You know that sound. It’s 11:30 PM. The house is dead silent. You just finished a late-night binge of a show you’ll probably regret tomorrow morning, and you go to hit the power button. Suddenly, a bright, melodic chime echoes through the living room, loud enough to wake the dog and possibly the neighbors.
The Samsung TV startup and shutdown sound—often officially called the "Melody"—is one of those brand hallmarks that people either love or absolutely loathe. It’s meant to be a signature, a little "hello" and "goodbye" from your tech. But honestly? Sometimes you just want to turn your TV off in peace without a musical production.
If you’ve spent the last ten minutes digging through menus trying to find the "off" switch for that chime, you aren't alone. It is tucked away in some pretty weird places depending on how old your TV is.
Why Does Your TV Even Do That?
Samsung is big on "sonic branding." Just like the "Over the Horizon" ringtone on their Galaxy phones, the TV startup chime is designed to make the hardware feel alive. It’s a signal that the processor has successfully kicked over.
But there’s also a practical side. For users with visual impairments, that sound is a critical cue. It confirms the TV actually registered the remote press. Since modern LED screens can take a few seconds to light up, the sound prevents you from mashed the power button three times because you thought it didn't work.
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How to Kill the Samsung TV Startup and Shutdown Sound
The tricky part is that Samsung changes its menu layout more often than most people change their oil. Depending on if you have a brand-new 2026 Neo QLED or a dusty 2015 model, the path to silence is different.
For Newer Models (2022–2026)
On the latest Tizen OS versions, they’ve buried the melody setting under "Expert Settings." Follow this trail:
- Hit the Home button and navigate to Settings (the gear icon).
- Select All Settings.
- Go down to Sound.
- Open Expert Settings.
- Scroll until you see Sound Feedback or Melody.
- Toggle it to Off.
A quick tip: If "Melody" is grayed out and you can't click it, it’s usually because you have external speakers or a soundbar connected via Optical or HDMI-eARC. The TV assumes that since it isn't using its own speakers, it shouldn't play the chime. To fix this, you might have to temporarily switch the sound output back to "TV Speakers," turn the melody off, and then switch back to your soundbar.
For Mid-Range/Older Smart TVs (2016–2021)
These models usually keep it under the "System" or "General" tab.
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- Menu > System > General > Melody
- Or: Settings > General > System Manager > Usage Mode (Sometimes it’s tied to "Retail Mode," but you definitely want that on "Home Mode").
The "Vintage" Samsung Path (Pre-2016)
If your remote has a bunch of colorful buttons and a "Plug & Play" option, you’re looking at the classic Orsay OS.
- Go to Menu.
- Look for Setup.
- Find General.
- Select Melody and set that sucker to Off.
The Mystery "Ghost" Chime
Sometimes, your Samsung TV makes a chiming noise randomly even when you aren't turning it on or off. This drives people crazy. It usually isn't the startup melody at all.
Ninety percent of the time, this is caused by Tap View. It’s a feature where you can tap your phone against the TV to mirror the screen. If your phone is sitting too close to the TV frame, or if there’s some weird interference, the TV chimes because it thinks a device is trying to connect.
Another culprit? Accessibility Shortcuts. If you accidentally hold the volume button down for too long, you might trigger the Voice Guide or a chime that indicates the accessibility menu is active.
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When You Actually Want the Sound
Believe it or not, some people find the silence eerie. If your TV used to chime and suddenly stopped, check your Sound Mode.
If you’ve recently updated your firmware, Samsung occasionally resets these toggles to "Off" by default to comply with newer "eco-friendly" or "minimalist" user experience guidelines. Just walk the path back through Settings > Sound > Expert Settings to bring the music back.
Actionable Next Steps
- Check your firmware: If the "Melody" option is missing entirely, go to Support > Software Update. Sometimes a bug hides the menu item.
- Mute test: If you just want a temporary fix, remember that the TV remembers its last volume state. If you mute the TV before turning it off, many models will remain silent during the next startup.
- External Gear: If you use a Roku, Apple TV, or Fire Stick remote to control power, the TV might still play the chime even if the streaming box is silent. You must use the original Samsung remote to get into the deep settings to kill the sound permanently.
Essentially, it’s your hardware—you should be the one deciding if it sings to you or not.