Flipnotes can contain a continuous Music track as well as three short sound-effect tracks. This guide explains the two main ways to add background music on RexiMemo: importing or recording audio in RexiMemo Flipnote Editor, or recording music into the original Flipnote Studio on a Nintendo DSi/3DS using the well-known sock-on-mic method.
If you are creating your Flipnote in RexiMemo Flipnote Editor, importing an MP3 or WAV gives you the cleanest and easiest result. If you are creating the Flipnote in the original Flipnote Studio on a real console, the sock method is a simple way to record music through the console microphone with less harsh distortion.
Understanding Flipnote audio
A Flipnote has four audio slots:
- Music is the background track. It plays automatically with the animation.
- Sound 1, Sound 2 and Sound 3 are short sound effects that can be triggered on individual pages.
If you want a song or continuous background audio, use the Music slot. Sound 1-3 are intended for short effects rather than a full song.
Adding music with RexiMemo Flipnote Editor
Open Flipnote Editor and create or open your Flipnote. Then open tab 4, Sound & Photos.
Option 1: Import an MP3 or WAV
This is normally the easiest way to add clean music to an editor-made Flipnote.
- Open Sound & Photos.
- Hold Shift and click the Music button. On a touch device, long-press the Music button instead.
- Choose an audio source:
- Upload audio to choose an MP3 or WAV from your device.
- RexiMemo to browse supported audio from an unlocked Flipnote on RexiMemo.
- If uploading a file, choose an .mp3 or .wav file. The editor accepts files up to 50 MB.
- The audio trimmer will open. Move the start and end controls until the highlighted part contains the section you want to use.
- Use Preview clip to listen before saving it.
- Watch the volume meter. Very loud source material can sound rough after it is converted into Flipnote audio, so leaving some headroom usually gives a cleaner result.
- Choose Use clip when you are happy with the selection.
HD Music on RexiMemo
When you import Music from a local MP3 or WAV in RexiMemo Flipnote Editor, RexiMemo can preserve the original-quality audio separately from the PPM. We call this HD Music.
The Flipnote still contains a normal Flipnote-compatible Music track inside the PPM, so downloads and playback on a Nintendo DSi continue to work normally. The separate HD Music copy is used only by RexiMemo's website, where it can play the selected part of the original MP3/WAV instead of the PPM's compressed Music track.
- HD Music works at any Flipnote playback speed.
- It applies to Music imported from a local MP3 or WAV.
- Microphone-recorded Music and audio imported from another RexiMemo Flipnote continue to use normal PPM audio.
- Sound 1, Sound 2 and Sound 3 still come from the PPM.
On a supported Flipnote's watch page, a purple HD Music button appears above Make spin-off!. While the higher-quality track is loading, the button shows a spinner. Once it is ready, it says Disable HD Music.
Select Disable HD Music to hear the original PPM audio instead. The button then changes to Enable HD Music, which switches the higher-quality Music back on. This only changes what you hear in the browser and does not modify the Flipnote file.
If the separate HD Music file cannot be loaded or decoded, RexiMemo keeps using the normal Music stored inside the PPM.
Making the Flipnote long enough for the song
By default, imported Music is limited to the current length of the Flipnote. For example, if the animation is only five seconds long, the Music selection is also limited to about five seconds.
When importing Music, you can enable Automatically add frames to match this music. RexiMemo will add enough blank pages for the selected part of the song at the current playback speed, up to the editor's Flipnote-style 999-page limit.
The number of pages needed for a song depends on the selected Flipnote speed. If you already know the speed you want to animate at, choose it before automatically extending the Flipnote.
Music and playback speed
Flipnote music is tied to the animation speed. If you change the Flipnote's playback speed after adding Music, RexiMemo changes the Music track's playback rate as well so that the same parts of the song remain aligned with the same pages.
This means changing speed can also change the Music track's tempo and pitch, similar to the behaviour expected from Flipnote audio. If you want the song to stay at its original sound, choose your final Flipnote speed before importing and timing the track.
Option 2: Record music through your browser microphone
You can also record directly into the Music slot instead of importing a file.
- Open Sound & Photos.
- Click the empty Music button normally, without holding Shift.
- Allow microphone access if your browser asks for permission.
- Play the music from another device near your microphone.
- Click the Music button again to stop early, or let recording stop automatically when the available Music length is reached.
The editor's volume monitor shows the incoming level while audio is being recorded or played. If the level is constantly reaching the loudest part of the meter, reduce the volume of the source device and try again.
Replacing or removing Music
If Music is already present, clicking the Music button previews it. Hold Shift and click Music to import a replacement, or long-press on touch devices.
Once a Music track exists, the audio erase control also appears. Use it to remove the Music track completely.
Adding music in original Flipnote Studio with the sock method
The original Flipnote Studio records background Music through the console microphone. A common technique for getting a cleaner recording is usually called Sock on Mic or simply the sock method.
The idea is simple: a clean sock sits between the speaker and the console microphone. This softens the direct blast of sound into the tiny microphone and makes it easier to avoid harsh clipping.
What you need
- A Nintendo DSi, DSi XL, 2DS or 3DS running the original Flipnote Studio DSiWare application.
- A clean sock.
- Another device that can play the song, such as a phone, computer, music player or another console.
