Music & Audio

How to Completely Uninstall GarageBand on Mac

To remove GarageBand, quit the app and drag it from the Applications folder to the Trash. Since it is an Apple app from the App Store, you can download it again for free using the same Apple Account.

Last updated: October 31, 20263 min read

Remove GarageBand and everything it leaves behind

GarageBand data usually takes 1 GB – 30 GB on a Mac. The free scan shows the exact size on your Mac before you change anything.

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Free scan · No account · Nothing is deleted without your OK · Moves to the Trash first · macOS 14+

Application: GarageBand
Typical data size: 1 GB – 30 GB
Category: Music & Audio
File Location: ~/Music/GarageBand

Manual cleanup steps

Quit the app completely (⌘+Q in the menu bar).
Move GarageBand from the Applications folder to the Trash.
Remove the folders GarageBand left behind, listed in the table below.
Empty the Trash to free up the space.

Everything GarageBand keeps on your Mac

6 locations. Tick each one as you remove it; back up anything marked as your data first.

~/Music/GarageBand Your files · your GarageBand projects Back up first: your data/Library/Application Support/GarageBand Other · instruments and sound library content Only if no other app uses it/Library/Audio/Apple Loops/Apple Other · Apple Loops shared with Logic Pro Only if no other app uses it/Library/Application Support/Logic Other · sampler instruments and patches shared with Logic Pro Only if no other app uses it~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.garageband10.plist Settings · app settings Yes, settings reset~/Library/Containers/com.apple.garageband10 Sandbox container · sandbox data and settings of GarageBand Yes, once the app is gone

Locations are the standard macOS folders GarageBand uses; some appear only after you use the matching feature.

What happens when you delete GarageBand

Specific to GarageBand

Dragging the app to the Trash does not remove its associated data, which typically ranges from 1 GB – 30 GB. User projects, preferences, and sandbox data remain in their respective folders. Additionally, large sound libraries and Apple Loops are kept because they are shared with Logic Pro.

Account and sync: GarageBand comes from the App Store with your Apple Account and can be downloaded again.

Preparing to uninstall GarageBand

Before removal, determine if other software like MainStage still requires the shared instrument and loop folders. You should manually handle your personal song files since they are stored separately. Note that any deleted extra sound library must be downloaded again upon reinstallation.

Copy all projects from ~/Music/GarageBand you wish to keepVerify if Logic Pro or MainStage still use shared sound librariesQuit the app completely

0 of 3 done

By hand or with OptiClear

	By hand	With OptiClear
Places to check	6 folders, one by one	One scan
File sizes	You look them up yourself	Shown for every item
Removing the wrong thing	Easy to delete the wrong folder	Goes to the Trash first, so it can be restored
Cost	Free	Scan is free; cleaning needs Pro (yearly plan has a 7-day free trial)

See it working

OptiClear — Scan overview — every category on one screen — Scan overview — every category on one screen

OptiClear — Privacy audit: what each app has been allowed to reach — Privacy audit: what each app has been allowed to reach

OptiClear — Large and aging files, ranked by what they cost you — Large and aging files, ranked by what they cost you

Try it without risk

Download and scan for freeSee every GarageBand file and its size. No account needed.
Clean free for 7 daysStart the 7-day free trial of the yearly plan inside the app.
Keep it or cancelCancel in your App Store settings at least 24 hours before the trial ends and you won't be charged.

Download free and scan

After the free trial, Pro costs $39.99 per year in your country's App Store; cancel any time.

Frequently asked questions

Not all of them. Folders marked “Back up first: your data” hold your own GarageBand data: back them up before removing them. Items marked “Only if no other app uses it” are also used by other apps from the same company; keep them while any of those apps is installed. Folders marked “Yes, settings reset” hold settings, which return to their defaults. Items marked “Yes, once the app is gone” only matter while GarageBand is installed, so remove them after the app.

Will removing the application also delete my recorded songs?

No, your projects stay in the music folder until you remove them separately.

Why is there so much data left after moving the app to Trash?

Most of the size comes from the sound library, which is shared across different apps.