• macOS
  • Audio

Sample libraries fill a Mac faster than anything else you install

Sound libraries, sample instruments, project files and bounces, where each one lives and which of them belong on an external drive.

6 min read

Music production is the one workload where the software is bigger than the work. A recording session is measured in gigabytes; the instruments you record it with are measured in hundreds. On a 512 GB Mac that ordering decides how the machine is set up.

Where it all goes

FolderWhat is in it
/Library/Application Support/LogicLogic's sound library, the part that downloads after install
/Library/Audio/Apple LoopsLoops shared by Logic and GarageBand
/Library/Application Support/GarageBandGarageBand's own instruments and lessons
~/Music/Audio Music AppsYour settings, patches and channel strips
~/Library/Audio/Plug-InsAudio Units, small individually
Wherever the installer choseSample libraries, which is the real problem

Measure yours

du -sh /Library/Application\ Support/Logic /Library/Audio/Apple\ Loops \
      /Library/Application\ Support/GarageBand ~/Music/Audio\ Music\ Apps 2>/dev/null

# Sample libraries hide under vendor names. This finds the large ones anywhere.
sudo find / -type d \( -name "*Kontakt*" -o -name "*Native Instruments*" \
  -o -name "*Spitfire*" -o -name "*Komplete*" -o -name "*Samples*" \) \
  -prune -exec du -sh {} \; 2>/dev/null | sort -h | tail -15

What belongs on an external drive

  • Sample libraries. They are read sequentially during playback and a decent external SSD keeps up. This is the single biggest move available.
  • Finished projects and bounces. Anything mastered is archive, not working data.
  • Sessions with recorded audio you are not mixing this month.
  • Not the plugins themselves. Audio Units and VSTs are small and must stay where the host expects them.

The trap with moving libraries

Sample instruments record where their content lives, and some do it badly. Move a library by dragging it and the instrument reports missing samples the next time you open a session.

  1. Use the vendor's own relocation tool where one exists, such as the library manager in Native Instruments' software.
  2. Otherwise move the folder, then point the plugin at the new location from inside the plugin.
  3. Test by opening an old session before deleting anything from the internal drive.
  4. Keep the external drive connected at the same mount point, since a different name breaks the path again.

For projects rather than instruments, audio project files covers the sessions themselves, and the Logic and GarageBand sound library covers what Apple installs. The mechanics of moving any of it are in moving files to an external drive.

Common questions

Why is my Mac full when I only make music?

Because sample libraries and sound libraries are far larger than your recordings. A full Logic sound library runs to tens of gigabytes, and third party sample instruments are commonly larger again.

Where is the Logic sound library stored?

In /Library/Application Support/Logic, with shared loops in /Library/Audio/Apple Loops and your own settings in ~/Music/Audio Music Apps.

Can I move sample libraries to an external drive?

Yes, and it is usually the largest saving available. Use the vendor's relocation tool where there is one, since some instruments record the path and report missing samples after a plain drag.

Should plugins go on an external drive too?

No. Audio Units and VSTs are small and hosts expect them in the standard locations. Move the sample content, not the plugins.

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