How To Get Garageband For Free On Mac

More sounds, more inspiration. Plug in your USB keyboard and dive into the completely inspiring. Launch your fully equipped, free, music studio right from your Mac. With GarageBand, you get full control to make music the way you’re comfortable with. Having a guitar lets you plug in and use any amp of your choosing, or choose an instrument from the extensive library available. You choose your style and jam with the perfect drummer. Apple has a policy of not allowing older operating systems to be available so you would need to check out ebay for a copy of an older operating system. Garageband in whatever version is matched to the operating system of the time, so none of us. Garageband For Mac Os; Free Download Garageband For Mac; Get Garageband Free Mac Free; May 31, 2019 Download GarageBand for Mac Free. With GarageBand Mac app, you can easily and efficiently create music or podcasts from your Mac desktop PC. It is a fully equipped music creation studio with which music creation is a breeze and in the key of ease.

I've seen a lot of posts with people having similar issues installing GarageBand on their older Macs. I made the mistake of doing a clean install of MacOS 10.13.6, which is High Sierra. I tried installing GarageBand from the App Store, but it just kept crashing. After fussing with Apple support for two days, the simple answer is 'It doesn't work'!


There is a solution however, but you have to be willing to revert back to a previous version of MacOS. The earliest version you can still download and install from Apple is Yosemite. After jumping through some hoops, I am happy to report everything works as it did before I made the mistake of upgrading my MacOS to High Sierra. Here's how I did it. WARNING, PROCEED AT YOUR OWN RISK, AND MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A BACKUP OF YOUR SYSTEM AND DATA


In order to install a working version of GarageBand, you will need two things:

  1. An App store account with a historical purchase of GarageBand that you can click on to redownload and install a copy of GarageBand. The App Store will automatically check what MacOS you are running, and download an older, compatible version.
  2. You need to be running MacOS Yosemite.
For


Download Yosmite MacOS

Click on this link: https://support.apple.com/en-ph/HT211683


Scroll down to the Yosemite link and click on it. Your web browser will download the Yosemite installer as a disk image named InstallOS.dmg or InstallMacOSX.dmg. This next step does not actually install the MacOS. It just installs the installation application so that you can run the installer. Open the disk image, then open the .pkg installer inside the disk image. It will install an app named “Install OS X Yosemite” in your Applications folder. Now you are ready to create a bootable USB startup disk containing the Yosemite MacOS installer.


Create Bootable USB

Plug a 16GB (minimum size) USB thumb drive into your Mac. Next, rename the drive: USB. In order to create a bootable drive, you will need to use a Mac app called Terminal. You can find the Terminal app inside the Applications folder, inside the Utilities folder. Launch Terminal. You will be using the 'createinstallmedia' command in Terminal.


Type or paste the command below in Terminal. The command assumes that the installer is already in your Applications folder, and USB is the name of the USB flash drive you're using (as directed above. The syntax must be exact!


sudo /Applications/Install OS X Yosemite.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/USB --applicationpath /Applications/Install OS X Yosemite.app


Installing Yosemite MacOS

Restart your Mac holding the “Option” key. This will put your Mac into Restore mode. When the OS comes up, it will prompt you for which hard drive to boot from. Select your “Install OS X Yosemite” USB drive.


The installer will launch a minimal OS containing a restore application menu. Before you can install your new Yosemite OS, you will need to erase your existing hard drive.


WARNING, THIS NEXT STEP IS IRREVERSIBLE!!! MAKE SURE YOU HAVE YOUR SYSTEM AND DATA BACKED UP, AND YOU HAVE AN ALTERNATE METHOD TO INSTALL THE LAST VERSION OF MAC OS YOU ARE CURRENTLY RUNNING. NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR LOST DATA.


Launch the Disk Utility app, select your internal hard drive, and erase it. It will reformat as MacOS Extended Journaled.


Quit the Disk Utility app, which will return you to the restore application menu. Now select the “Install Mac OS app from the list, and proceed to installing a copy of Yosemite.


Installing GarageBand

Go to the App Store, log in, and click on the install button of your previously purchased copy of GarageBand. Enjoy making music!

iMac 27″, OS X 10.10

Posted on Dec 7, 2020 4:46 PM

Macbook
This post was most recently updated on September 26th, 2021

Despite the fact that GarageBand is a fairly complex DAW (especially given that it’s free), it can be easy to fall into the trap of creating music that sounds just like everyone else’s.

That’s because there are only a finite number of combinations of stock loops, software instruments, and drummer tracks!

The key to getting out of this rut is using free GarageBand plugins to spice up your tracks and make your productions stand out, and that’s exactly what you’re going to learn about here.

Before we get into it though, if you’re new to the software, you should first check out our GarageBand tutorial for a solid overview of Garageband.

Let’s dive in.

Does GarageBand Allow Plugins?

The short answer here is yes, it does allow the use of plugins. In fact, there are a couple of different kinds you can put into play:

  • Stock plugins
  • Free AU plugins

Be careful not to use plugins to mask a poorly edited track though.

Need to get your editing sorted?

Learn how to edit, cut and more tips in this song making tutorial using GarageBand.

Where Are GarageBand Plugins?

The easiest way to access plugins in the DAW is to double click on a track (or hit B), to bring up the Smart Control view.

Depending on the type of track you have selected, you may not see the Transform header at the top of the window, but you should see both Controls and EQ.

