macOS Ventura not currently so ace for computer music makers: check your DAW and plugin compatibility before you upgrade

macOS Ventura (10.13) has been available for a couple of weeks now, and for musicians, the not-at-all-surprising news is that you should probably hold off installing it for a while.

Pro Tools Expert has put together a pretty exhaustive list of which music software is certified as Ventura-friendly, but the bottom line is that, even if you find that your DAW is supported, there’s a very good chance that some of your plugins currently aren’t.

This isn’t to say that they definitely won’t run, but until all of your instruments and effects are greenlit for Ventura - or all of the ones you really care about at least - it makes sense to stick with the OS version you’re currently rocking. 

Among those companies currently advising that you shouldn’t upgrade if you’re using some or all of their software are Arturia, Cherry Audio, Eventide, GForce, iZotope, Native Instruments and Output.

Don’t forget about your audio interface, either - you need to ensure that this is compatible with macOS 10.13 before you make the jump, too.

Once you do install Ventura, you’ll be able to benefit from a number of new features, including Stage Manager - a new tool that automatically organises open apps and windows - and Continuity Camera, which enables you to use your iPhone’s camera as your webcam.

Rest assured, though, that there’s nothing in macOS 13 that’s going to dramatically change your music-making life, so don’t worry about installing it until it’s safe to do so.