So you want to get rid of some music software on your Mac and you’re not quite sure where to go to delete your plugins.
In this article, we’ll show you exactly how to uninstall VST plugins on Mac, so you can free up more space or speed up your machine.
Contents
Where Are VST Plugins Stored on Mac?
Both VST plugins and AU devices can be found by navigating to Finder, choosing Go -> Computer -> Macintosh HD -> Library -> Audio -> Plugins. Here you’ll find VST, VST3 and AU plugins. Select “VST” to navigate to your VST folder. AU plugins are found in “Components”.
You will find all of your plugins installed here, and you can use this folder to install plugins on Garageband, Ableton or Logic – no matter the DAW you’re using.
Some plugins will require you to uninstall them using the original installer you used to download them. Plugins from companies like Softube, Waves, iZotope, all have central installers. Use these to remove your plugins instead.
How To Uninstall VST Plugins Mac
1. Navigate to Computer\Macintosh HD\Library\Audio\Plugins
To do this, open “Finder” and select “Go” in the taskbar menu located at the top of your Mac’s screen. Then select “Computer”, “Macintosh HD”, “Library”, “Audio”, “Plugins”.
2. Choose VST, VST3, or Components
If you would like to uninstall your VST plugins, select the VST folder. If you’d like to uninstall your AU plugins, then these are found in the components folder.
3. Select the plugin you want to delete and move to trash
Once you’re in the folder, just find the plugin you’d like to delete and then move it to your trash can. Once you’ve done this, your plugin is removed.
If you have AU and VST plugins both installed on your system, then you need to delete both the VST and the AU plugin.
To do this make sure you navigate into the VST folder, then delete your VST. Then navigate to the components folder and delete the AU plugin
4. Delete both VST and AU plugins
Can Macs Use VST Plugins?
Macs can use VST plugins. It’s better to use VST plugins on Mac to allow for cross-compatibility so we would suggest using VSTs. AU does have the edge over VST when talking about speed, but it lacks compatibility.
AU plugins are built for core audio on Mac and will therefore give you a better experience – crashing less and loading faster. However, this isn’t worth the trade-off unless you’re a Mac-only user and collab with Mac-only people.
Which Is Best To Use VST or AU on Mac?
VST is better to use when producing music on Mac. Although AU is faster there is no cross-compatibility between Windows and Mac. If you’re collaborating with someone, or just want to open your DAW session on your PC, using VST will open everything as it was.
If you use AU devices, you won’t be able to open these on Windows. This is a nightmare because you can’t even go back and change your AU plugin for a VST plugin on Mac (otherwise you’ll lose your settings). You can circumvent this by saving each plugin as a preset. But, if you’ve got a big project this is very time-consuming.
To avoid the headache in the future, use VST plugins in all your sessions. You never know when you might need to open your DAW file on a Windows machine.
My Plugin Isn’t in The Plugin Folder, How Do I Delete it?
If you can’t find your plugins located in Computer\Macintosh HD\Library\Audio\Plugins, then it’s likely you installed them using 3rd party software. If you’re using iZotope, Waves, Softube etc. you’ll have to uninstall your plugin using the installer you used to install them in the first place.
I Can’t Find My VST Plugins on Ableton Mac – How To Use VST Plugins With Ableton Live on Mac
Initially, Ableton is not set up to use VST plugins with Mac. It will only show AU, because they have been built for Mac and run a lot smoother on your core audio drivers. However, there are scenarios where you’d want to use VSTs over AUs and we’d actually recommend using VST over AU.
To set up VSTs in Ableton Live on Mac:
1. Go to “Live” -> “Preferences
Go to the top left-hand corner of Ableton Live labelled “Live”, click it and then select “preferences”. Alternatively you can use the shortcut: “CMD + ,”.
2. Navigate to the “Plug-ins” section
In the preferences menu, you want to select the “Plug-ins” tab, on the left-hand side. This will open up all the settings for plugins.
3. Select “Use VST2 & VST3 plug-in in system folders”
You’ll notice that these are not on by default. Turn these on and your system will scan for VST plugins in the default folders.
To find the default folders, you can follow the steps at the top of this article.
Conclusion
Uninstalling VST plugins on a Mac is a straightforward process. VST and AU plugins can be located and managed in the Macintosh HD Library under the Audio and Plugins folders.
Macs are compatible with both VST and AU plugins. While AU plugins offer speed and stability on Macs, VST plugins are recommended for their cross-compatibility with Windows systems, crucial for collaborative work and flexibility in DAW usage.
For Ableton Live users on Mac, enabling VST plugin use requires accessing the ‘Preferences’ and turning on the option for VST2 & VST3 plugins. This adjustment allows Ableton to recognize and utilize VST plugins, enhancing the software’s versatility.
