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Copy GarageBand 5.1 to new computer and use 2 versions of GarageBand

I have an old MacBook Pro with hundreds of songs and mixes on GarageBand 5.1.

A iMac with Monterey OS and GarageBand 10.4.8 was given to me.

My mixes made on the 5.1 version won’t play on the iMac with the 10.4.8 version.

is there a way to fix that?

Can I add a new folder in Applications and transfer GB 09 to the iMac?

And would it work with Monterey OS?

iMac 21.5″, 12.6

Posted on May 29, 2023 10:53 AM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on May 29, 2023 12:33 PM

It will not be possible to use GarageBand 5.1 on a mac with macOS 12 Monterey.


This version needs old iLife Frameworks with 32-bit code that are no longer available in any system version later than macOS 10.14 Mojave.

What happens, when you try to open the song mixes on your new Mac? Can the Mac not open the GarageBand projects at all? Or are sounds and loops missing and the projects are not playing well?

You may want to transfer the missing instruments and loops to your new Mac.


When I upgraded to a new GarageBand version I never uninstalled the old instruments and loops, and all older projects can be opened in the current GarageBand version.

You will find the instrument library installed at /Library/Application Support/GarageBand 

and the loop library at /Library/Audio/Apple Loops 


Try to copy the missing items from these folders to the corresponding folders on your new Mac.

3 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

May 29, 2023 12:33 PM in response to Hawaiiluana

It will not be possible to use GarageBand 5.1 on a mac with macOS 12 Monterey.


This version needs old iLife Frameworks with 32-bit code that are no longer available in any system version later than macOS 10.14 Mojave.

What happens, when you try to open the song mixes on your new Mac? Can the Mac not open the GarageBand projects at all? Or are sounds and loops missing and the projects are not playing well?

You may want to transfer the missing instruments and loops to your new Mac.


When I upgraded to a new GarageBand version I never uninstalled the old instruments and loops, and all older projects can be opened in the current GarageBand version.

You will find the instrument library installed at /Library/Application Support/GarageBand 

and the loop library at /Library/Audio/Apple Loops 


Try to copy the missing items from these folders to the corresponding folders on your new Mac.

May 30, 2023 4:21 AM in response to Hawaiiluana

That is my experience too. As long as all sounds and loops are available, GarageBand 10 can open the old iLife projects. You may notice light differences, for example, ducking is no longer supported in GarageBand 10, also the podcast feature, and some software instruments might have been replaced by different instruments, or the articulations may sound differently.




Copy GarageBand 5.1 to new computer and use 2 versions of GarageBand

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