Direct answer: On the documented Night 9 event, listen for the Jack-in-the-Box music, find the box and hold the interact control to rewind it before the song completes for the third time. If the third play finishes, the Marionette spawns.
Simple response sequence
- Read the N.E.T. warning at the start of the documented Night 9 event.
- Stop ordinary shift tasks as soon as the music starts.
- Use the sound as a directional cue and move toward the source.
- Search the break room, storage room, bathroom and shop aisles as possible locations, not a fixed route.
- Hold the interact control to rewind the mechanism before the third play finishes.
- Resume the shift only after the immediate objective is handled.
Why audio matters
An official balancing update says the Jack-in-the-Box music was made louder, especially for larger lobbies. That confirms sound is an intended part of locating and responding to the event, even though the detailed rewind procedure is documented by community guides.
Common failure pattern
The main mistake is continuing ordinary shift tasks while the music advances. Searching a memorized room first without listening can also waste the response window because published locations vary. In co-op, split the search area while one player keeps tracking the audio cue.
What happens if you miss it?
After the music completes for the third time, the Marionette spawns. That is a failure if your goal is to prevent the encounter, but it is also the setup for the Last Performance achievement, which requires killing a Marionette. Use the Marionette encounter guide for that branch.
What this guide does not claim
The current sources support the Night 9 warning, three-play limit, follow-and-rewind procedure and several possible rooms. They do not justify a permanent spawn map, guaranteed location order or exact real-time countdown for every game version, so those claims are not published here.
Return to the entity database or open the Marionette guide.