, and the format in another player as well. Listen to the converted result especially with MP3 and AAC. The steps for exporting WAV and MP3 in Logic Pro are explained in How to bounce and export your data (Japanese).
