A trio of Grammy Award winners — multi-platinum entertainer Michael Bublé, country star Carly Pearce, and record producer Greg Wells have teamed up to showcase the latest update to Apple’s Voice Memos app.
The new feature on iOS 18.2 can be used to play original instrumental ideas through the iPhone speaker and record vocals using the new studio-quality microphones on iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max.
In the “Maybe This Christmas” spot, Bublé, Pearce, and Wells test it out with “Maybe This Christmas” duet, which Bublé performed with Pearce on "The Voice USA" Season 26 finale.
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In a news release from Apple, Bublé said the Voice Memos app on the new iPhone plays a crucial role in the creation process for musicians.
“And now with Layered Recordings, if an artist has a moment of inspiration, being unencumbered by the traditional studio experience becomes the advantage, not the limitation. It’s so typically Apple to build something we didn’t know we needed — and now won’t be able to live without.”
In the nearly four-minute spot, Bublé is seen testing the app and explaining what “Maybe This Christmas” is about, followed by Pearce and Wells describing their first reactions to a recording Bublé made on his iPhone.
Having not only three Grammy Award winners endorse the product but also leverage their personal experiences with it is a powerful example of influencer marketing.
By showcasing these well-known figures using the Voice Memos app, Apple provides credibility and excitement to the artists’ fan bases.
Grammy Stars Test iPhone’s Voice Memos Update
The “Maybe This Christmas” video, which was shot entirely on iPhone, starts with a voiceover from Bublé relating “the best camera” to photography and “the best microphone” to singing with a device that's always in your hand — Apple’s iPhone 16 Pro.
He records the opening lyrics for the song and says: “Wow. Sounds pretty good.”
Bublé then explains how it makes sense to record on his phone rather than in a studio, as phones are what people use to stay in touch, just like how the song is about connecting two people together.
All @MichaelBuble needed to record his new song was iPhone 16 Pro! Using the Layered Recording feature on Voice Memos, he recorded his vocals over an existing instrumental track — no headphones needed. 🤯 Check out how his new Christmas song with @CarlyPearce came to life! 🎄🎵📱 pic.twitter.com/j01oo6MjvD
— Greg Joswiak (@gregjoz) December 11, 2024
Pearce and Wells describe their amazement at the quality of Voice Memos, with Wells citing it as “bananas”.
Bublé then proceeds to test it in his car, before the next shot pans to Wells in the studio, saying that he can use that iPhone-recorded vocal on a record.
Wells and Bublé add the benefit of the earphone-free option of the app, which both prefer.
“Having headphones out of the equation and having people just naturally singing to music that they’re hearing, it’s incredible,” Wells stated, while Bublé is seen testing the headphones in the studio before throwing them away.
The spot ends with the record cover for “Maybe This Christmas” before the iconic Apple logo pops up with the words, “Recorded on iPhone. Produced with Logic Pro. Shot on iPhone. Edited with Final Cut Pro.”
Apple also shot its holiday spot entirely using its new iPhone 16 Pro Max, creating a short stop-motion film for Wallace & Gromit. For this project, the tech giant teamed up with renowned director Gavin Strange of animation studio Aardman.
