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
What’s Up, Doc? Mel Blanc and the magic of Loon...
The early life and career of Mel Blanc.
24 min
152
Twenty Parts Per Thousand: Designing with smell
The stories behind the world's most recognizable and interesting smells.
21 min
153
Cremona: Saving the world’s most prized violin ...
The story of a town that stayed quiet to preserve an instrument they love.
23 min
154
Satanic Panic: Backwards messages and '80s hyst...
Warning: Listening to this episode might entice you to worship the devil.
28 min
155
Noise “R” Us: The evolution of noisy toys
A nostalgic history of toy sounds.
25 min
156
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
157
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
158
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
159
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
160
Historically Speaking: How language & accent sh...
How we shape language to our needs, and how it shapes us in return.
26 min
161
Vroom Vroom: The symphony of high-performance e...
A song of fuel and fire - what’s happening inside your car engine?
26 min
162
Baby Shark: From summer camp song to viral earworm
The history and future of one of the biggest viral sensations ever.
36 min
163
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
164
The Price is Right: The drama behind TV’s catch...
The story behind one of the most recognizable TV show themes ever.
18 min
165
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
166
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
167
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
168
From Spinal Tap to The Simpsons: Voice acting w...
How to find your voice.
18 min
169
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
170
What makes Stradivarius violins so special?
The story behind the most valuable violins in the world.
22 min
171
808: The drum machine that changed music forever
The story of the drum machine that (accidentally) changed music forever.
23 min
172
Soundmarks: AT&T, United Airlines, and inventiv...
How sonic branding shapes a brand.
26 min
173
Deaf Gain: The promise and controversy of cochl...
The story of how a revolutionary implant sparked a human rights movement.
22 min
174
Plants That Listen (and some that sing)
For plants and the people who love them.
20 min
175
Sonic Illusions: Can you really trust your ears?
Our hearing can be deceiving.
20 min