Streaming fans will have heard the simple jingle thousands of times as they log in to watch the latest hit show.

But it is hard to imagine any have given much thought to Netflix’s iconic loading sound and where it came from.

The site has used the beat, which was given the technical term ‘tudum’ by the company’s chief engineers, since 2015 just as it was starting its full-blown invasion of the entertainment industry.

A decade later, Netflix is now the most watched ‘channel’ in the UK, boasting an average audience reach of 43.2 million in the final quarter of 2024 compared with the BBC’s 42.3m.

That’s a lot of people hearing the streamer’s short but memorable loading sound and now fans have taken to X to boast that they have finally cracked the origin of the jingle – or have they?

It all seems to date back to hit political drama House Of Cards, the show which arguably put Netflix on the map. 

Streaming fans will have heard the simple jingle thousands of times as they log in to watch the latest hit show but few will have given much thought to Netflix’s iconic loading sound

Social media users have suggested it came from the season two finale of House of Cards when Kevin Spacey’s character Frank Underwood banged his desk twice with his right fist

The series won seven Emmy Awards and two Golden Globes and established Netflix as a serious name in content creation as fans obsessively tracked Frank’s rise to the top

Starring Kevin Spacey as ambitious American politician Frank Underwood, the series came out in 2013 and was the first to be produced by a studio for the streaming site.

It won seven Emmy Awards and two Golden Globes and established Netflix as a serious name in content creation as fans obsessively tracked Frank’s rise to the top by means of backstabbing all those who had wronged him in the past.

In the final episode of the second season, the lead character moved one step closer to his political dream and as he loomed over his desk he banged its wooden surface twice with his right fist.

The sound faded away as the end credits arrived and the end result was something that closely resembled Netflix’s jingle, introduced a year later.

After one fan made the connection on X, posting ‘it lives forever as the Netflix loading sound at least’, the social media site was flooded by TV obsessives expressing their disbelief.

One said: ‘That sound is the last surviving piece of the Underwood legacy.’

Another shocked fan added: ‘The Netflix loading sound comes from House Of Cards?’

A third posted: ‘It makes sense when you realise House of Cards was their first ever show.’ 

After one fan made the connection on X, posting ‘it lives forever as the Netflix loading sound at least’, the social media site was flooded by TV obsessives expressing their disbelief

Another said: ‘I can’t believe this isn’t a joke.’

One stunned user posted: ‘The “tudum” is House of Cards’ last remaining power move.’

A sixth added: ‘Like the rest of these comments, I was today years old when I learned this.’

Another posted: ‘At least it’s immortalised in something we all hear weekly, if not daily.’

And one fan said: ‘Oh my God. I never even realised. This show practically built Netflix.’

Despite social media’s certainty, it seems fans have been caught out by a red herring.

VP of Product at Netflix Todd Yellin has previously explained he teamed up with Oscar-winning sound editor Lon Bender to embark on the ambitious project to create an iconic beat to lead the streamer’s conquest of the TV and film worlds.

The duo whittled down around 20 or 30 ideas, according to Audiospheric, into three main contenders, and it turns out episodes of the likes of Stranger Things or The Crown could have instead been heralded in by a farm animal’s cry.

VP of Product at Netflix Todd Yellin has previously explained episodes of the likes of Stranger Things or The Crown could have instead been heralded in by a farm animal’s cry

He teamed up with Oscar-winning sound editor Lon Bender and whittled down around 20 or 30 ideas into three main contenders including the sound of a goat

The ever-scheming Frank was left less than impressed with this explanation however and, in an interview with Tucker Carlson in 2023, Kevin took on the persona of his iconic character to claim he had created the loading sound

Todd said: ‘I liked the sound of a goat. It was funny. It was original. It was our version of Leo the Lion [MGM’s intro sound].’

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After consulting his 10-year-old daughter, the Netflix chief settled on the tudum sound which ended up needing a year to perfect.

It took the sound of a wedding ring knocking on a piece of furniture and mixed it with a deeper anvil sound, some muted drum hits and some reversed guitar chords. 

The ever-scheming Frank was left less than impressed with this explanation however and, in an interview with Tucker Carlson in 2023, Kevin took on the persona of his iconic character to claim he had created the loading sound.

He told the former Fox News host: ‘You know what that is? [bangs coffee table twice] Boom, boom.

‘According to your research, my influence is felt every time every customer opens the app.’