Today we are taking a look at how to relocate the Logic Pro Sound Library and keep all of the new content organized. Along with the massive Logic Pro X update back in May came over 2,500 new loops, 70 Drum Machine Designer kits, and more — expanding the free bundled Logic Pro Sound Library significantly. While we have explored content storage solutions and customizing your plug-in library in the past, it’s time for some sound content housekeeping. Whether you forgot about the 70+ GB of free content hogging precious internal storage space, or are just trying to get your new Logic Pro X setup organized properly, taking a look at the Sound Library Manager and understanding how Logic can quickly relocate the stock sound content can be particularly convenient. 

For professionals with massive external sound and sample libraries, moving the Logic Sound Library to a drive of choice is a must, but it can also be quite handy for just about anyone with limited internal storage. And there is one thing to quickly point out here for new users before we move on as well. Just as Apple suggests, you’ll want to download the “Essential Content” portion of the built-in Logic Pro Sound Library to the default system drive location when installing Logic Pro X for the first time. Thereafter, you can move just the lighter Essential Content aspect of the entire Sound Library to a custom-selected external drive or storage location. And whether you updated to Logic Pro X 10.5 earlier this year or are just installing it for the first time, LPX will automatically remember your custom location when you download additional Sound Library content in the future. 

Quick Note: The Sound Library contains all the sounds for the software instruments included with Logic Pro and MainStage. Relocating the Sound Library moves it for both apps. Apple Loops, Impulse Responses, and third-party content is not included when moving or relocating the sounds. 

Sound Library Manager:

Open the Sound Library Manager: Logic Pro X (top left main menu) > Sound Library. 

From here, we can see an itemized list of the included content packs that make up the Logic Pro Sound Library. Simply click the checkboxes of the packs you want to download and hit install. 

How to move the Logic Pro Sound Library:

The Sound Library can be moved from within Logic Pro X to an external storage device like a USB-C external drive, Thunderbolt drive, and others. I’ve been quite happy with the performance and portability of the G-Technology G-DRIVE mobile SSD, which starts from $110 on the 500GB. Colleagues and collaborators of ours also like the comparable SanDisk models from $108 as well as the Samsung T5. But you can still get away with much more affordable HDD USB-3.0+ options if you’re not getting into overly demanding third-party gear and multi-layered string libraries etc. Although these days it does seems like better performance and lesser capacity for a more concentrated library of sound content is the way to go for us. Let us know in the comments below which storage options are working best for you.

Quick Note: Just make sure you’re not trying to store your Logic library on an external used for Time Machine backups and ensure the drive is formatted as APFS or MacOS Extended (Journaled). 

Relocate Sound Library:

Let’s look at the steps for how to relocate the Logic Pro Sound Library. Make sure you’re logged in to the Mac in question as an administrator.

  • Connect your external drive to your Mac.
  • Open Logic Pro X 10.5 and open the Relocate Sound Library window: Logic Pro X (top left main menu) > Sound Library > Relocate Sound Library…
  • Once you open the Relocate Sound Library window, Logic will do a quick library-size calculation and then offer up all of the connected and compatible storage options to move the Sound Library content to.
  • Select your desired storage location and wait for Logic to make the transfer.

Do not rename the external drive after this transfer has been made. Logic Pro X (and Main Stage) will lose track of the Sound Library location, and you’ll have to relocate or repeat the process again entirely. 

Relocation Error:

There are times when Logic Pro X will present you with an error when trying to relocate the Sound Library. Providing the desired storage location is compatible and formatted as instructed above, this can be due to a quick permissions issue, and you might just need to give Logic Pro access to your new library storage medium:

Make sure you Quit Logic Pro if it’s open, then go to the Apple menu on your Mac and crack open your System Preferences. From there click the Security and Privacy icon, then the Privacy tab on the top, and hit that lock icon in the bottom left corner so you can make changes. In the left column, click full Disk Access and select the checkbox next to Logic Pro in the app window on the right.

Moving the Library Back:

Well, if you’ve had a change of heart or just want to get the built-in Sound Library content back on to your internal for portability or this weekend’s gig, it’s the same process in reverse. Simply follow the relocation steps above, but be sure to choose your internal Macintosh HD as the new, relocated Sound Library destination. 

More on Logic Pro X 10.5:

  • Recording multi-touch Remix FX performances
  • Using Launchpad grid controllers with Live Loops, more
  • Apple’s intelligent new flagship Sampler dethrones a legend
  • Programming Apple’s new Step Sequencer
  • Taking a closer look at the new Quick Sampler
  • Getting started with Apple’s new Live Loops
  • Exploring LPX’s new fully-integrated Drum Synth
  • Instant sampling, Alchemy, grid controllers, more
  • Apple unleashes massive new update for Logic Pro X