Twenty Thousand Hertz

The stories behind the world's most recognizable and interesting sounds.

Whether you're a professional audio engineer with decades of experience, a fourth grader who loves sound and music, or anyone in between, Twenty Thousand Hertz will help unlock your sonic world… from the sound design secrets of hit movies, to the sonic craft of jingles and device sounds, to the forgotten backstories of classic theme songs, to linguistic mysteries, psychoacoustics, video game music, animal communication, and beyond. With moving human stories, immersive sound design, and the guiding voice of host Dallas Taylor, Twenty Thousand Hertz has grown into the world’s leading podcast about sound.


New to the show? Start here:

• I'm Lovin' It: How “Ba da ba ba ba” took over the world

• The Art of Foley: Bringing Slimer & Batman to life

• Tudum! The story behind the iconic Netflix sound

• The Legend of Zelda: A Beep to the Past

• Inside Hans Zimmer’s Remote Control Studios

• A sonic journey through the Solar System

• Mind the Gap: NYC & London’s iconic transit voices

Design
Arts
Music Commentary
151
Pew Pew! The making of Star Wars’ iconic sounds
How legendary Sound Designer Ben Burtt helped transport audiences to a galaxy far, far away.
29 min
152
That’s All Folks! Mel Blanc’s curtain call
The story of Mel Blanc, Part 2. The accident, recovery, and passing of the torch.
20 min
153
What’s Up, Doc? Mel Blanc and the magic of Loon...
The early life and career of Mel Blanc.
24 min
154
Twenty Parts Per Thousand: Designing with smell
The stories behind the world's most recognizable and interesting smells.
21 min
155
Cremona: Saving the world’s most prized violin ...
The story of a town that stayed quiet to preserve an instrument they love.
23 min
156
Satanic Panic: Backwards messages and '80s hyst...
Warning: Listening to this episode might entice you to worship the devil.
28 min
157
Noise “R” Us: The evolution of noisy toys
A nostalgic history of toy sounds.
25 min
158
Good Vibes: Unlocking music’s hidden power over...
We know music can affect our moods, but its influence over us goes even deeper, and has the power to heal, harm, and manipulate us.
25 min
159
4’33”: John Cage’s revolutionary “silent” music...
The story behind one of the most controversial, and influential, pieces of music of the 20th Century.
31 min
160
The Seinfeld theme song w/ Composer Jonathan Wolff
A theme song about nothing: how it was created, what makes it so unique, and how it became one of the most iconic theme songs in TV history.
26 min
161
Sonic Wonderland: The world’s most incredible s...
Take your ears on a mini vacation as we celebrate the sonic wonders of the world.
18 min
162
Historically Speaking: How language & accent sh...
How we shape language to our needs, and how it shapes us in return.
26 min
163
Vroom Vroom: The symphony of high-performance e...
A song of fuel and fire - what’s happening inside your car engine?
26 min
164
Baby Shark: From summer camp song to viral earworm
The history and future of one of the biggest viral sensations ever.
36 min
165
Virtual Choir: 8,000 Voices, One Song
The story of the internet choir connecting people from around the world to share the joy of singing.
25 min
166
The Price is Right: The drama behind TV’s catch...
The story behind one of the most recognizable TV show themes ever.
18 min
167
The Loudness War: Can streaming finally end it?
We take a deep dive into the Loudness War, and look for signs of hope in the modern age.
32 min
168
The [COMPRESSED] history of music mastering
A look at the mystical art of mastering from its analog beginnings to the digital world of today.
27 min
169
You’ve Got Mail: The voice behind AOL
The most recognizable 3 words of the early internet age + the birth of a whole new musical instrument.
20 min
170
From Spinal Tap to The Simpsons: Voice acting w...
How to find your voice.
18 min
171
Hear Here: The messy history of architectural a...
The story of how acoustics changed our history, and how we might use it to better our world today.
19 min
172
What makes Stradivarius violins so special?
The story behind the most valuable violins in the world.
22 min
173
808: The drum machine that changed music forever
The story of the drum machine that (accidentally) changed music forever.
23 min
174
Soundmarks: AT&T, United Airlines, and inventiv...
How sonic branding shapes a brand.
26 min
175
Deaf Gain: The promise and controversy of cochl...
The story of how a revolutionary implant sparked a human rights movement.
22 min