Troubleshooting

The most common GarageBand problems, and what to try first. Still stuck? Check the FAQ or Apple's official support pages.

No sound at all when I hit play

Check GarageBand's output device: Settings/Preferences → Audio/MIDI, and confirm the right output (built-in speakers, headphones, or an interface) is selected.
Check your Mac's system volume and output device separately — GarageBand can be set correctly while macOS itself is routed elsewhere.
Make sure the track isn't muted, and that no other track is soloed (a soloed track silences every other track, which is easy to forget about).
Check the master volume slider in the control bar hasn't been dragged down.

My microphone isn't recording / no input signal

Check your input device: Settings/Preferences → Audio/MIDI, and confirm the right input (built-in mic, USB mic, or interface) is selected.
Make sure the track is record-enabled (the record-enable button in the track header should be lit) — an unarmed track plays back fine but never captures new audio.
Speak or play at the volume you intend to record and watch the input meter — if it never moves at all, the issue is almost always the input device selection above.
If you're using an audio interface, check its physical gain knob and any hardware mute switch.

GarageBand won't open, freezes, or crashes

Restart your Mac — this clears out a surprising number of one-off audio driver glitches.
Make sure you're running a supported version of macOS for your GarageBand version, and check the Mac App Store for a pending GarageBand update.
If a specific project won't open, try opening a brand-new empty project first — if that works, the issue is likely with that one project file rather than GarageBand itself.
Free up disk space — GarageBand (and macOS generally) can behave unpredictably when a Mac's storage is nearly full.

I can't find my exported song

By default, exports land in your Music folder, often inside a GarageBand subfolder, unless you chose a different destination during export.
Use Finder's search for the file name you gave it during Share → Export Song to Disk.
Re-export and pay attention to the destination folder shown in the export dialog — it's easy to miss on a fast click-through.

A project won't open on another Mac

Confirm the other Mac has a GarageBand version equal to or newer than the one the project was created in — an older version can't open a newer project format.
Make sure the entire project package was copied, not just part of it — a GarageBand project is a single `.band` file (technically a package/folder), so copying it via AirDrop, iCloud Drive, or a USB drive as one item is safest.
If any audio was recorded from a specific plugin or loop pack, confirm the destination Mac has the same content installed — GarageBand will prompt to download anything missing.

My audio interface isn't detected

Check the physical connection — try a different USB port or cable, since a faulty cable is a common, easy-to-miss cause.
Confirm the interface appears in System Settings → Sound before checking GarageBand — if macOS itself doesn't see it, GarageBand won't either.
Install any manufacturer driver or control panel software the interface requires — most class-compliant interfaces work without one, but some need it for full functionality.
Quit and reopen GarageBand after connecting the interface, so it re-scans available audio devices.

There's a noticeable delay (latency) when I record

Lower your audio buffer size in Settings/Preferences → Audio/MIDI — a smaller buffer reduces latency at the cost of more strain on your Mac.
Close other demanding apps running at the same time to free up processing headroom.
If latency is only bad on a specific heavy project, try freezing your most demanding software instrument tracks before recording a new part.

Some loops or sounds are missing or shown as placeholders

GarageBand ships with a base sound library and offers additional loop/instrument packs as a separate download — missing sounds are usually just content that hasn't been downloaded yet.
Open the Loop Browser or Sound Library and look for a download prompt or an explicit 'download all available sound packs' option.
Make sure you have a stable internet connection and enough free disk space, since the full library is a large download.

I made a mistake and can't undo it

Command-Z undoes the last action, and GarageBand's undo history usually goes back several steps, not just one.
If you've already closed the project, check for an autosave or a previous version via File → Revert To (where available) before redoing work from scratch.
Going forward, save a new version (File → Save As, with a version number) before any risky, large-scale edit — it costs nothing and gives you a safe point to return to.

My MIDI keyboard isn't responding

Confirm the keyboard is connected and powered on before opening GarageBand — some controllers aren't recognized if plugged in after the app is already running.
Check that a Software Instrument track (not an Audio track) is selected — a MIDI keyboard has no effect on an Audio track.
Try a different USB port or cable, and check the keyboard works with another app if possible, to rule out a hardware issue.
As a fallback, GarageBand's Musical Typing feature lets you play notes with your computer keyboard while you troubleshoot.