Sound on the 15 inch MacBook Air M4 comes from a four-speaker system that Apple supports with Spatial Audio, and a silent or crackly Mac is rarely a failed speaker. In System Settings, Sound, check the Output tab: the Mac may be sending audio to a monitor, an HDMI display, AirPods or a Bluetooth speaker that is nearby and on, and the volume slider belongs to the selected device. Choose MacBook Air Speakers. Check the Mute state and the Alert volume. For a headset, choose the same device for Input and Output.
If sound crackles, close apps that use the audio heavily and restart; if it distorts at high volume, lower the volume and turn off Dolby or Spatial effects to test. A Mac connected to a monitor over Thunderbolt may default to the monitor's weak speakers or none.
The checks in more detail
If the sound is gone after an update, restart Core Audio by restarting the Mac. If no output device appears at all, a software reset is needed and Apple Support should be contacted. The M4 Air's speakers sit beside the keyboard and fire through the grille, so a laptop on a soft surface or a keyboard cover can muffle them.
Spatial Audio and Dolby Atmos content change how it sounds, and playing a stereo track in Music with Spatial Audio off gives a clean baseline for judging the speakers. If you use an external DAC or USB headphones, they appear as separate output devices and can leave the Mac's speakers silent when still connected, so unplug them to check. External monitors connected over HDMI also add their own output and can take over the volume keys, which then do nothing for the speakers.
Differential
Likely causes of “Apple MacBook Air 15-inch (M4) has no sound or distorted audio”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
The wrong output device
What separates it No sound from the Mac
How to confirm System Settings, Sound, Output: choose MacBook Air Speakers
- 2
A monitor or Bluetooth device selected
What separates it Sound plays elsewhere
How to confirm Disconnect it or change the output
- 3
Muted or low volume
What separates it Alerts are silent
How to confirm Check the mute and the volume
- 4
A busy app or a driver glitch
What separates it Crackling
How to confirm Quit heavy apps and restart
- 5
A hardware fault
What separates it No device listed or silence on all outputs
How to confirm Contact Apple Support
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- The selected output device
- Whether a monitor or headset is connected
- Whether the problem is with all apps
- The macOS version
Try in this order
0 of 9 completedChoose the right output
ReversibleSystem Settings, Sound, Output.
Disconnect other devices
ReversibleUnplug monitors and turn off Bluetooth.
Check the volume and mute
ReversibleOn the keyboard and in Sound.
Quit busy apps
ReversibleThen play a test sound.
Restart the Mac
ReversibleTo reload the audio system.
Update macOS
ReversibleInstall the latest update.
Test with a stereo track in Music
ReversiblePlay a song with Spatial Audio off to judge the speakers cleanly.
Remove keyboard covers
ReversibleCover films or keyboard skins can muffle the speaker grille.
Use the Sound Check test
ReversiblePlay the macOS alert sounds from Sound, Sound Effects to hear each speaker.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- Four speakers
- The M4 Air has a four-speaker system.
- Selected device
- The volume slider follows the selected output.
- Soft surfaces
- Fabric muffles the speakers.
- Spatial Audio
- It changes the sound; test with it off.
- Alert sounds
- The alert list tests the output quickly.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !If no output devices are listed after a restart, contact Apple Support
- !If the speakers crackle at all volumes, ask for a repair
- !Water exposure needs service
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Exact questions
Common questions
Why is there no sound on my MacBook Air?+
The output is set to another device.
How many speakers does it have?+
Four.
Does a monitor take the sound?+
If it is the selected output.
What if no outputs are listed?+
Contact Apple.
Why does my Mac sound muffled on the bed?+
The grilles are covered.
Does Spatial Audio change quality?+
It changes the sound's character.