Install Fern in FL Studio on Mac
Install Fern on Mac, put it in slot 10 of the FL Studio Master, connect your account, then update or uninstall the plugin.
Fern installs in four steps: the .pkg installer, the plugin in slot 10 of the Master, signing in to your account, then playing the song. This guide covers each step, the messages Fern shows when it sits in the wrong place, updates and uninstalling.
What you need first
- A Mac, Apple Silicon or Intel: Fern is a universal binary. There is no Windows version.
- FL Studio 2025 (tested on 25.2.5) or FL Studio 2026 (tested on 26.1.7). The current list is in the release notes for each version.
- A Fern account with active access. During the beta, access is by invitation.
FL Studio running under Rosetta loads Fern, but some of its features are turned off, such as reading track names. The FL Studio on Mac guide explains how to check which mode FL runs in.
1. Run the installer
- Quit FL Studio.
- Download the installer from My account on the Fern website.
- Open
Fern-<version>.pkgand follow the screens.
The installer doesn't ask for an administrator password. It puts Fern in your home folder (~/Library/Application Support/Fern) and registers it in every FL Studio installed on the Mac. Fern shows up in FL without a plugin scan.
2. Put Fern in slot 10 of the Master
- Open the FL Studio Mixer (F9) and select the Master track.
- Click slot 10, the last one in the effects list.
- Pick Fern among the effects, next to Image-Line's own effects.
Fern only works in that slot. From the Master, a single instance reads the Master and up to 125 Mixer tracks, buses included, with no plugin to add on each track. In the last slot, it measures the Master after its whole chain, limiter included: the level and true peak it measures are those of the sound leaving the Master.
If slot 10 is already taken, by a limiter for example, drag that plugin to slot 9 or higher, then add Fern in slot 10.
What Fern shows when it's somewhere else
| Situation | Fern's message | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Fern on another track, or in another Master slot | "Put Fern on the Master, slot 10", with its current position | Drag Fern into slot 10 of the Master |
| A second Fern instance in the project | "Fern is already open in this project" | Remove this instance and open the one on the Master |
An instance in the wrong place passes the sound through unchanged and measures nothing. It starts within a second of reaching slot 10. If you move Fern during a conversation, the conversation is kept and picks up again once Fern is back in place.
3. Connect your account
- Open Fern (double-click the slot) and click Sign in with the browser.
- A Fern page opens in your browser. Sign in with your email, Google, Microsoft or Apple, or create your account.
- The plugin connects as soon as you're done. Go back to FL Studio.
If the plugin shows a code, check that it matches the one on the page, then confirm it. Fern uses no license key and no API key.
4. Start playback
Fern measures while the song plays. Start playback, then describe what you hear or what you're after: "the vocal gets lost in the chorus", "the kick and the bass mask each other". Fern suggests settings as cards you audition in A/B before applying them.
Save the project at least once: before each change, Fern copies the project's .flp file.
Update Fern
Quit FL Studio, then run the new version's installer over the old one. Your account, settings and conversations are kept: conversations are saved in your FL projects.
An FL Studio update removes Fern from FL. If it no longer shows up in the effects list, run the Fern installer again.
Uninstall Fern
In Terminal, run:
"$HOME/Library/Application Support/Fern/uninstall.sh"
The script removes the plugin from every FL Studio. Your account, settings and FL projects are left untouched.
Frequently asked questions
Why does Fern have to be in the last Master slot?
From the Master, Fern reads every Mixer track with a single instance. In the last slot, it hears the Master as it leaves, after the limiter. A single possible place also keeps two instances from sharing the commands sent to FL.
Does Fern change the sound of the Master?
No. Fern doesn't process audio: it passes it through as is. It only changes the settings you accept (faders, pan, routing, the project's plugins).
Fern isn't in the effects list: what should I do?
Quit FL Studio and run the installer again. This happens after an FL Studio update, which removes the link to Fern.
To go further, see what Fern does in FL Studio, or the other guides to mixing in FL Studio.