Processes
coreaudiod
The macOS audio engine.
What it is
coreaudiod mixes and routes all sound on your Mac, for every app and audio device.
It uses a little CPU while audio plays. Audio plug-ins, virtual audio devices and some audio interfaces can increase that.
Should you worry?
Only if it's high with nothing playing, which often points to a misbehaving audio app or driver.
What you can do
- Quit audio apps you aren't using.
- Remove virtual audio devices or drivers you don't need, then restart.