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Notification Sound for Claude Code

When running multiple Claude Code sessions in VS Code, it's hard to tell which one finished. This guide sets up a macOS notification with sound that fires every time Claude finishes a response, showing which project completed.

Prerequisites​

Install terminal-notifier via Homebrew:

brew install terminal-notifier

Configuration​

Add a Stop hook to ~/.claude/settings.json. The Stop event fires every time Claude finishes responding, regardless of whether the terminal is focused. (You can also add this hook at project scope in .claude/settings.json if you only want it for specific projects.)

{
  "hooks": {
    "Stop": [
      {
        "hooks": [
          {
            "type": "command",
            "command": "terminal-notifier -title 'Claude Code' -message \"Done in $(basename $PWD)\" -sound Glass -ignoreDnD"
          }
        ]
      }
    ]
  }
}

Restart Claude Code after editing the file.

What It Does​

  • -title 'Claude Code': sets the notification title
  • -message "Done in $(basename $PWD)": shows the project folder name, so you know which session finished
  • -sound Glass: plays the macOS Glass sound (alternatives: Ping, Submarine, Hero)
  • -ignoreDnD: shows the notification even in Do Not Disturb mode

macOS Notification Settings​

After the first notification fires, go to System Settings → Notifications → terminal-notifier and configure:

  • Allow notifications: On
  • Notification style: Choose Alerts if you want the notification to stay on screen until dismissed. Choose Banners if you prefer it to disappear automatically.

Why Not Other Approaches​

ApproachProblem
Notification hookOnly fires on attention-requiring events (permission, auth, or idle prompts), so it won't fire when Claude simply finishes a normal response
printf '\a' (terminal bell)VS Code's integrated terminal doesn't show a visible indicator
printf '\e]0;DONE\a' (tab title)Hook runs in a subprocess, so stdout doesn't reach the terminal
osascript display notificationCan show a "Show" button that opens Script Editor (behavior varies by macOS version)
terminal-notifier -sender com.microsoft.VSCodeRoutes notifications through VS Code's notification settings, which may be disabled

Customization​

Change the sound:

"command": "terminal-notifier -title 'Claude Code' -message \"Done in $(basename $PWD)\" -sound Ping -ignoreDnD"

Available macOS sounds: Basso, Blow, Bottle, Frog, Funk, Glass, Hero, Morse, Ping, Pop, Purr, Sosumi, Submarine, Tink.