Goats, lies and Kevin Spacey: the story behind the Netflix «tudum»
11/1/2025
Translation: Elicia Payne
Netflix’ sound logo is celebrating its tenth birthday this year. How the iconic «tudum» came about is now a real mystery. This story involves Kevin Spacey, his desk and maybe even a goat.
During the recent festive period, I watched the latest Netflix production Carry-on with Kingsman actor Taron Egerton. It’s an entertaining action thriller in the style of Non-Stop, Phone Booth and Die Hard.
The movie’s not a masterpiece, but it’s entertaining. But that’s not what I want to talk about here. Carry-on is a Netflix production, so the very first thing you hear is Netflix’s iconic sound logo: «tudum». Every day it booms through living rooms around the world. Almost more impressive than the thundering sound, however, is the story behind its creation.
10 years of «tudum»
The Netflix sound logo was first heard in 2015, when the streaming provider established itself as a serious production studio. At the time, the booming sound even irritated some people, as can be seen in this amusing Reddit thread.
While the entire name used to appear with the sound logo, today only the stylised «N» of Netflix is displayed.
You used to be able to hear the jingle at the start of every episode in early Netflix shows, not just when the Netflix app was launched. Titles such as House of Cards, Orange is the New Black and Narcos were hugely successful and practically created the concept of binge-watching.
But where does the sound logo come from?
A goat?
During my research on the topic, I stumbled across several articles which coincide in their reports on the creation of the sound logo. For example, both Entertainment Weekly and Mashable report that the Netflix sound logo was almost a goat.
Excuse me?
Both reports refer to an episode of the Twenty Thousand Hertz podcast from 5 August 2020. In it, Netflix’ VP of Product at the time, Todd Yellin, explains how the sound logo came about. Together with sound designer Lon Bender, he came up with around 20 to 30 motifs – apparently including a goat.
The goat was supposedly intended as a response to film logos of established studios, like the lion from MGM.
Well, that sounds more like made-up marketing talk to me. However that may be, in the end Netflix settled on the «tudum» we know today.
According to Bender, it came from his wedding ring, which he knocked twice against a chest of drawers. This knocking noise was supplemented with an anvil and other sound effects, et voilà: «tudum»!
To be honest, I don’t entirely believe this story either.
Has the story been rewritten?
The thing that irritates me most is that the podcast episode and its claims is from 2020. I couldn’t find an earlier explanation from Netflix, about the creation of the sound logo, anywhere on the internet – although the service has been around since 2015.
The only other thing I could find on the subject is a modern urban legend about Kevin Spacey and his desk. He played protagonist Frank Underwood in Netflix’s very first in-house production, House of Cards. In the dramatic finale of the second season, he taps his iconic signet ring against his desk twice, in a darkly prophesying manner – a gesture he uses repeatedly in the series to emphasise his control, manipulation and direct connection to the audience.
And lo and behold, the scene broadcast in 2014 sounds almost identical to the sound logo introduced the following year. This can’t be a coincidence! But why’s it impossible to find an official explanation for the House of Cards version of the story?
Due to several allegations of sexual harassment, Netflix ended its collaboration with Spacey at the end of 2017. The now acquitted actor was banned from all productions and practically erased from Netflix history.
Source: Netflix
So the question remains, how did the sound logo really come about?
«Netflix exists because of me»
Just as I was about to give up my search, I stumbled across an exciting interview. In December 2023, US political presenter Tucker Carlson conducted an interview with Kevin Spacey. In the video «Being Frank With Tucker», the two talk about the current political situation in the States, the presidential elections and their lives. And about Netflix.
From minute 4:30, Carlson explains that Spacey’s still a part of Netflix today. The actor then knocks twice on the coffee table in front of him and says: «Boom Boom». Spacey goes on to explain in his own words:
«I don’t think there’s any question, Netflix exists because of me. I put them on the map and they tried to put me in the ground.»
Of course, it’s a he-said-she-said situation. We’ll probably never really get a definitive answer as to how Netflix’s «tudum» actually came about. Was it the wedding ring on the dresser – or Spacey’s fist and signet ring against the desk?
By the way, since 2020 Netflix has also been producing entire feature films with an extended sound logo, composed by none other than film music legend Hans Zimmer himself:
Where do you think the origin of Netflix’ sound logo really lies? Perhaps there’s even more crazy theories that we’re not aware of. Do you have any idea how «tudum» could have come about? We want to hear your thoughts in the comments!
Header image: Netflix
Dayan Pfammatter
Freier Autor
pf.dayan@gmail.comI've been fascinated by all things keys, displays and speakers for basically as long as I can remember. As a journalist specialising in technology and society, I strive to create order in the jungle of tech jargon and confusing spec sheets.
