The familiar sound that introduces every Netflix stream — referred to internally as “Ta Dum” — was nearly something very different: a goat’s bleat.
That’s according to Netflix vp product Todd Yellin, who told the Twenty Thousand Hertz podcast that goats and underwater bubbles were on a shortlist compiled by Oscar-winning sound designer Lon Bender, who created the audio logo that debuted in 2015.
“I liked the sound of the goat,” Yellin says. “It was funny, quirky and our version of [MGM’s] Leo the Lion.”
Ultimately, they went with Ta Dum, created by Bender rapping his wedding ring on his nightstand. (The ensuing chord, called “The Blossom,” is a guitar playing backward.)
When consumers were polled, Ta Dum drew responses like “dramatic” and “beginning,” and a majority (not knowing the survey was for Netflix) said it reminded them of a “movie.” That sealed the deal.
This article originally appeared in THR.com.
