Should I Upgrade to macOS Sequoia?

Every autumn, Apple releases their next-generation operating system for the Mac. On September 16, 2024, Apple released macOS Sequoia, also known as macOS 15. Not only is this the earliest annual release in years, but it has also arrived on the same day as upgrades for other platforms in the Apple ecosystem: iOS 18 for the iPhone, iPadOS 18, watchOS 11, and more. Apple promises even closer integration among the Mac, iPhone, and iPad, and new capabilities with AirPods. If you have recent models with sufficient specifications, then it includes the forthcoming “AI for the rest of us,” Apple Intelligence.

But for Mac-centric musicians, audio engineers, and content creators, as happens every year, there’s a question you must ask first: Should I upgrade my Mac from its current version of macOS to Sequoia now, or should I wait?

If you install Sequoia too soon, before you verify that your music, audio, and video software and hardware have updates to provide Sequoia support, then you may face incompatibilities that will prevent you from getting work done. Sweetwater provides the resources to help you decide when it’s safe to upgrade.

New Features in macOS SequoiaApple Intelligence

Other Sequoia Features

Is macOS Sequoia an Update or an Upgrade?

Sequoia on a Mac with Apple silicon vs. Sequoia on an Intel-based Mac

Software and Hardware Compatibility with macOS Sequoia

What Needs to Be Updated for Your Gear to Work with macOS Sequoia?

Updates for Compatibility with macOS Sequoia Are Coming

What Are the Software and Hardware Requirements for macOS Sequoia?

So, Should You Upgrade to macOS Sequoia Now?

Sweetwater Is Your Guide to macOS Sequoia Compatibility and More

New Features in macOS Sequoia

Like you, we at Sweetwater are tempted. We want to try a world of new features designed to make us more productive in our daily lives. But our hard-earned experiences have taught us that any operating system (OS) upgrade brings immediate incompatibilities with music and audio software and hardware. Although these initial issues are gradually resolved, we depend on these tools for our professional lives. We need to be sure that everything is in place before we upgrade.

Apple Intelligence

The most sensational features of macOS Sequoia will also be coming to iPhone and iPad under the name Apple Intelligence. Not present in the initial Sequoia 15.0, Apple Intelligence features are promised to be released “in beta,” starting with 15.1 in the fall of 2024 and going forward. The new Writing Tools, Genmoji, Image Wand, Image Playground, memory movies, a new era for Siri, and even integration with ChatGPT will be available across many apps. They will also be available on iPhone and iPad. Across the board, Apple Intelligence will require a Mac with Apple silicon (M1 or higher) or certain recent, high-end iPad and iPhone models. A few models of the former-generation Intel-based Mac can also run Sequoia, but those former-generation models can’t make use of Apple Intelligence.

Other Sequoia Features

A Mac with Sequoia, paired with an iPhone running iOS 18, will be able to use iPhone Mirroring. You can view your iPhone on your Mac screen and control everything with your Mac keyboard and mouse. You’ll be able to drag and drop files, photos, and videos between your iPhone or iPad and your Mac.

Newer, compatible models of Apple AirPods earbuds will have improved voice isolation and control features when used with Sequoia.

There are new features in the Finder for organizing windows and laying out your workspace. Apple provides enhancements for sharing screen content in video-calling apps. Safari will have improvements to Reader mode and the ability to summarize and pull up relevant information from websites. A new Passwords app will make managing all your passwords easy for better security.

Is macOS Sequoia an Update or an Upgrade?

The operating system is the environment in which all your apps run and through which your audio, video, and MIDI hardware connect. Any change to the OS will have implications for the software and hardware you already own. With a “point update” — from last year’s macOS Sonoma 14.2 to 14.3, for example — the changes usually aren’t drastic. But Apple’s annual “whole number” change, in this case from macOS 14 Sonoma to macOS 15 Sequoia, is an upgrade, and that’s a big deal. Music, audio, and video software and hardware have hooks deep within the OS to get to the processor chip, RAM, and disk storage, so changes that Apple makes at that level may cause incompatibilities with the software and hardware you are already using. Let’s review what’s at stake.

Sequoia on a Mac with Apple silicon vs. Sequoia on an Intel-based Mac

Last year, 2023, Apple phased out the last of the Mac models with an Intel CPU. All current Mac devices have an Apple silicon chip (M1, M2, M3, or the forthcoming M4). Apple silicon was first introduced in 2020. Here at Sweetwater, our audio engineers have been amazed at the gains in system performance and audio-processing power with Mac with Apple silicon.

While Sequoia can be installed on a few models of the most recent Intel-based Mac computers, they are getting long in the tooth. Furthermore, an Intel-based Mac running Sequoia will not be able to make use of Apple Intelligence. If you’ve got one, then you may want to plan a good time to buy a new Mac with Apple silicon.

If you buy a new Mac with the previous macOS (Sonoma, macOS 14) on it, resist the urge to upgrade to Sequoia right away; you need to wait for compatibility with your hardware and software.

