Standard Procreate has no way to import audio, so Animation Assist projects stay silent. To work with sound, either use Procreate Dreams, Procreate's separate animation app, where you drag an audio file onto the Stage or Timeline, or export your animation and add the audio in a video editor such as Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, or DaVinci Resolve. If you need to animate against a track, use Dreams. If you only need sound on a finished piece, export and sync it in your editor.

Does Procreate Support Audio?

Procreate's Animation Assist is built for drawing frames, not for sound. There is no audio track, no waveform, and no way to scrub against a voice recording. Users have requested audio on the timeline, mostly for lip-sync, storyboarding, and timing movement to music. The common reply, "export to a video editor and add it there," misses the point of those requests. If you can't hear the audio while you draw, you can't judge timing as you go, and you only discover mistakes after export.

Procreate Dreams fills that gap. It is a timeline-based animation and motion app with audio support built in. Which route you take depends on whether you need sound while you animate or only on the final render.

Method 1: Add Audio Inside Procreate Dreams

Dreams accepts a wide range of audio formats: .mp3, .aiff, .wav, .flac, .aac, .caff, .m4a, .ac3, and .mp2. On import, audio is decompressed to PCM at 48 kHz regardless of the original codec, and it follows whatever you set in Advanced Export.

Import the file

You can bring audio in from Files or Photos through the Create menu, or drag and drop it from another app. Once it's in the project, you have two placement options:

1. Drag it onto the Stage to create a new audio track.
2. Drag it onto the Timeline to place it at a specific point on an existing track.

Preview audio before committing

If you're auditioning several files, don't drop each one into the timeline. Use Split View instead:

1. In Procreate Dreams, tap the multitasking button at the top of the screen. If it isn't visible, tap near the top first to reveal it.
2. Tap Split View.
3. Open the Files app.
4. Navigate to the folder with your audio.
5. Tap a file to play it. You can scrub through it, which helps with long files where you only want a section.

When you find the right file, drag it from Files into your project. This keeps the timeline clean while you decide.

Trim and adjust levels

After the audio is in the project, trim it to match the action and use audio level keyframing to shape volume over time for final adjustments.

Separate audio from video clips

If you import a video clip that already carries sound, you can split it. Press and hold the clip until the context menu appears and choose Separate audio and video. The audio goes to a track directly above the video. If you selected several clips, each one gets its own audio track above it.

Watch your timeline length

Set your project's timeline length deliberately when you start. If the audio runs longer than the timeline, the overflow can't be edited. Confirm the duration before importing a full-length song or a long dialogue take. Dreams is also still being developed, so expect the occasional rough edge and keep backups of your project files.

Method 2: Export and Add Audio in a Video Editor

If you're staying in standard Procreate, or you simply prefer to finish in a professional editor, this is the most reliable approach. It's also the natural choice for anyone already working in Premiere Pro.

1. Finish and export the animation. Export in a format like MP4.
2. Import into your editor. Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, and DaVinci Resolve all work.
3. Add the audio to the timeline and line it up with the picture.
4. Export the final video with picture and sound together.

Export from Dreams for compositing

If you animate in Dreams and then finish elsewhere, the codec support is useful. Dreams can export ProRes, including ProRes 4444, and HEVC with alpha. To get a transparent export, turn on Transparent background under Movie settings → Stage, then go to Share → Advanced Export. ProRes is only available on supported hardware, and ProRes files must be in a .mov container.

Method 3: Mobile and Browser Editors

You can also export your animation and add sound in an editor like CapCut or InShot, or in browser tools like WeVideo or Clipchamp. These offer basic video editing features, including the option to add audio, and are fine for social clips and quick turnarounds. For client work or anything headed into a larger edit, use a desktop editor instead.

Which Method Should You Use?

The two approaches often combine well. Block out timing in Dreams against a scratch track, then export the picture and rebuild the final mix in your editor.

Tips for Tighter Audio Sync

Lock your frame rate early. If you draw at 12 fps in Procreate and your comp runs at 24 fps, hold frames deliberately ("on twos") so the timing translates.

