How to Fix GarageBand No Sound Issue

There are several potential fixes if you are experiencing no sound issues with GarageBand. The first fix is to restart your computer or phone, and you can also try closing and restarting the app. You also might need to update the software. 

My name is Donovan, and I’m an avid musician and producer. I worked with GarageBand extensively over the last decade and am very familiar with fixing many issues that can appear within the app. 

This post will show you how to fix GarageBand no sound issues. I’ll give you instructions for several different fixes you can try to get the sound working in GarageBand on your Mac or iPhone. 

Let’s get started. 

Key Takeaways

• Make sure you have the volume turned up on your Mac and in the output levels in GarageBand first. 
• Restarting the GarageBand app or your Mac or iPhone is often the fix for random glitches such as no sound. 
• A no sound issue could also be caused by not having your software updated or because you don’t have the correct output source selected within GarageBand. 

How to Fix GarageBand No Sound Issue

There are several reasons why you might be experiencing a no sound issue in GarageBand on your Mac. It could be related to volume levels, output selection, or caused by a glitch. 

I’ll walk you through several potential fixes here that should get the sound back on. 

Fix #1: Check Volume and Output

It’s always a good idea to start with easy fixes before moving on to anything complicated. And the most basic reason why you might not hear sound in GarageBand is that you don’t have the volume up in the App or on your Mac or iPhone. 

Start by turning the volume on your Mac or iPhone up. It might be muted or turned down really low to a point where playback is not audible. If that doesn’t work, check the volume and mute on the tracks in your project. 

The image below points out the volume slider and the mute button within a GarageBand project. If the volume is turned down, you won’t hear sounds from that track. If the mute button is on, the track will be muted. 

If that doesn’t work, you should check the output source for your tracks or projects. If you have the output source setup to something like a pair of speakers that aren’t actually connected to your computer, you won’t hear sounds. 

To check the output source on your Mac, follow these steps. 

1. Move your cursor over the Apple icon in the main menu. 

2. Select System Preferences. 

3. Select Sound. 

4. Make sure the output source is correct and the volume is turned on. 

Fix #2: Restart App and Device

Once you check the volume levels and output source, close and restart the GarageBand app. This often fixes weird glitches you can’t figure out, and it’s another good initial step to deal with no sound issues. 

To restart the GarageBand app on your Mac, press Command Q to quit. Make sure you save any progress if necessary. Then open the app back up and see if the sound issue is fixed. 

To restart the GarageBand app on your iPhone, slide up from the bottom of your screen to see all open apps. Then slide up on the GarageBand app to close it. Locate and tap the app again to restart it. 

If restarting the app did not fix your sound issues, try restarting your Mac or iPhone. 

Fix #3: Software Update

Another cause for the no sound issue is not having your software updated. If you don’t have your Mac or iPhone set up for automatic updates, you may have missed a recent one and will need to install it manually. 

Updates will affect your operating system and the GarageBand app, so it’s a good idea to do these whenever available. If you don’t, you are likely to run into unexpected issues. 

Follow these steps to update the software on your Mac. 

1. Move your cursor over the Apple icon at the top of the main menu. 

2. Select About This Mac. 

3. Select the Overview tab from the about window. 

4. Select Software Update. 

5. Update the software if needed. 

Follow these steps to update the software on your iPhone. 

1. Tap Settings. 

2. Tap General. 

3. Tap Software Update. 

4. If an update is available, download it to update. 

Fix #4: Check Device and Software Compatibility 

If you are using an external audio interface or an instrument connected to your Mac or iPhone, you need to ensure that it is compatible with GarageBand. If it’s not, you can run into issues when trying to get sound from the device to GarageBand. 

Check the manufacturer’s specs for compatibility. These should be listed with the product packaging or found online on the manufacturer’s website. You might need to contact customer service if you can’t find exact compatibility parameters. 

If the device is not compatible with GarageBand, you won’t be able to use it with the app. Sometimes there are updates or driver installs you need to do with an interface, which you should check out while exploring compatibility. 

By following these steps, you can also run a quick check to see if you are having an issue with your interface. 

1. Open the GarageBand app on your Mac. 

2. Open a new or existing project. 

3. Select the Smart Controls icon on the top of the project window that looks like a control knob. 

4. Change the input setting to your computer microphone from the track controls window at the bottom of the screen. 

5. Select your computer speakers as the output source for your audio on your computer by following the steps mentioned in Fix #1 above. 

6. If you hear sound coming out of GarageBand after following these steps, you know you have an issue with your interface rather than with your computer or the app itself. 

Fix #5: Disable AU Plug-Ins

If you are using AU plug-ins on a project, this can cause issues with the sound upon playback. By following these steps, you can disable these plug-ins to see if this is the issue. 

1. Open the GarageBand project that you are having sound issues with. 

2. Move your cursor to the top of the screen over the main menu and select the GarageBand tab. 

3. Select Preferences. You can also press Command , as a shortcut to access the preferences window. 

4. Select the Audio/MIDI tab. 

5. Uncheck the Enable Audio Units checkbox. 

6. Click Disable if you see a prompt warning you that this might cause playback issues. 

7. Return to your GarageBand project and attempt playback again to see if that fixes the issue. 

Final Thoughts

Not having sound while using GarageBand is obviously a big issue, and you won’t be able to make or edit music until you resolve it. The steps mentioned here should help fix this problem, so go through all of them before looking into additional help. 

Remember that you should always start with minor fixes before moving on to anything more involved. In my experience, a simple restart of the app often fixes many frustrating issues, and knowing that has saved me so much time over the years. 

Have you ever run into a no sound issue in GarageBand? What did you do to fix the issue? Let me know in the comments below.