Software and Hardware Compatibility with macOS Sequoia

Here’s the crux of the issue: With every new macOS upgrade, there’s an unavoidable lag between manufacturers and software developers. Many pieces of software and hardware, including some you may rely on, won’t work with the new macOS on release. Manufacturers need time to test their products for compatibility. In many cases, the manufacturers must release new updates to their software and firmware to make them compatible.

If you install Sequoia too soon, before you verify that your music, audio, and video gear have updates to provide Sequoia support, then your Mac may be unusable for music, audio, and video. You can still surf the internet and maybe start working with Apple Intelligence, but only at the risk of malfunctions in tracking, mixing, and making beats.

What Needs to Be Updated for Your Gear to Work with macOS Sequoia?

Will your software and hardware break when you upgrade to Sequoia? That depends. You have to check with each manufacturer.

Manufacturers must invest weeks or months to test their products thoroughly against the newly released version of macOS and develop new software updates. Most music, audio, and video manufacturers are not huge companies. They have limited resources.

These days, manufacturers with older products have a second consideration: releasing new versions that are Apple silicon native. Older, Intel-based code may run acceptably on a Mac with Apple silicon under Rosetta 2 emulation, but to take advantage of the increased processing power in Apple silicon that’s so important to digital signal processing (DSP), manufacturers have to make a new version. (When an app or plug-in has code that can run on either Intel or Apple silicon natively, this is referred to as “Universal Binary,” or “Universal” for short.)

Updates for Compatibility with macOS Sequoia Are Coming

There’s good news. This is business as usual for Mac content creators. The incompatibilities that arise are sure to be temporary. Manufacturers are already hard at work, knowing that existing users will upgrade and that those who buy a new Mac that comes with Sequoia will need solutions soon.

What Are the Software and Hardware Requirements for macOS Sequoia?

As far as software, there may still be users with an Intel-based Mac running legacy software and 32-bit plug-ins. The last version of macOS that could run 32-bit code was macOS 10.14 Mojave from 2018. Every version since has required apps with 64-bit code. If you are still working with 32-bit apps, then you need to check with the manufacturers of all your software to update to 64-bit versions. You should also preserve any work you created with those 32-bit apps before you upgrade.

Can your Mac run Sequoia? A few models of Intel-based Mac from 2017, 2018, and later are compatible, and any Mac with Apple silicon (M1 or higher) from 2020 forward is compatible, too.

We list the specifics, with links to information about each model, in our SweetCare macOS Sequoia Compatibility Guide.

MacOS Sequoia Compatibility GuideIs My Mac a macOS Sequoia–supported Device?

So, Should You Upgrade to macOS Sequoia Now?

A new macOS is a big deal, and Sequoia is going to be way cool, but manufacturers and developers need time to update their software. Instead of asking, “Should you update?” the real question is, “When should you update?”

If you have an existing Mac system with hardware and software that works, then you’ve got a workflow to create content. You have a need to upgrade, but you don’t want to lose productivity. You need to be deliberate and have a plan before you go forward.

Our best advice is to be patient. There’s nothing worse than upgrading only to find that your essential software tools don’t work. You may lose valuable time or, worse, data from an important project.

So, how do you find out when each piece of software and hardware you use is available in a macOS Sequoia-compatible version?

Sweetwater Is Your Guide to macOS Sequoia Compatibility and More

As we do every year, Sweetwater provides a suite of resources to help you plan your upgrade. It’s part of SweetCare, Sweetwater’s exclusive knowledge base with more than 28,000 articles written by our award-winning Support team that cover all kinds of music and audio gear.

The hub for our macOS information is the SweetCare Mac/PC Optimization Guides page. Here, we have advice on Microsoft Windows, too. We publish and regularly update information on compatibility, how to upgrade, how to protect yourself from data loss, and — most importantly — when to upgrade.

First, visit our macOS Sequoia Compatibility Guide, which provides a huge table of regularly updated information on compatibility and software updates from 180 manufacturers and developers that Sweetwater works with. Over the coming days, weeks, and months, having a single place where you can find the latest compatibility information about all your tools will be a real timesaver. Check this guide early and often!

We’ve got a guide on how to use Time Machine, built into macOS, to make a backup of your entire system on an external hard drive. Make a full backup before upgrading so you can restore your data if anything goes wrong; it could be a lifesaver.

Since computers aren’t specifically designed for music and audio production, we provide our macOS Audio Optimization Guide to help you get the best performance from your studio or live rig.

There You Have It

Wow! Who would have thought that an OS upgrade was such a big deal? Fear not; we at Sweetwater have decades of experience on the Mac platform. We are happy to share our knowledge with you. Sequoia will certainly be worth it, when the time is right, with all its new features, enhancements, and productivity gains.

However, for us as musicians, audio engineers, and content creators, having a solid, reliable platform for our art and productivity comes first. Work with what you’ve got now. Check regularly with the manufacturers of your software and hardware and install the compatibility updates when they become available. Back up your data and plan your upgrade to macOS Sequoia.

Don’t forget to give your Sweetwater Sales Engineer a call at (800) 222-4700. They are ready and eager to give personalized recommendations for your workflow and needs.

The post Should I Upgrade to macOS Sequoia? appeared first on InSync.