Words
Troubleshooting
MIDI Issues
Words doesn't appear as a MIDI device
- Make sure Words is running
- Restart your DAW (some DAWs only scan for MIDI devices at launch)
- Try quitting and reopening both Words and your DAW
No MIDI is being received
- Check that Words is playing (press Space or click the transport button)
- Verify you have patterns created (text typed and Enter pressed)
- Check that the channel in Words matches your DAW track's input channel
- Make sure your DAW track is armed or has monitoring enabled
MIDI timing is off
- Lower your DAW's audio buffer size
- Make sure no other applications are heavily using CPU
- Try restarting both Words and your DAW
License Issues
"License key invalid"
- Check for typos - copy/paste directly from your email
- Make sure there are no extra spaces before or after the key
- Verify you're using the key for Words (not a different product)
"Activation limit reached"
Your license allows 2 Macs. Options:
- Deactivate on a Mac you no longer use: Words > License > Deactivate
- Reset activations from your account page
Can't deactivate (no access to old Mac)
Reset your activations from your account page. This clears all existing activations so you can activate on new machines.
Performance
Words is using too much CPU
- Close other applications
- Reduce the number of active loops
- Mute loops you're not using
Words is slow or unresponsive
- Quit and reopen Words
- Restart your Mac if the issue persists
- Make sure you're running the latest version
Updates
How do I check for updates?
Words checks automatically. You can also manually check via Words > Check for Updates.
Update failed
- Check your internet connection
- Try downloading the latest version directly from your account page
- If problems persist, contact support
Still Need Help?
If you can't find a solution here:
- Check the FAQ for quick answers
- Send feedback with details about your issue
- Include your macOS version, Words version, and DAW if relevant