{"id":1780020,"date":"2024-01-05T17:11:46","date_gmt":"2024-01-05T22:11:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/?post_type=articles&p=1780020"},"modified":"2026-06-17T18:13:15","modified_gmt":"2026-06-17T22:13:15","slug":"mac-with-apple-silicon-vs-intel-based-mac-what-you-need-to-know","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/articles\/mac-with-apple-silicon-vs-intel-based-mac-what-you-need-to-know\/","title":{"rendered":"Mac with Apple silicon vs. Intel-based Mac: What You Need to Know"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If you have a Mac with Apple silicon (a Mac with an M1, M2, M3 or M4 chip) and you are working in pro audio, music, video, or content creation, then you need software that\u2019s compatible with the version of macOS running on your Mac. But there\u2019s a second issue: are the apps and plug-ins you are running Apple silicon native, or are some of them older, Intel-based Mac apps? Let\u2019s explain what you need to know to make sure that your apps are taking full advantage of the processing power of your newer-generation Mac.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. Is Yours an Intel-based Mac or a Mac with Apple silicon?<\/strong><\/a><\/li>
  2. Rosetta: Running Intel-based Apps on Apple silicon<\/a><\/strong><\/li>
  3. Apple silicon native and Universal Binary Software<\/strong><\/a><\/li>
  4. Updating Your Apps<\/strong><\/a><\/li>
  5. How to Tell Whether an App Is Intel-based or Apple silicon native<\/strong><\/a><\/li>
  6. Working with Intel Plug-ins in a DAW That\u2019s Universal<\/strong><\/a><\/li>
  7. Learn More About Optimizing Your Mac for Audio, Music, and Content Creation<\/a><\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Is Yours an Intel-based Mac or a Mac with Apple silicon?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    If you are not sure which kind of Mac you have, here\u2019s our SweetCare support article How to Tell If You Have an Intel-based Mac or a Mac with Apple silicon<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    <\/div>

    How to tell if you have an Intel-based Mac or a Mac with Apple silicon…<\/p>

    <\/p><\/div><\/div><\/a>\n\n\n\n

    Rosetta: Running Intel-based Apps on Apple silicon<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    In 2020, Apple announced that they were transitioning the Mac platform from being based on Intel<\/strong> central processors (CPUs) to Apple ARM-based processors, which they refer to as Apple silicon<\/strong>. The first Mac with an Apple silicon M1 chip<\/strong> was released in late 2020. The new Mac with Apple silicon computers provide a level of system integration between hardware and software that leverages much more computing power, and that\u2019s a really big deal for content creators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    In 2023, Apple discontinued the last models of Mac with Intel processors. Now, all new Mac computers use an Apple silicon chip. So far, Apple has released four series of Apple silicon chips: the M1, M2, M3, and M4.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    As of 2025, we are still in a transitional time where some content creators still own an Intel-based Mac, while many are replacing older computers with new Mac with Apple silicon computers. Content creators use a lot of third-party software; the various apps they own may be a combination of older software written for Intel and newer software that is Apple silicon native.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Since the first model of Mac with Apple silicon arrived, the macOS and all the apps made by Apple are provided in new versions with code written specifically to run on Apple silicon. To maintain compatibility, macOS provides a means by which the older, Intel-based apps can run on the new Apple silicon chip. Rosetta<\/strong> is a service called a dynamic translator. When you launch an app written for Intel, Rosetta translates the Intel code in real time so that it runs on Apple silicon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Learn more in this Apple support article: If you need to install Rosetta on your Mac<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Intel apps operating through Rosetta work well enough, but they don\u2019t take full advantage of the processing power of Apple silicon. Pro audio, music, and video apps involve digital signal processing; you want to use all the power available and ensure that all apps and plug-ins are compatible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Apple silicon native and Universal Binary Software<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Fortunately, third-party developers have been busy rewriting their apps and plug-ins to be Apple silicon native<\/strong>. Simply put, the newly updated apps can use the Apple silicon chip to process audio and video much faster than before. DAWs can run a lot more processor-intensive plug-ins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    In this transitional time, new apps written for Apple silicon often contain both kinds of code, code for Intel and Apple silicon, bundled into the same app. This kind of app is called Universal binary<\/strong>, or Universal<\/strong> for short, and it aids in compatibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Updating Your Apps<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    If you have a Mac with Apple silicon, ideally, you want all your third-party apps and plug-ins to be Apple silicon native.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    With any app you run, if it has a \u201cCheck for Updates\u201d feature, give it a try. You should also visit the website of the developer to find out if it has released a new version that is both compatible with the version of macOS you are running and also Apple silicon native. Update everything that\u2019s compatible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Sweetwater\u2019s SweetCare macOS Tahoe 26 Compatibility Guide<\/a> is your up-to-date resource for support information for over 200 manufacturers and developers of Mac music and audio software. You can learn about not only whether your software is compatible with the new version of macOS, but also whether that software is Intel-based or Apple silicon native.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    <\/div>

    MacOS Tahoe 26 Compatibility Guide<\/p>

    <\/p><\/div><\/div><\/a>\n\n\n\n

    How to Tell Whether an App Is Intel-based or Apple silicon native<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    To recap, there are three kinds of apps you may find running on your Mac with Apple silicon:<\/p>\n\n\n\n