Use a scratch track. Even a rough voice recording or temp music lets you place accents and mouth shapes correctly while you draw. You can swap in the final audio later as long as the length and beats match.

Mark your hits. In your editor, drop markers on key beats or phonemes, then check that your drawn poses land on them. This is faster than judging by ear on every pass.

Check sample rate and format. Keep your delivery audio at 48 kHz WAV where possible. It matches how Dreams handles audio on import.

Account for audio latency on export. Always play the exported file back, not just the project, to confirm picture and sound still line up, especially after converting between formats.

Work on the audio-length side first. If your dialogue is final, build the timeline around it. Retiming hand-drawn frames to fit changed audio takes much longer than the reverse.

Where Styleframe Fits in This Workflow

Procreate and Dreams are strong for hand-drawn keyframes, but the stage after that, extending those drawings into motion or restyling them, is where Styleframe can sit alongside your existing tools. Styleframe is an AI video and motion tool.

Sound still gets handled where it normally does: in Dreams during blocking, or in your video editor for the final sync and mix. That keeps your audio workflow intact while you add more options on the picture side.

Common Questions

Can I add audio in regular Procreate? No. Animation Assist has no audio import, so you need Dreams or an external editor.

Does Procreate Dreams include audio support out of the box? Yes. You can import supported audio formats from Files or Photos, or by dragging from another app, and then trim and keyframe levels on the timeline.

Can I pull audio out of a video clip in Dreams? Yes. Use the Separate audio and video option from the clip's context menu.

What audio format should I use? Anything on the supported list works. Since Dreams decompresses audio to PCM at 48 kHz on import, uncompressed WAV or AIFF at 48 kHz avoids unnecessary conversion.

What if my audio is longer than my project? Extend the timeline before importing, or trim the audio, since content beyond the timeline limit can't be edited.

Summary

If you need to hear the audio while you animate, use Procreate Dreams and drag your file onto the Stage or Timeline. If you only need it at the end, export your animation and finish in Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, or DaVinci Resolve. If you need transparency for compositing, Dreams can export ProRes 4444 or HEVC with alpha.

Standard Procreate has no way to import audio, so Animation Assist projects stay silent. To work with sound, either use Procreate Dreams, Procreate's separate animation app, where you drag an audio file onto the Stage or Timeline, or export your animation and add the audio in a video editor such as Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, or DaVinci Resolve. If you need to animate against a track, use Dreams. If you only need sound on a finished piece, export and sync it in your editor.

Does Procreate Support Audio?

Procreate's Animation Assist is built for drawing frames, not for sound. There is no audio track, no waveform, and no way to scrub against a voice recording. Users have requested audio on the timeline, mostly for lip-sync, storyboarding, and timing movement to music. The common reply, "export to a video editor and add it there," misses the point of those requests. If you can't hear the audio while you draw, you can't judge timing as you go, and you only discover mistakes after export.

Procreate Dreams fills that gap. It is a timeline-based animation and motion app with audio support built in. Which route you take depends on whether you need sound while you animate or only on the final render.

Method 1: Add Audio Inside Procreate Dreams

Dreams accepts a wide range of audio formats: .mp3, .aiff, .wav, .flac, .aac, .caff, .m4a, .ac3, and .mp2. On import, audio is decompressed to PCM at 48 kHz regardless of the original codec, and it follows whatever you set in Advanced Export.

Import the file

You can bring audio in from Files or Photos through the Create menu, or drag and drop it from another app. Once it's in the project, you have two placement options:

1. Drag it onto the Stage to create a new audio track.
2. Drag it onto the Timeline to place it at a specific point on an existing track.

Preview audio before committing

If you're auditioning several files, don't drop each one into the timeline. Use Split View instead:

1. In Procreate Dreams, tap the multitasking button at the top of the screen. If it isn't visible, tap near the top first to reveal it.
2. Tap Split View.
3. Open the Files app.
4. Navigate to the folder with your audio.
5. Tap a file to play it. You can scrub through it, which helps with long files where you only want a section.

When you find the right file, drag it from Files into your project. This keeps the timeline clean while you decide.

