Guides / Virtual audio drivers and Audio MIDI Setup
What is Audio MIDI Setup on a Mac?
Tested on macOS 26.4.1 (Tahoe), Apple M3 Max, 3 Sept 2026. Updated 2026-09-03.
Audio MIDI Setup is a utility that ships with every Mac. It lives in /Applications/Utilities (on macOS 26 the real path is /System/Applications/Utilities). It shows every Core Audio input and output, lets you set each device's sample rate and bit depth (for example 48 kHz, 24-bit), and builds aggregate and multi-output devices. It is not a recorder and it cannot be deleted.
What does Audio MIDI Setup do on a Mac?
Audio MIDI Setup is the control panel for Core Audio, the layer under every sound app on a Mac. System Settings > Sound only lets you pick a default input and output. Audio MIDI Setup goes further. Apple's guide lists what it covers: set up audio input and output devices, combine audio devices into a single aggregate device, set aggregate device settings, play audio through multiple devices at once, and set up and test MIDI devices.
In practice you open it for four jobs:
- Change a device's Format (sample rate and bit depth). Apple's wording: "Click the Format pop-up menu, then set the sample rate and bit depth. Make sure they match the appropriate settings for your audio device."
- Build an aggregate device so two interfaces, or a mic plus a virtual driver, appear as one device.
- Build a multi-output device so sound plays through two outputs at once.
- See which virtual devices a third-party driver such as BlackHole has added.
What it does not do: it does not record anything, it does not route one app's sound into another app on its own, and it does not mix. Those jobs need either a virtual audio driver or a recorder that uses ScreenCaptureKit.
Where is Audio MIDI Setup on a Mac and how do you open it?
Three ways, all standard macOS behavior, checked on macOS 26.4.1:
- Spotlight: press Command-Space, type
Audio MIDI, press Return. - Finder: open the Applications folder, then the Utilities folder, then double-click Audio MIDI Setup. Finder shows it under
/Applications/Utilities; the file actually lives at/System/Applications/Utilities/Audio MIDI Setup.app, which is why you cannot move or delete it. - Terminal:
open -a "Audio MIDI Setup"
When it opens you should see the Audio Devices window. If you only see a MIDI Studio window, choose Window > Show Audio Devices. The left sidebar lists every device Core Audio knows about: MacBook Pro Microphone, MacBook Pro Speakers, any USB interface, and any virtual device such as "Microsoft Teams Audio" or "BlackHole 2ch". Selecting a device shows its input and output tabs on the right. On this Mac the list also includes the DJ controller's USB return and a Multi-Output Device built earlier, which is a good reminder that everything you create here stays until you remove it.
How do you change the sample rate and bit depth in Audio MIDI Setup?
Select the device in the sidebar, pick the Input or Output tab, and open the Format pop-up menu. Rates such as 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz or 96 kHz and depths such as 24-bit appear only if the hardware supports them. The setting is per device and per direction; changing the speakers' output rate does not touch the microphone's input rate.
Why it matters for recording: a recorder captures at whatever rate the device is set to. AirCheck's system-audio captures on this Mac arrive at 48 kHz, and interface captures arrive at whatever the interface is set to, 44.1 or 48 kHz in real files. If you record a 44.1 kHz source while another app has switched the interface to 48 kHz, you get a mismatch that shows up as a pitch or speed error later. The rule from Apple's aggregate-device guide applies everywhere: keep every device in the chain at the same rate. See what sample rate Mac system audio uses for the measured numbers.
Bit depth in this menu describes the hardware format. A 24-bit setting does not make a 16-bit USB mic better; it only tells Core Audio how to package the samples.
Can you delete or reset Audio MIDI Setup?
No, and you do not need to. "How to uninstall Audio MIDI Setup" is a common search, usually from someone who wants a strange device or a broken aggregate to go away. The app itself is part of macOS, protected by System Integrity Protection, and takes up no meaningful space. What people actually want is one of these:
- Remove an aggregate or multi-output device you built: select it in the sidebar and click the Remove (minus) button at the bottom. Apple documents this on both the aggregate and multi-output guide pages.
