0 Never gonna give you up

A sound from the 😂 Memes category

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Also as: Discord-ready (≤5 s) · iPhone ringtone (.m4r) · Android ringtone (MP3) · how to add it to Discord · how to set it as a ringtone

📖 What is the “0 Never gonna give you up” sound?

This clip is a short excerpt from the opening of Rick Astley's 1987 single "Never Gonna Give You Up," typically capturing the instantly recognizable synth intro and the first line or two of his baritone vocal. At roughly 11 seconds, it's just long enough to trigger instant recognition without needing the full song. The sound is tied to "rickrolling," a bait-and-switch prank that began on 4chan in 2007 when a user swapped a promised link (originally for a Grand Theft Auto IV trailer) with this music video instead. The joke spread because of the jarring contrast between what viewers expected to click and the cheerful, dated pop song that actually played. Over time it became one of the internet's longest-running running gags, reinforced by a coordinated April Fools' prank in 2008 where major websites redirected users to the video. In meme culture, hearing even a few seconds of this intro now functions as a punchline on its own, signaling that someone has been "gotten" or that a link, video, or moment was a setup all along. The clip works because so few notes are needed before listeners' brains fill in the rest of the song and the joke lands. It's used far more for its meta-comedic value as a trick or fake-out than for any musical appreciation of the original track.

🧭 Where it comes from

Origin: 4chan (Shawn Cotter, 2007), song originally released by Rick Astley in 1987 (2007) — well documented

The song itself dates to 1987, written and produced by Stock Aitken Waterman. The meme was created on 4chan on 15 May 2007 when user Shawn Cotter replaced a GTA IV trailer link with the music video, building on an earlier prank called the Duck Roll. The prank gained further mainstream traction through a 2008 April Fools' Day stunt by several media companies.

🎬 How to use it in your edits

Drop it in right after a fake link, fake tutorial step, or misleading thumbnail to reveal the bait-and-switch to your audience. It also works as a jump-scare style sting when a video or stream cuts unexpectedly to something unrelated, mimicking the surprise of a live rickroll.

Download the file above, then import it into CapCut, Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve — or straight into TikTok / Instagram. The sound is free for your videos.

💬 Questions about this sound

Where did the rickroll meme come from?

It started on 4chan on 15 May 2007 when a user replaced a link meant to go to a Grand Theft Auto IV trailer with the music video for Rick Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up."

Is the song itself from the meme era?

No, the song was originally released in 1987 by Rick Astley; it only became linked to internet pranks two decades later in 2007.

Why does such a short clip work as a joke?

The intro and opening lines are so widely recognized from the meme's spread that just a few seconds are enough for listeners to identify the bait-and-switch instantly.