Mac Kung Fu, 2nd Edition

Tip 277

Add Your Own System Sounds

With a little hacking you can use your own sound files for system alerts. You can find a variety of sound effect files online—just try Google. However, the files must be in AIFF format. Most sound files you might download from websites are in other formats (usually wav). However, you can convert them to AIFF format using iTunes, as described next.

Remember that alert noises need to be no more than a second or two in length. There’s no point in using a three-minute pop song as an alert because it’ll continue playing long after you’ve forgotten what the alert was for.

When you find a sound effect you like on a website, right-click the link to it, and select Downloaded Linked File. Simply clicking the link will ...