Offline Bounce
Definition
The process of rendering audio faster than real-time by processing the audio data computationally without playing it back through the audio engine. Faster than real-time bouncing, but may not accurately capture real-time-dependent effects, external hardware, or certain time-sensitive plugin behaviors.
Context
Most modern DAWs support offline bouncing. Pro Tools historically required real-time bouncing for sessions using external hardware inserts. Ableton Live’s export is always offline. Some engineers prefer real-time bouncing as a final quality check, listening to the mix one last time during the bounce process.