On software instruments, Controls gives you access to manipulate the various elements within a synth.

On an audio track, Controls will give access to a multi-effect display which includes Compression and EQ controls, as well as sends for reverb and ambience. The knobs assigned to the EQ controls manipulate the same plugin as in the EQ tab.

To activate, de-activate, or add new plugins, click the drop down menu:

Using GarageBand’s Stock Plugins

Apple borrowed a number of slick plugins from its bigger brother, Logic Pro X, filing them under the following groups:

  • Amps and Pedals
  • Compressor
  • Delay
  • Distortion
  • Dynamics
  • EQ
  • Imaging
  • Filter
  • Modulation
  • Pitch
  • Reverb
  • Specialized
  • Utility
MacFor

This might seem like a pretty overwhelming list, but don’t worry, you don’t need to master all of them straight away. Here are a few of the important one’s you’ll want to get your head around:

Compression

The stock compressor is pretty simple, with a no frills interface.

You have access to four controls:

  • Threshold – determines the point at which the compressor kicks in
  • Ratio – how much the signal is compressed once it passes the threshold
  • Attack – how quickly the compressor reacts after the signal passes the threshold
  • Gain – adjusts for any loss in perceived volume due to compression

Alternatively, you can use the simple one-knob interface under Controls. Turning up the amount knob here essentially lowers the threshold while applying automatic make-up gain depending on the level of compression.

EQ

This paragraphic EQ module is borrowed from Logic Pro X, and is available on every track under Smart Controls.

This is a solid equalizer with high and low shelves, high and low pass filters, and 4 parametric bell type EQ nodes.

GarageBand has a whopping 4 reverb plugins, giving you the ability to create space in a mix to your heart’s content, airy or eerie!

They all offer something a little different, most notably in the controls you have available. Space Designer is a simple three control reverb and a great starting place.

But if you need something more complex, we’d shoot for the PlatinumVerb.

Delay

Commonly used on guitars and vocals, delay can be a great way to add a little depth, dynamics, and interest to a mix.

You have access to 5 different delays, ranging from the simple Sample Delay to the complex Stereo Delay plugin.

Amps and Pedals

Amp Designer

One of the miracles of modern recording is the ability to simply plug your guitar into your Mac or iPad, and use free amp and pedal simulators.

Apple’s free DAW gives you access to the famed Amp Designer, offering no less than 26 amp models, which can be paired with any of the plugin’s 26 cabinets and mic’d with a selection of condenser, dynamic, and ribbon microphones.

There are some pretty sick presets included too.

Pedalboard

Any legit guitarist loves to stack a few pedals in front of their amp, whether that’s a subtle overdrive, or an array of modulation and delay effects.

Those recording guitar and bass direct into this epic DAW can enjoy the same luxury, thanks to an epic range of pedals in the Pedalboard plugin.

Don’t limit yourself to using these incredibly deep and versatile plugins only on guitar and bass though, they can be equally interesting on synth or drum parts!

How Do I Add Plugins To GarageBand?

How To Get Garageband For Free On Mac Download

You aren’t limited to just the stock plugins. Just like you can pick up a new outboard compressor or reverb and plug her into your studio, you can buy and download additional plugins as you see fit. This can be a sweet way to give yourself a little extra inspiration when needed.

Plus, there are some amazing free GarageBand plugins out there. Just do a Google search for “free vst plugins, vst plugins free, vsts free, or vst free” and you’ll get a ton of awesome results.

How To Get Garageband For Free On Mac Laptop

You’ll want to make sure they’re compatible first though. Apple uses the AU plugin protocol, as opposed to AAX or VST.

Unfortunately the term ‘VST’ has kind of become a catchall term for all types of plugins, which admittedly makes things confusing. Just make sure you select the AU option.

Once you’ve found something you like, installing them is pretty easy. Simply download the package and follow the installation instructions. This might involve having to drag a ‘Component’ file into your plugins folder. This is pretty straightforward.

Download Garageband For Mac

From Finder, head to Macintosh HD>Library>Audio>Plug-Ins>Components, and drag the component file into this folder.

You’ll then need to shut GarageBand and reopen it, so it can rescan your computer. In some cases, you might need to restart your Mac altogether.

A Few Of Our Favourite Free Plugins

There are a bunch of great free plugins for GarageBand, but there are a couple that we seriously love, and want to share with you all.

Abletunes have three free plugins known as Abletunes Knobs. They are simple one-knob plugins, each with a different twist:

  • Drive – distortion unit
  • Attack – transient designer
  • Space – reverb

iZotope is an all-time favourite plugin manufacturer for sound engineers the world over. Their free Vocal Doubler plugin is an epic way to add a bit of thickness to a vocal melody.

Need a bit more? How about a lot more? Melda Production offers a sweet plugin bundle called MFreeFXBundle, which is a set of 37 amazing plugins, from analyzers to saturation to delays.

TX16Wx Software Sampler is a pretty comprehensive tool, and one worth downloading for anyone wanting to learn how to sample in GarageBand.

Conclusion

From simple one-knob compressors to the complexity of Amp Designer, GarageBand’s stock plugins can take you pretty damn far. And with the wide range of free plugins available, you can go even further.

How To Get Garageband For Free On Mac

Got a free plugin you really like using? Share it below.