How to uninstall MusicBrainz Picard on Mac
Save any pending tag changes and copy the music files you want to keep before removing Picard. This guide covers the Mac application downloaded from MusicBrainz and the Homebrew cask; neither procedure reverses tags or filenames Picard has already written.
Quit and remove the app
Quit MusicBrainz Picard with Command-Q. In Finder, move MusicBrainz Picard.app from Applications to the Trash. Keep your audio collection where it is; removing the tagger is separate from deleting the music it edited.
Review the local data
In Finder, choose Go › Go to Folder and open each exact path below. Copy anything you need first, then move only the app-owned item you have decided to discard to the Trash. These locations come from the Homebrew removal list or the recorded local check; a missing location needs no cleanup.
| Location | What to keep or remove |
|---|---|
~/.config/MusicBrainz |
Picard configuration named by the cask; copy it before discarding custom setup. |
~/Library/Caches/MusicBrainz |
Rebuildable cache listed by the cask; optional cleanup after quitting. |
Check the result
These commands only list the app and the locations discussed above. The app filename comes from the cask; adjust it if your official-download bundle has a different name.
ls -ld "/Applications/MusicBrainz Picard.app"
ls -ld "$HOME/.config/MusicBrainz"
ls -ld "$HOME/Library/Caches/MusicBrainz"
An entry printed by ls still exists at that path. No such file or directory means that exact item is absent; Permission denied or Operation not permitted means the check could not establish its state. A retained data folder is expected if you chose to keep it. This check does not search every disk or cloud account.
If you installed it with Homebrew
Uninstall without running zap:
brew uninstall --cask musicbrainz-picard
This removes Homebrew's managed app artifacts without applying its zap list. A “not installed” error means Homebrew has no matching cask installation; use the Finder route for a manually copied app.
The live cask source names these additional zap targets:
~/.config/MusicBrainz~/Library/Caches/MusicBrainz~/Library/Preferences/org.musicbrainz.picard.plist~/Library/Saved Application State/org.musicbrainz.picard.savedState
Some targets can hold settings or personal data. Keep the paths you still need and back them up before considering brew uninstall --cask --zap musicbrainz-picard. That direct command applies the cask's entire zap list regardless of Mole's checkboxes. Mole uses zap only when its complete scope passes its selection and shared-data checks; unchecked, shared, out-of-boundary or unsupported targets suppress zap, while selected remnants use Mole's own removal path.
What Mole lists
Mole lists matching bundle preferences as selected by default. Paths supplied only by its Homebrew zap catalog, such as the MusicBrainz configuration folder, require review and are not selected by default. A folder that was never created will not appear. These defaults describe the app-data option switched off. Opting into Remove data and settings with apps also selects eligible reviewed app data; shared stores and protected data retain their individual review or protection.
What this test covered
The official Mac bundle was copied into Applications and removed on 21 September 2026. The Intel build did not launch on the test Mac, and Rosetta was not installed. No MusicBrainz configuration directory was created, so this record does not verify a populated profile or tagging workflow. Homebrew instructions were checked against the current cask, but this record does not establish a Homebrew-managed uninstall or removal of every possible leftover.