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
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
152
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
153
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
154
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
155
Historically Speaking: How language & accent sh...
How we shape language to our needs, and how it shapes us in return.
26 min
156
Vroom Vroom: The symphony of high-performance e...
A song of fuel and fire - what’s happening inside your car engine?
26 min
157
Baby Shark: From summer camp song to viral earworm
The history and future of one of the biggest viral sensations ever.
36 min
158
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
159
The Price is Right: The drama behind TV’s catch...
The story behind one of the most recognizable TV show themes ever.
18 min
160
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
161
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
162
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
163
From Spinal Tap to The Simpsons: Voice acting w...
How to find your voice.
18 min
164
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
165
What makes Stradivarius violins so special?
The story behind the most valuable violins in the world.
22 min
166
808: The drum machine that changed music forever
The story of the drum machine that (accidentally) changed music forever.
23 min
167
Soundmarks: AT&T, United Airlines, and inventiv...
How sonic branding shapes a brand.
26 min
168
Deaf Gain: The promise and controversy of cochl...
The story of how a revolutionary implant sparked a human rights movement.
22 min
169
Plants That Listen (and some that sing)
For plants and the people who love them.
20 min
170
Sonic Illusions: Can you really trust your ears?
Our hearing can be deceiving.
20 min
171
Mother of Dragons(sounds): Game of Thrones’ bit...
Hear from the sound designer who gave a voice to the dragons, direwolves, white walkers, and more in Game of Thrones.
19 min
172
Sound Escapes: Nature’s untouched soundtrack
Sound Tracker Gordon Hempton gives us a masterclass on how to listen.
28 min
173
The Voyager Golden Record: Humanity’s message t...
The most epic album of all time isn’t even on Earth. It’s over 11 billion miles away.
31 min
174
Bird Translation Guide: Decoding Tweets, Hoots,...
The story of how birdbrains produce the most complex sounds in the natural world.
24 min
175
Phone Tones: The hidden language of phone numbe...
The touch tone sounds from our phones might be slowly going extinct.
22 min