The startup chime has been part of Apple Macintosh computers since their early models, designed as an audio signal that the hardware passed its checks and was ready to boot. Different Mac generations used slightly different tones, but the warm major chord became the most widely recognized version. As clips of old computers booting circulated on video platforms and forums, the sound moved beyond tech tutorials into memes, edits, and soundboards, where its meaning is understood instantly even without seeing a Mac on screen.
À propos de ce son
The classic Mac OS startup chime that plays when an Apple computer boots up, now used as a meme sound for wake-up and fun tech reveal moments.
This is the bright, resonant startup chime heard when a Mac computer powers on, a single sustained chord that swells and fades in under four seconds. Clean and instantly recognizable, it signals that a system is awake and ready to use. Online, creators use that familiarity for comic timing, dropping it when a character finally understands something, a device turns on, or an idea lights up. The contrast between its calm, polished tone and silly visuals is what makes the joke land.
