Mac CoreAudio Not Running — No Sound After Process Crash

What Does This Error Mean?

The CoreAudio process that handles all sound on your Mac crashed. You may still see the volume control but nothing plays. You can restart it instantly using a single Terminal command.

Affected Models

macOS Sequoia
macOS Sonoma
macOS Ventura
macOS Monterey

Common Causes

The CoreAudio daemon crashed due to a buggy audio plugin or driver
A third-party app sent a bad audio command that caused the service to stop
A macOS update left the audio system in a broken state
Virtual audio devices or music production software (DAWs) caused a conflict
The audio hardware sample rate changed unexpectedly and confused CoreAudio

How to Fix It

First check the obvious: make sure the volume is not muted and the right output device is selected.

Click the Control Center icon in the menu bar, then Sound, and check the output device.
Open Terminal (Command + Space, type Terminal, press Enter).

You will use Terminal to restart the audio service.
Type this command and press Enter: sudo killall coreaudiod

macOS will ask for your password. Type it and press Enter — the password won't show on screen as you type.
Wait about 5 seconds, then test your audio again.

macOS restarts the CoreAudio daemon automatically after you kill it.
If sound is still broken, restart your Mac fully.

A full restart reinitializes all audio hardware and drivers from scratch.

When to Call a Professional

You rarely need professional help for this — it is almost always a software fix. If the built-in speakers never produce sound even after trying all steps, the speaker hardware may need repair.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CoreAudio and why does it crash?

CoreAudio is the macOS system that handles all sound input and output. It can crash when a buggy app or audio plugin sends it a bad command. Restarting it with killall coreaudiod is safe and fixes it instantly.

Do I need to restart my Mac to fix no sound?

Usually not — the killall coreaudiod command restarts audio without a full reboot. If that doesn't work, a restart almost always does. You do not need to reinstall anything.

Can music production software cause CoreAudio to crash?

Yes — DAWs like Logic, GarageBand, or Ableton communicate directly with CoreAudio. A corrupted audio plugin can take down the whole CoreAudio service. Try disabling third-party audio plugins and see if the problem goes away.