Core Audio

{{Short description|Low level API in Apple operating systems}}

{{Distinguish|text = the Microsoft Windows Core Audio APIs, which include the Windows Audio Session API (WASAPI)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2013}}

{{Infobox software

| name = Core Audio

| logo = Macosx audiovideo coreaudio 20090915.png

| developer = Apple Inc.

| released = 2003

| latest release version = 3.2.6{{Citation needed|date=September 2017}}

| operating_system = macOS, iOS

| genre = Developer library

| license = Proprietary

| website = https://developer.apple.com/documentation/coreaudio

}}

Core Audio is a low-level API for dealing with sound in Apple's macOS and iOS operating systems. It includes an implementation of the cross-platform OpenAL.{{cite web | title= Core Audio Overview: OpenAL (Open Audio Library) |date=February 11, 2014 | publisher=Apple Inc | url =https://developer.apple.com/library/ios/documentation/MusicAudio/Conceptual/CoreAudioOverview/WhatsinCoreAudio/WhatsinCoreAudio.html | access-date = January 28, 2015 }}

Apple's Core Audio documentation states that "in creating this new architecture on Mac OS X, Apple's objective in the audio space has been twofold. The primary goal is to deliver a high-quality, superior audio experience for Macintosh users. The second objective reflects a shift in emphasis from developers having to establish their own audio and MIDI protocols in their applications to Apple moving ahead to assume responsibility for these services on the Macintosh platform."{{Cite web|date=May 29, 2001|title=Audio and MIDI on Mac OS X|url=http://developer.apple.com/audio/pdf/coreaudio.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080311005146/http://developer.apple.com/audio/pdf/coreaudio.pdf|archive-date=March 11, 2008|access-date=August 13, 2020|publisher=Apple Computer|page=7}}