coreaudiod is the macOS daemon behind Core Audio, the system's sound engine, so the apps that play or record sound rely on it; it's part of macOS and safe. If sound stops or crackles, restarting it with 'sudo killall coreaudiod' often fixes it, and high CPU with nothing playing points to a third-party audio driver or plug-in.
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One Mac, macOS 26.5 (25F71) on Apple silicon, read with ps and codesign on October 29, 2026
| Path | /usr/sbin/coreaudiod |
|---|---|
| Runs as | _coreaudiod, a macOS system account |
| Signed by | Apple (Software Signing), identifier com.apple.audio.coreaudiod |
coreaudiod is the central audio management daemon on macOS. It handles all audio input and output routing, manages audio device connections, provides the low-latency audio pipeline for applications, and processes audio format conversions. Every sound your Mac plays or records passes through coreaudiod.
No audio output despite volume being turned up and the correct device selected
Audio crackling, popping, or distortion during playback
High CPU usage from audio processing or format conversion
Audio device not appearing after connecting headphones or external speakers
Open Terminal and run 'sudo killall coreaudiod' to restart the audio daemon. launchd will automatically restart it within seconds. This resolves most audio issues including no sound, crackling, and device recognition problems.
Open Audio MIDI Setup from /Applications/Utilities/. Verify the correct input and output devices are selected, check that sample rates match (mismatched rates cause distortion), and ensure audio format settings are appropriate for your hardware.
Move the audio preference files /Library/Preferences/Audio/com.apple.audio.DeviceSettings.plist and com.apple.audio.SystemSettings.plist to the Desktop as a backup (you'll need an administrator password), then restart your Mac. macOS rebuilds them with default audio routing.
Virtual audio drivers (like Soundflower, BlackHole, or virtual meeting software) can conflict with coreaudiod. Check System Settings > Sound for unexpected audio devices, and try removing any virtual audio drivers to isolate the issue.
coreaudiod using moderate CPU during audio playback and recording is normal, especially with multiple audio streams or format conversion. Be concerned if it uses high CPU with no audio playing, or if it crashes repeatedly — this can indicate a corrupt audio driver or incompatible audio plugin.
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The most common fix is restarting coreaudiod. Open Terminal and run 'sudo killall coreaudiod.' If that doesn't work, check System Settings > Sound to verify the correct output device is selected, ensure the volume isn't muted, and check that no Bluetooth audio device is unexpectedly connected and capturing the audio output.
coreaudiod is macOS's central audio routing and processing engine. It manages all audio hardware (speakers, microphones, headphones), routes audio between applications and devices, handles sample rate conversion, and provides the low-latency audio pipeline that professional audio software relies on.
Yes. coreaudiod is a fundamental Apple system process that every Mac needs to produce or record sound. It runs as the _coreaudiod system account, is started by launchd, is code-signed by Apple, and is protected by System Integrity Protection. Without coreaudiod, your Mac would have no audio capability at all.
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