How to Reset Audio Settings on Mac

Audio problems on Mac often stem from corrupted preferences or misconfigured settings. Resetting your audio settings clears these issues and restores default sound behavior.

1. Reset Core Audio. Open Terminal from Applications > Utilities. Type 'sudo killall coreaudiod' and press Enter. Enter your admin password when prompted. This restarts the Core Audio service and clears temporary audio data.
2. Delete audio preference files. In Finder, press Command+Shift+G and type '~/Library/Preferences'. Find and delete 'com.apple.audio.AudioMIDISetup.plist' and 'com.apple.systemsound.plist'. Empty the Trash and restart your Mac.
3. Reset NVRAM. Shut down your Mac completely. Press the power button, then immediately hold Option+Command+P+R. Keep holding until you hear the startup chime twice or see the Apple logo appear and disappear twice. Release the keys.
4. Reset Sound preferences in System Settings. Open System Settings > Sound. Click Output, then select your desired audio device. Adjust the output volume to 75%. Click Input and select your microphone. Set input volume to match your device requirements.
5. Reset Audio MIDI Setup. Open Audio MIDI Setup from Applications > Utilities. Select your audio device in the sidebar. Click the gear icon and choose 'Reset to Default'. Repeat for all listed audio devices.
6. Test audio output. Play a song from Music or a video from QuickTime Player. Verify sound plays through your selected output device. Test different volume levels to ensure proper audio response.