Step-by-step: Sock on Mic
- Prepare the Flipnote first. Create the pages you need, or add enough blank pages for roughly the length of music you want to record. The Music recording follows the duration available in the Flipnote.
- Open the Sound screen in Flipnote Studio by tapping the microphone icon in the Toolbox.
- Locate the microphone on your console and place a clean sock over that area.
- Place the speaker of your music-playing device against the sock, directly over the console microphone area.
- Do not start recording yet. Start playing the song first and watch Flipnote Studio's audio level display.
- Adjust the volume on the music-playing device so the level remains strong but stays below the red/clipping area. If the source is too loud, the recording will distort.
- Restart or seek the song back to the correct starting point.
- Start the Music recording in Flipnote Studio, then immediately play the song from the beginning.
- Keep the console and audio source still until the recording is finished.
- Play the Flipnote back and listen for distortion, hiss or an incorrect starting point. If necessary, reduce the source volume slightly and record again.
The DSi microphone can clip very easily. A quieter clean recording usually sounds better than a loud distorted one. The useful target is a strong signal that stays just below the red part of Flipnote Studio's meter.
Optional: the Speed 5 to Speed 6 technique
An optional recording technique sometimes used with the sock method is to record the music at a slower Flipnote speed, then speed the Flipnote back up afterwards:
- Open the song in audio-editing software on a computer.
- Slow the song to 50% speed and save that slowed version.
- Set the Flipnote to Speed 5.
- Record the slowed audio using the sock method.
- When recording is finished, change the Flipnote to Speed 6.
Because the animation and recorded Music speed up together when moving from Speed 5 to Speed 6, the song returns close to its original speed while benefiting from the slower recording process.
This is an optional technique. The normal sock method is much simpler and is usually enough if your source volume is set correctly.
What about importing sounds from Nintendo DSi Sound?
Flipnote Studio can also import clips saved in the Nintendo DSi Sound application when Advanced Tools are enabled. Nintendo's instructions are to open the Sound screen, hold the L Button and select one of the available sound bubbles, then choose a saved clip.
This can be useful for prepared clips and sound effects. For recording a full song from another device, the sock-on-mic method is generally the more direct approach.
Getting the music in sync
Whichever method you use, it helps to plan the timing before animating every page.
- Choose your final Flipnote playback speed early.
- Add or record the Music track.
- Play the Flipnote and note where important beats, lyrics or changes happen.
- Animate key poses around those pages.
- Preview often. Small timing changes are easier to fix before the animation becomes complicated.
In RexiMemo Flipnote Editor, the timeline follows the current page during playback, which can make it easier to see exactly where a beat or lyric lands.
Music versus Sound 1, Sound 2 and Sound 3
Use Music for a continuous backing track.
Use Sound 1-3 for short effects such as impacts, voices, clicks or individual samples. In RexiMemo Flipnote Editor each imported or recorded sound-effect clip is limited to about 2 seconds. During playback you can fire Sound 1, 2 or 3 and stamp that sound onto the page currently on screen so it triggers automatically on later playbacks.
Frequently asked questions
Can I upload an MP3 directly into original Flipnote Studio on a DSi?
Not as a normal full-song file import. Original Flipnote Studio records Music through the microphone, while its Advanced Tools can import compatible clips from Nintendo DSi Sound. For full music from another device, use the microphone recording flow, with the sock method if you want a cleaner result.
Why does my DSi recording sound crunchy or distorted?
The source is probably too loud for the console microphone. Play the music before recording and reduce the source volume until Flipnote Studio's level stays just below the red area.
Does the sock need to be thick?
No particular thickness is required. The important parts are that it is clean, covers the microphone area, and keeps the speaker from blasting directly into the microphone. If the result sounds muffled, try a thinner layer or move the source slightly away.
Why did RexiMemo cut off the end of my imported song?
The Music track is normally limited by the current Flipnote duration. Import the track again and enable Automatically add frames to match this music, or add more pages before importing.
Can I use music from another RexiMemo Flipnote?
When the audio importer offers the RexiMemo source browser, you can browse supported unlocked Flipnotes, preview their available audio and choose one as an import source. It then goes through the same trimming flow as a local MP3 or WAV.
Can I change the Flipnote speed after adding music?
Yes, but in RexiMemo Flipnote Editor the Music track changes tempo and pitch with the animation speed to preserve page alignment. For predictable timing and sound, choose your intended speed before finalising the music.
Why does an editor-made Flipnote sound better on RexiMemo than on a DSi?
If the Flipnote has HD Music, RexiMemo's website is playing the original-quality imported MP3/WAV Music while the DSi is playing the Flipnote-compatible Music stored inside the PPM. The animation itself is the same.
Can I turn HD Music off?
Yes. On supported watch pages, use the purple Disable HD Music button above Make spin-off!. It switches web playback back to the original PPM audio. Select Enable HD Music to turn the higher-quality Music back on.
Can I use any song I want?
Only use music that you are allowed to use. Copyright and licensing rules still apply to music added to a Flipnote, regardless of whether it was imported digitally or recorded through a console microphone.
Original Flipnote Studio reference
For the original console sound controls, Nintendo's Flipnote Studio support documentation explains how Music and sound effects are recorded, removed and imported: