The exact origin of this stretched greeting is not documented, so its history is mainly an online one. The clip spread as a short meme sound that people could drop into edits without any context, because the word salut is understood well beyond French speakers. Its long vowel makes it easy to recognise even from a tiny preview, and that instant recognition helped it travel across chats, streams and short videos. It remains popular as a light, friendly alternative to a plain hello or a dramatic entrance sound.