Twenty Thousand Hertz

A lovingly crafted podcast that reveals the stories behind the world's most recognizable and interesting sounds.

Design
Arts
Music Commentary
101
Sonic Wonderland
Take your ears on a mini vacation as we celebrate the sonic wonders of the world.
18 min
102
Historically Speaking
How we shape language to our needs, and how it shapes us in return.
26 min
103
Vroom Vroom
A song of fuel and fire - what’s happening inside your car engine?
26 min
104
Baby Shark
The history and future of one of the biggest viral sensations ever.
36 min
105
Virtual Choir
The story of the internet choir connecting people from around the world to share the joy of singing.
25 min
106
The Price is Right (Yeah, Yeah!)
The story behind one of the most recognizable TV show themes ever.
18 min
107
The Loudness Wars
We take a deep dive into the Loudness War, and look for signs of hope in the modern age.
32 min
108
The [COMPRESSED] History of Mastering
A look at the mystical art of mastering from its analog beginnings to the digital world of today.
27 min
109
You've Got Mail!
The most recognizable 3 words of the early internet age + the birth of a whole new musical instrument.
20 min
110
Speak Easy
How to find your voice.
18 min
111
Hear Here!
The story of how acoustics changed our history, and how we might use it to better our world today.
19 min
112
Stradivarius
The story behind the most valuable violins in the world.
22 min
113
808
The story of the drum machine that (accidentally) changed music forever.
23 min
114
Soundmarks®
How sonic branding shapes a brand.
26 min
115
Deaf Gain
The story of how a revolutionary implant sparked a human rights movement.
22 min
116
Plants that Sing
For plants and the people who love them.
20 min
117
Sonic Illusions
Our hearing can be deceiving.
20 min
118
Mother of Dragons(ounds)
Hear from the sound designer who gave a voice to the dragons, direwolves, white walkers, and more in Game of Thrones.
19 min
119
Sound Escapes
Sound Tracker Gordon Hempton gives us a masterclass on how to listen.
28 min
120
Voyager Golden Record
The most epic album of all time isn’t even on Earth. It’s over 11 billion miles away.
31 min
121
Birdsong
The story of how birdbrains produce the most complex sounds in the natural world.
24 min
122
Phone Tones
The touch tone sounds from our phones might be slowly going extinct.
22 min
123
The Booj
The story of the sounds you always hear in movie trailers, but never noticed... until now.
22 min
124
Dining on Decibels
The story behind how restaurants became so darn loud.
21 min
125
Do Not Disturb
The story of how alarms and alerts came to rule, and endanger, our lives.
24 min