How-To

MacBook Speakers Crackling: 9 Fixes

By Adam Davidson

Updated March 1, 2024

Are you getting distorted sound from your Mac? Here are some fixes to try if you’re having issues with your MacBook speakers crackling.

There are plenty of ways to listen to audio from your MacBook. You could use a pair of wired or wireless headphones, such as a pair of AirPods. You could connect a Bluetooth speaker or AirPlay to a device such as a HomePod. Or you could use the built-in speakers on your MacBook instead. The built-in speakers on your MacBook can do a great job, but things can go wrong. You may find that when you’re playing audio through your MacBook speakers, you get a noticeable crackling sound. There are several possible causes for this issue, which may be due to a problem with your speaker hardware but can also be caused by software problems. Here are some things to try if you’re having problems with your MacBook speakers crackling.

1. Turn the Volume Down

The first thing to do is check if the issue occurs only at high volume, or whether you’re getting crackling even when the volume level is low. If the issue only occurs when the volume is cranked up, it may indicate a hardware issue. However, if you’re getting crackling even at low volumes, this likely indicates a software problem.

2. Check for Damage

Depending on the model of MacBook you’re using, you may have speaker grilles visible on the body of your Mac. While these are mostly cosmetic, they do help you determine where your speakers are located. Check for any signs of damage in these areas; if you spot any you may need repairs. You can also use compressed air to clean out the tiny grille holes. Debris trapped in these holes may be the cause of your crackling sounds.

For some MacBooks, there’s no obvious indication of where the speakers are hidden. However, if you notice any physical damage, this may impact your speakers and repairs may be necessary.

3. Try Different Apps

If the problem appears to be software-related, try narrowing the cause down. If you’re only getting crackling when you’re using a specific app, then this app is almost certainly the cause of your problems. You can try updating the app to the latest version to see if this causes the crackling to stop.

Some users have had issues when using apps that are intended to limit CPU usage for otherwise CPU-greedy applications. If the app being limited is the source of your audio, this can cause your audio to crackle. If you’re any apps of this type, try disabling them to see if the problem persists.

4. Restart Your MacBook

Turning your computer off and on again may sound like a cliché, but it’s often an effective method of fixing your problems. Restarting your Mac can stop any unwanted processes that could be affecting the quality of your audio.

When your MacBook restarts, test out the audio before you start opening lots of other apps. If you don’t hear any crackling, the problem may be caused by a heavy CPU load.

5. Check Activity Monitor

Some apps like to eat through your CPU. If you’re using a browser with a lot of tabs open, for example, you may find your CPU usage skyrocketing. If it gets too high, it may cause issues when playing audio and could be the cause of your crackling.

You can see exactly which apps are hogging your CPU by using Activity Monitor.

1. Press Cmd+Space to open Spotlight.
2. Type Activity Monitor and press Enter.
   
3. Select the CPU tab.
   
4. Under the % CPU column header, you’ll see how much of your CPU each process is using. You can click the column header to sort the results by highest or lowest CPU usage.
   
5. If there’s a process that’s hogging a significant amount, select that process and click the X icon in the toolbar to kill the process.
   
6. Play some more audio to see if the problem still occurs.

6. Update macOS

Some users have found that issues with crackling audio happened with a specific version of macOS. You can try updating to the latest version of macOS to see if this resolves your audio issues.

1. Click the Apple icon in the menu bar.
   
2. Select System Settings.
   
3. In the left-hand menu, click General.
   
4. Select Software Update.
   
5. If there is an update available, click Update Now.
   
6. Once the update is complete, test your audio again to see if the crackling has stopped.

7. Turn Off User Interface Sound Effects

By default, your Mac will make sounds when you interact with it. For example, you’ll hear the sound of a camera when you take a screenshot, or the sound of paper being scrunched up when you empty the Trash. However, these sounds may interfere with other audio that you’re trying to play. You can turn these sound effects off in the Sound settings.

1. Click the Apple logo in the menu bar.
   
2. Click System Settings.
   
3. Select Sound in the left-hand menu.
   
4. Toggle Play User Interface Sound Effects off.
   
5. You will no longer hear sound effects when you perform specific actions on your MacBook.

8. Reduce the Alert Volume

As well as playing sound effects when you interact with the user interface, your MacBook will also play alerts when you try to do something that isn’t valid. For example, if you press Cmd+C to copy something on your Mac when you don’t have anything selected, you’ll hear an alert sound. You can lower the volume of these alerts if they’re interfering with other audio from your MacBook.

1. Click the Apple icon at the left of the menu bar.
   
2. Select System Settings.
   
3. Click Sound in the left-hand menu.
   
4. Use the Alert Volume slider to reduce the level of the alert volume.
   
5. Move the slider all the way to the left if you want to turn off alerts completely.

9. Change the Audio Format

Your MacBook can play audio in several different formats. These formats use different sample rates. The latest Macs are capable of playing hi-res audio at sample rates of up to 96kHZ. However, some formats may cause issues with the audio that you’re trying to play. You can try using a different format to see if this helps.

1. Press Cmd+Space to open Spotlight.
2. Type Audio Midi Setup and press Enter.
   
3. Ensure your MacBook speakers are selected in the left-hand menu.
   
4. Click the Format drop-down.
   
5. Try switching from 48,000 Hz to 44,100 Hz, or vice versa.
   
6. If you’re playing high-res audio, try changing the format to 96,000 Hz, if the option is available on your Mac.
7. Test your audio again to see if the crackling still occurs.

Fixing Problems with MacBook Speakers Crackling

If you’re having problems with your MacBook speakers crackling, hopefully, one of the fixes above has helped. If you find any other useful fixes for this issue, then please let us know in the comments below.

Try to determine if your problems are hardware or software-related. The problem may be caused by a specific app or an out-of-date version of macOS. If you’ve tried all the software fixes, and you’re still getting the same issue, then the problem is probably with your hardware. Your best bet is to take it to an authorized repair center and get it looked at, as the speakers in modern MacBooks aren’t that easy to get at.