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
1
Eurovision Song Contest: Inside the Gimmicks & ...
The silly, surprising history of “Europe’s Super Bowl.”
33 min
2
John Williams: A Composer’s Legacy
From blockbusters to concert halls.
36 min
3
John Williams: A Composer’s Life
From piano player to film composer.
33 min
4
Age of Audio: The Future of Podcasting (and 20k)
After the podcasting Gold Rush, what comes next?
28 min
5
Age of Audio: The Inside Story of Podcasting
A brief history of this strange and beautiful medium.
39 min
6
The Poop Song Conspiracy
Why are there so many poop songs on Spotify?
37 min
7
The Heartfelt Music of Bluey w/ Composer Joff Bush
How simple melodies carry big feelings.
27 min
8
The Acoustic Worlds of Radiolab Creator Jad Abu...
How Jad Abumrad makes the familiar sound strange.
33 min
9
He was deaf for 35 years + Listener Stories kic...
One final piece from last year’s Listener Story competition.
27 min
10
Harry Potter and the Sound Designer’s Stone
The sound design sorcery of the new Harry Potter audiobooks.
29 min
11
When Everything Stopped, He Started Listening
How David Jeffers rebuilt himself, one sound at a time.
25 min
12
The State of the 20K Multiverse™
Mics, camera, action!
34 min
13
Doctor Who & The BBC Radiophonic Workshop
From TARDIS to tape loops, the story of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop.
35 min
14
Butterfly in the Synth: Reading Rainbow’s Magic...
The birth and evolution of Reading Rainbow’s iconic theme music.
24 min
15
Auld Lang What? The surprising origins of the N...
Why do we sing “Auld Lang Syne” on New Years?
20 min
16
Guess That Sound 2025: Youtube Channel Champs
Three guests from our video series go head to head in our annual Mystery Sound competition.
44 min
17
The Sound of Fallout: From Iconic Games to Pres...
Crafting the immersive sonic world of Fallout.
39 min
18
Defying Gravity: The Audio Wizardry of Wicked's...
How Wicked’s audio team captured the astounding vocals live on-set.
29 min
19
The Secret Soundtracks of Movies & TV
The vintage grooves behind modern hits.
42 min
20
Inside Imagineering: How Sound Powers Disney Magic
The sonic secrets of Disney Imagineers.
23 min
21
Live from New York, I’m Retired! SNL’s Sound Le...
The chaos & craft of mixing SNL
33 min
22
The Nursery Rhyme That Ruined a Rock Band
30 min
23
Listener Stories 2025 (Gold): Transit Tunes & ...
The winning stories from our listener-produced Sound Off competition.
25 min
24
Yahoo! The Yodel Heard Around the World
How a cowboy’s yodel became Yahoo’s signature sound.
23 min
25
Super Mario Bros: Koji Kondo’s 8-Bit Masterpiece
30 min