AU plug-ins not showing in GarageBand on MacBook Pro

Question

Level 1

4 points

AU plug-ins not showing in GarageBand on MacBook Pro

GarageBand - downloaded AU plug-in not showing up on MacBook Pro.

Hi - I'm running 10.4 GarageBand on Sequoia on my 2018 MacBook Pro. Trying to d/l trusted 3rd Party AU plug-ins. Installation steps will say installation was successful, but it won't show up in the plug-ins area of the Smart Controls even after quitting and reopening GarageBand. I've also tried restating the Mac after downloading. I have also checked that the "Allow Applications from" in Privacy & Security will allow downloads from the AppStore & known developers. Also made sure the "Enable Audio Units" is checked in the Audio/Midi setting of GarageBand. Advise? Thanks! : )

MacBook Pro (2017 – 2020)

Posted on Dec 10, 2025 4:04 PM

Reply

Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

azaksalmarzur28

Level 4

1,212 points

Dec 10, 2025 10:40 PM in response to motorpsych

GarageBand on Sequoia only loads notarized AUv2 plug-ins in /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components. After installing a plug-in, open GarageBand → Settings → Audio/MIDI and choose Reset Audio Units, then check Manage Plugins to see validation errors. Also check System Settings → Privacy & Security for “Allow” prompts. If the plug-in is AUv3, VST, or not Intel-compatible, it will not appear.

Reply

Answer 2

motorpsych Author

Level 1

4 points

Dec 11, 2025 6:21 AM in response to azaksalmarzur28

Wow. Thank you for the VERY quick reply! I’ll follow your advice later today.

Reply