Five Epic Mac Apps for Music Production in 2024

Sharing with you 5 Mac apps that drastically improved my efficiency as an audio engineer. These are some of the best Mac apps for music production, audio production, musicians and audio engineers.
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Dropover: dropoverapp.com
Loopback: rogueamoeba.com/loopback/
Rectangle Pro: rectangleapp.com/pro
BetterZip: setapp.sjv.io/betterzip
Trickster: setapp.sjv.io/trickster
⏰ Timestamps:
00:00 Start
00:32 File Management: Dropover
04:31 Advanced System-wide Audio Routing: Loopback
06:58 Efficient Plugin Window Management: Rectangle Pro’s Stash Feature
08:44 Sponsor: Setapp
09:16 Zip Files Utility: BetterZip
10:34 Quick Access to Recent Files: Trickster
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💡 Background Light: Aputure LED Panel
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[@bachbeats2217]

HUGE HELP THANKS MAN!!! you have the best reviews on KZbin!

[@stefanwessel6092]

an, thank you for this video. The rectangle thing for plugin window management is just amazing and something I wished for for ages to have quick access to my master bus processing. Fantastic suggestions overall. You've got a new subscriber.

[@DaDiemen]

Where have these videos been the last weeks, months and years of my life!? So helpful! Thank you very much

[@KrimeDog49]

Honestly I was surprised you didn’t have more subscribers. Great content and presentation. Really useful stuff here. Thank you

[@joaoguevarauk]

Really good video mate!

[@benni.rosinante]

Thanks for recommending Rectangle! It's awesome! It saved my brain from the pain having when dealing with windows on MacOS!

[@TonyEvansMusic1]

Thanks for info!

[@rizkiameliafitriyani6959]

This is GOLD!

[@Reapertips]

Ow yeeees - great list!! I loved stash, what a great use case for production! Loopback is very powerful as well! I am obsessed with mac apps. I can't live without Alfred and Raycast. With all the workflows/extensions you can load on these, there's soooo many workflow improvements everywhere. Having quick access to "last changed files" is lifechanging. Clipboard history? lifechanging. Keyboard macros? lifechanging 🤩 I am particularly excited for an upcoming app called "Lazy" for quick capturing. I love mac a lot :) it's such an inspiring environment to be in. Also congrats on the sponsor n_n well deserved. Always exciting when you drop a new video, James

[@JamesZhan]

Thanks for the support as usual man! I'm obsessed with Mac apps too!! I have sooo many Alfred workflows haha. I have heard a lot about Recast but I haven't had the time to give it a try, but I definitely will in the future! You are absolutely right; macOS is a really inspiring system. That's why I fully converted.

[@steam2277]

how do you use it?

[@MrMukundas]

omg NICE thank you!

[@albertoflores3688]

Good stuff 👍🏻 one of those apps might help me avoid getting a livestream switcher just to open windows quickly on a one monitor set up

[@TeenieTinyToni]

Thank you!,, 😊🙏🏾

[@davidbasset7557]

Damn this is good 👏🏾👏🏾

[@sesomediagroup]

Ok. Subscribed

[@dannychane]

This is very helpful for me as a Windows user who just got an M1 MacBook!

[@JamesZhan]

Stay tuned-I will be uploading a video on apps that are super helpful for those who recently transitioned from Windows to Mac! I myself am one; I had been a Windows user for 23 years before I got my first Mac.

[@johnhricko8212]

"File management" is always part of learning media production. Many don't like to even think about it. "Management matters" in business, as in life..

[@steam2277]

Do you have anymore tools? Would love a tool that can organize all the different types of components I use (etc)... for example something that supports organizing all of my alc clips (Kicks, Snares, hihats) from ableton. Just so I can start songs faster.

[@Mr.Zen_73]

how did I even live before using the dropover app?!? thanks for the tip!

[@williamshaneblyth]

Aggregate devices allow you to combine multiple audio devices it's built into the audio midi of MacOS so not needed in loopback it'll double up things

[@JamesZhan]

macOS's Audio MIDI Setup doesn't offer nearly as many functionality as Loopback. Sure, it can create aggregated devices, but you have a lot less controls over how the devices are routed, especially when you are working with audio devices with a lot of input and output channels.

[@g.o.9513]

Thanks.

[@JamesZhan]

You're welcome! Thanks for the Super Thanks :)

[@g.o.9513]

What Mac Apps for music production will help with inspiration (boards)?

[@leolanz9693]

thnx for the amazing vid! somehow the stash feature isn´t working with my audio plugin windows in ableton live 11...have i missed something in the settings of rectangle pro?

[@MikhailBeltran]

Yeah stash doesn't work for plugin in Live 11 for me either! Same issues with Logic Pro X.

[@joeyvpoisonfree]

NIce shirt

[@steam2277]

Hey guys, what does everyone use for file management? Any apps? Currently looking for something similar to Atlas 2 in the same way that they organize samples, but I am looking for an app that organizes everything from my midi files, samples, past projects.

[@JamesZhan]

I don't have a dedicated app for organizing samples, but I hope someone else can share some info!

[@g.o.9513]

What Mac Apps for music production will help with time-based focus?

[@sebastiangomezmusic]

Can you not do the same thing Loopback does with TotalMix from your RME?

[@JamesZhan]

Only with limited functionality. Without Loopback, you cannot adjust the loopback levels, or have multiple audio devices running at the same time.

[@proequipments7210]

Hi I recently bought MacBook pro M2 ventura... And following all the instructions given I have not been able to install loopback app... Pls help

[@JamesZhan]

You should reach out to Rogue Amoeba for this. I cannot help you because I'm not tech support.

[@proequipments7210]

@@JamesZhan actually I'm new to MacBook... went to the store where I bought my Mac and they helped me with the installation process...but communicated with rogueamoeba and yeah they had a prompt reply thanks

[@volodymyrh4181]

It seems like Trickster is not useful. Why not use smart folders instead?

[@francissreckofabian01]

Very bassy voice.

[@MonkeyBars1]

Don't sleep on fx window sets in Reaper… no need for 3rd party app

[@JamesZhan]

Are you talking about the Screensets/Layouts feature in REAPER? If yes, that does not achieve what Rectangle Pro's Stash can do.

[@MonkeyBars1]

@@JamesZhan No. I'm referring to Edgemeal's Selected Tracks Floating FX Windows slots

[@JamesZhan]

@@MonkeyBars1 That still doesn't do what Rectangle Pro's stash can do, which can hide the plugin window to the edge of the screen, and when you move the cursor to it, it will slide out. When you move the cursor away, the window will automatically slide back in.

[@MonkeyBars1]

​oh that's very specialized indeed. though abstractly speaking I think it could possibly be created with ReaScript...

[@JamesZhan]

@@MonkeyBars1 It's a game-changer in terms of workflow at least for me! I also use it in non-music scenarios as well, thanks to the Rectangle Pro app.

[@dorons2108]

You do realize that most of those things are natively available in windows since ages... folder windows, files management, context-switching , archiving , applications are closed properly

[@JamesZhan]

I'm not sure if this is a joke, but I was a Windows user for 23 years and I never heard Windows had a feature that allows you to add files to a floating shelf where you can directly upload to a cloud service, copy or move files from the shelf or batch rename files; or a native Windows app that shows you most recent files with the ability to configure which folders to track or to exclude, or a native Windows app that allows you to stash a window to the edge of the screen dynamically...the list goes on.

[@dorons2108]

@@JamesZhan any normal window can be "floating" it is just a window. I am not a fan boy of either platforms but clearly windows has superior UX.