Notification Sound Hook

Hook Type

Notification -- Runs when Claude needs user attention (waiting for input or permission).

Description

Plays a system sound whenever Claude Code is waiting for user input. This is especially useful when running long tasks in the background -- you get an audible ping instead of having to keep checking the terminal.

Patterns/Rules

• Triggers on any notification event (permission requests, questions, task completion)
• Uses native system audio commands -- no dependencies required
• Falls back gracefully if audio is unavailable
• macOS: Uses afplay with system sounds
• Linux: Uses paplay (PulseAudio) or aplay (ALSA)
• Windows: Uses PowerShell System.Media.SystemSounds

Configuration

Add to .claude/settings.json:

macOS

Copy
{
  "hooks": {
    "Notification": [
      {
        "matcher": "",
        "hooks": [
          {
            "type": "command",
            "command": "afplay /System/Library/Sounds/Glass.aiff &"
          }
        ]
      }
    ]
  }
}

Linux

Copy
{
  "hooks": {
    "Notification": [
      {
        "matcher": "",
        "hooks": [
          {
            "type": "command",
            "command": "paplay /usr/share/sounds/freedesktop/stereo/bell.oga &"
          }
        ]
      }
    ]
  }
}

Windows (Git Bash)

Copy
{
  "hooks": {
    "Notification": [
      {
        "matcher": "",
        "hooks": [
          {
            "type": "command",
            "command": "powershell -c \"[System.Media.SystemSounds]::Exclamation.Play()\""
          }
        ]
      }
    ]
  }
}

Available macOS Sounds

Sound	Path	Character
Glass	/System/Library/Sounds/Glass.aiff	Soft, pleasant
Ping	/System/Library/Sounds/Ping.aiff	Attention-getting
Pop	/System/Library/Sounds/Pop.aiff	Quick, subtle
Purr	/System/Library/Sounds/Purr.aiff	Gentle notification
Submarine	/System/Library/Sounds/Submarine.aiff	Distinctive
Tink	/System/Library/Sounds/Tink.aiff	Light tap

Action

The hook runs a platform-native audio command in the background (note the & suffix) so it does not block Claude's execution. No script file is needed -- the command runs directly.