The Man Who Created Apple’s Most Iconic Sounds

Former Apple software and sound designer Jim Reekes spoke with the CNBC series Make It about how he created some of the company’s most iconic sounds, both with and without permission from management. This includes the former, highly identifiable Mac startup sound, the xylophonic “sosumi” beep (a clever word play on “So Sue Me” during the Apple Corps v. Apple Computer case), and even the camera shutter sound on every iPhone.

From the start-up sound to the camera click, here’s how sound designer Jim Reekes created the Apple sounds you hear every day.

Man Behind Apple Sounds

A Deleted Clip From the Film ‘Welcome to Macintosh’

Reekes tells the full story of the sosumi sound in a deleted clip from the 2008 documentary Welcome to Macintosh.

Sadly, my favorite scene was deleted in the final edit of the movie. Fortunately, I found this clip on the cutting room floor. Here I am, telling the real story behind the urban legend of the infamous Sosumi beep sound on the Macintosh.

Lori Dorn
Lori Dorn

Lori is a Laughing Squid Contributing Editor based in New York City who has been writing blog posts for over a decade. She also enjoys making jewelry, playing guitar, taking photos and mixing craft cocktails.

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