Move Logic Pro and MainStage content

To save space on your Mac, relocate the Logic Pro and MainStage Sound Library to an external drive.

The Sound Library contains all the sounds for the software instruments included with Logic Pro and MainStage. If you've installed Logic Pro and MainStage on the same Mac, both apps share the same Sound Library. When you move the Sound Library, it moves the Sound Library for both apps.

Only the Sound Library is moved—Apple Loops, Impulse Responses, and third-party content stay in their original locations on your Mac. If you want to move third-party content, check with the manufacturer for their recommendations.

If you're installing Logic Pro for the first time and you want to use an external drive for the Sound Library, first download the Essential Content to the system drive of your Mac. Then move the content to the external drive. When you download additional Sound Library content, Logic Pro automatically downloads it to the external drive.

Make sure to click Allow when Logic Pro asks for permission to access an external drive.

Move the Sound Library to an external drive

You can move the Sound Library to an external drive from Logic Pro or MainStage. You can store libraries on an external storage device such as a Thunderbolt drive, a USB drive, or a FireWire drive formatted as APFS or MacOS Extended (Journaled). You can't store your library on an external drive or other disk used for Time Machine backups.

  1. Make sure you're logged in to your Mac as an administrator.
  2. Connect an external drive to your Mac.
  3. Open Logic Pro, then choose Logic Pro > Sound Library > Relocate Sound Library, or MainStage > Sound Library > Relocate Sound Library.
  4. In the window, select the drive where you want to store the Sound Library, then click Relocate. A notification appears when the Sound Library has moved.
    If you get an error that says content can't be relocated, give Logic Pro access to your external drive.

You can't share a Sound Library between Mac computers. If you have more than one Mac running Logic Pro or MainStage, each Mac needs its own Sound Library.

Don't rename the external drive after you've moved your library. If you do, Logic Pro and MainStage won't be able to find the Sound Library.

Give Logic Pro access to your external drive

If you get an error that says content can't be relocated, give Logic Pro access to your external drive.

  1. Quit Logic Pro.
  2. On your Mac, choose Apple menu  > System Preferences, click Security and Privacy, then click Privacy.
  3. Click the lock button  to make changes.
  4. In the left column, click Full Disk Access, then select the checkbox next to Logic Pro in the application window on the right.

Move the Sound Library back to your Mac

After you've moved the Sound Library to an external drive, you might want to move it back to your Mac. For example, you might have a performance and you don't want to bring an external drive.

  1. Choose Logic Pro > Sound Library > Relocate Sound Library, or MainStage > Sound Library > Relocate Sound Library.
  2. In the window, select Macintosh HD, then click Relocate.

Download additional content

When you download additional Sound Library content for Logic Pro or MainStage from Apple, it's installed in the new location. To download additional content, choose Logic Pro > Open the Sound Library, select the content you want to download, then click Install. To install all content, click Select All Uninstalled, then click Install.

If the drive with the Sound Library is disconnected

If you open Logic Pro or MainStage without the external drive containing the Sound Library, you can choose what you want to do.

  • To open Logic Pro or MainStage and use the Sound Library on the external drive, connect the external drive and click Retry.
  • To continue to use the app without the Sound Library content, click Ignore. Any tracks with content from the missing Sound Library will be replaced with basic tones.
  • To install the Sound Library on your Mac, click Reset, then click Reset again. Logic Pro or MainStage will use the Sound Library on your Mac. Later, you can move the Sound Library back to your external drive.

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