Trim and adjust levels

After the audio is in the project, trim it to match the action and use audio level keyframing to shape volume over time for final adjustments.

Separate audio from video clips

If you import a video clip that already carries sound, you can split it. Press and hold the clip until the context menu appears and choose Separate audio and video. The audio goes to a track directly above the video. If you selected several clips, each one gets its own audio track above it.

Watch your timeline length

Set your project's timeline length deliberately when you start. If the audio runs longer than the timeline, the overflow can't be edited. Confirm the duration before importing a full-length song or a long dialogue take. Dreams is also still being developed, so expect the occasional rough edge and keep backups of your project files.

Method 2: Export and Add Audio in a Video Editor

If you're staying in standard Procreate, or you simply prefer to finish in a professional editor, this is the most reliable approach. It's also the natural choice for anyone already working in Premiere Pro.

1. Finish and export the animation. Export in a format like MP4.
2. Import into your editor. Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, and DaVinci Resolve all work.
3. Add the audio to the timeline and line it up with the picture.
4. Export the final video with picture and sound together.

Export from Dreams for compositing

If you animate in Dreams and then finish elsewhere, the codec support is useful. Dreams can export ProRes, including ProRes 4444, and HEVC with alpha. To get a transparent export, turn on Transparent background under Movie settings → Stage, then go to Share → Advanced Export. ProRes is only available on supported hardware, and ProRes files must be in a .mov container.

Method 3: Mobile and Browser Editors

You can also export your animation and add sound in an editor like CapCut or InShot, or in browser tools like WeVideo or Clipchamp. These offer basic video editing features, including the option to add audio, and are fine for social clips and quick turnarounds. For client work or anything headed into a larger edit, use a desktop editor instead.

Which Method Should You Use?

The two approaches often combine well. Block out timing in Dreams against a scratch track, then export the picture and rebuild the final mix in your editor.

Tips for Tighter Audio Sync

Lock your frame rate early. If you draw at 12 fps in Procreate and your comp runs at 24 fps, hold frames deliberately ("on twos") so the timing translates.

Use a scratch track. Even a rough voice recording or temp music lets you place accents and mouth shapes correctly while you draw. You can swap in the final audio later as long as the length and beats match.

Mark your hits. In your editor, drop markers on key beats or phonemes, then check that your drawn poses land on them. This is faster than judging by ear on every pass.

Check sample rate and format. Keep your delivery audio at 48 kHz WAV where possible. It matches how Dreams handles audio on import.

Account for audio latency on export. Always play the exported file back, not just the project, to confirm picture and sound still line up, especially after converting between formats.

Work on the audio-length side first. If your dialogue is final, build the timeline around it. Retiming hand-drawn frames to fit changed audio takes much longer than the reverse.

Where Styleframe Fits in This Workflow

Procreate and Dreams are strong for hand-drawn keyframes, but the stage after that, extending those drawings into motion or restyling them, is where Styleframe can sit alongside your existing tools. Styleframe is an AI video and motion tool.

Sound still gets handled where it normally does: in Dreams during blocking, or in your video editor for the final sync and mix. That keeps your audio workflow intact while you add more options on the picture side.

Common Questions

Can I add audio in regular Procreate? No. Animation Assist has no audio import, so you need Dreams or an external editor.

Does Procreate Dreams include audio support out of the box? Yes. You can import supported audio formats from Files or Photos, or by dragging from another app, and then trim and keyframe levels on the timeline.

Can I pull audio out of a video clip in Dreams? Yes. Use the Separate audio and video option from the clip's context menu.

What audio format should I use? Anything on the supported list works. Since Dreams decompresses audio to PCM at 48 kHz on import, uncompressed WAV or AIFF at 48 kHz avoids unnecessary conversion.

What if my audio is longer than my project? Extend the timeline before importing, or trim the audio, since content beyond the timeline limit can't be edited.

Summary

If you need to hear the audio while you animate, use Procreate Dreams and drag your file onto the Stage or Timeline. If you only need it at the end, export your animation and finish in Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, or DaVinci Resolve. If you need transparency for compositing, Dreams can export ProRes 4444 or HEVC with alpha.