Ableton Live – Plugin Not Showing Up (Mac)

Problem: You installed Safari Plugins but they don’t appear in Ableton Live.

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Step 1: Check Plugin Preferences

1. Open Live → Preferences → Plug‑Ins (or press Cmd + , on Mac).

2. Make sure the following options are ON:

   • Use VST3 Plug‑In System Folder

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Step 2: Rescan Plugins

1. In the Plug‑Ins tab, click Rescan.

2. For a deeper scan (clears Live’s plugin blocklist):

   • Hold Option while clicking Rescan.

3. Check the browser/device list - your Safari plugins should appear.

Tip: If they still don’t show:

• Turn Off both VST2 and VST3.

• Click Rescan.

• Turn them back On and rescan again. This reset often solves the issue.

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Step 3: Force Clear Preferences

If rescanning doesn’t work, reset Ableton Live preferences:

1. Close Ableton Live.

2. Open Finder and navigate to:

   ~/Library/Preferences/Ableton/Live x.x.x/

   (replace x.x.x with your Live version)

3. Delete the following files/folders if present:

   • Preferences.cfg

   • Undo folder

   • Template.als file

4. Re-open Live and repeat the Step 1 and Step 2 rescanning process.

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Tips / Troubleshooting

• Always verify the plugin is installed in the correct format and path:

  • VST3: /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST3/

  • AU: /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components/

• If a plugin was previously blocked, forcing a rescan (holding Option/Alt) removes it from Live’s blacklist.

• Restart Live after rescanning for changes to take effect.