- Remove a virtual device you did not build: those come from third-party plug-ins in
/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/HAL, not from Audio MIDI Setup. Uninstall the driver instead; see how to uninstall BlackHole or Soundflower. - Reset default input and output: System Settings > Sound, choose the device you want. Audio MIDI Setup has the same choice under Control-click > Use This Device for Sound Output.
If a device is listed but dead, Apple's own troubleshooting page is short: check the cable, check the device is on, install the manufacturer's software. Restarting Core Audio with sudo killall -9 coreaudiod in Terminal clears most ghost entries.
Click the Format pop-up menu, then set the sample rate and bit depth. Make sure they match the appropriate settings for your audio device.
Apple, Audio MIDI Setup User Guide
Which Mac tool does which audio job (macOS 26, checked 3 Sept 2026)
| Tool | Pick default input/output | Set sample rate and bit depth | Combine devices | Route one app into another | Records a file |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| System Settings > Sound | yes | no | no | no | no |
| Audio MIDI Setup | yes | yes | yes | no | no |
| BlackHole (free) + Audio MIDI Setup | yes | yes | yes | yes | no |
| QuickTime Player | no | no | no | no | mic only |
| AirCheck ($39) | no | no | no | no | yes |
Recording what you hear needs a recorder, not Audio MIDI Setup. Routing app to app needs a virtual driver.
Where AirCheck fits
If you opened Audio MIDI Setup because you want to record what your Mac plays, you can skip it. AirCheck ($39, macOS 14 or newer) captures system audio through ScreenCaptureKit after a one-time Screen Recording permission, so nothing is added to the Audio MIDI Setup list and your speakers keep working. It records at the device's native rate (48 kHz, 24-bit on the author's Mac) and exports WAV or MP3. Interface users get a channel-pair picker, which is the one Audio MIDI Setup-style choice you still need to make.
When you do not need it: If your job is setting a sample rate, combining two interfaces, or fixing a MIDI keyboard, Audio MIDI Setup is the right free tool and no recorder is involved.
AirCheck records what your Mac plays, or any input, to one file. $39 once.
macOS 14 or newer. One-off payment. Fourteen-day refund, no questions asked.
Questions people ask
Where is Audio MIDI Setup on a MacBook Air or MacBook Pro?
Same place on every Mac: Applications > Utilities > Audio MIDI Setup, or type "Audio MIDI" into Spotlight. The bundle itself sits in /System/Applications/Utilities on macOS 26, so it cannot be moved or trashed.
What is the Audio MIDI Setup utility used for?
Configuring Core Audio devices: sample rate and bit depth per device, default input and output, aggregate devices that merge several interfaces, multi-output devices that play through several outputs, and MIDI device setup. It does not record audio.
How do you reset Audio MIDI Setup on a Mac?
There is no reset button. Remove any aggregate or multi-output devices you created with the minus button, set your preferred input and output in System Settings > Sound, and run sudo killall -9 coreaudiod in Terminal to restart Core Audio if a device is stuck.
Why does Audio MIDI Setup show devices I never installed?
Apps such as Microsoft Teams, Serato and Zoom install their own HAL plug-ins in /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/HAL. Each one appears as a device. They are harmless but you can only remove them by uninstalling the app or the driver, not from Audio MIDI Setup.
Sources
- Apple: Audio MIDI Setup User Guide
- Apple: Set up audio devices in Audio MIDI Setup
- Apple: Combine audio devices into a single aggregate device
- Apple: If an audio device isn't working in Audio MIDI Setup
- Existential Audio: BlackHole README (coreaudiod restart command)
Related guides
- How to create an aggregate device on a Mac
- How to create a Multi-Output Device on a Mac (and keep hearing your audio)
- What is a virtual audio driver, and when do you need one on a Mac?
- How to uninstall BlackHole or Soundflower on a Mac
- Is BlackHole safe for a Mac?
- Is Soundflower safe, and does it still work on a Mac?
- Virtual audio drivers and Audio MIDI Setup: all guides
- Every guide, by topic