Twenty Thousand Hertz+

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

Hosted by Sound Designer Dallas Taylor, Twenty Thousand Hertz unlocks the stories, secrets and science behind what you hear.

Whether you’re a professional audio engineer with decades of experience, a fourth grader who loves sound and music, or anyone in between, you’ll find something to love: the sound design secrets of hit movies, the forgotten backstories of classic theme songs, the sonic craft of jingles and device sounds, linguistic mysteries, psychoacoustics, video game music, animal communication, and beyond. With moving human stories, immersive sound design, and non-stop ear candy, 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
Stop, Collaborate and Listen: Can you copyrigh...
Theft or inspiration? Part two of a deep dive into the complicated world of copyright, sampling and the ability to own a song.
23 min
152
Copyrights & Wrongs: Musical Inspiration vs. P...
Theft or inspiration? Part one of a deep dive into the complicated world of Copyright.
24 min
153
Makin’ Whoopee: The hilarious history & scienc...
The history and science behind our favorite fart sound-maker, the whoopee cushion.
26 min
154
Pew Pew! The making of Star Wars’ iconic sounds
The story behind the sound design of Star Wars: How legendary Sound Designer Ben Burtt helped transport audiences to a galaxy far, far away.
29 min
155
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
156
What’s Up, Doc? Mel Blanc and the magic of Loon...
The early life and career of Mel Blanc.
24 min
157
Twenty Parts Per Thousand: Designing with smell
The stories behind the world's most recognizable and interesting smells.
21 min
158
Cremona: Saving the world’s most prized violin ...
The story of a town that stayed quiet to preserve an instrument they love.
23 min
159
Satanic Panic: Backwards messages and '80s hyst...
Warning: Listening to this episode might entice you to worship the devil.
28 min
160
Noise “R” Us: The evolution of noisy toys
A nostalgic history of toy sounds.
25 min
161
Good Vibes: Unlocking music’s hidden power ove...
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
162
4’33”: John Cage’s revolutionary “silent” musi...
The story behind one of the most controversial, and influential, pieces of music of the 20th Century.
31 min
163
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
164
Sonic Wonderland: The world’s most incredible ...
Take your ears on a mini vacation as we celebrate the sonic wonders of the world.
18 min
165
Historically Speaking: How language & accent s...
How we shape language to our needs, and how it shapes us in return.
26 min
166
Vroom Vroom: The symphony of high-performance e...
A song of fuel and fire - what’s happening inside your car engine?
26 min
167
Baby Shark: From summer camp song to viral ear...
The history and future of one of the biggest viral sensations ever.
36 min
168
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
169
The Price is Right: The drama behind TV’s catc...
The story behind one of the most recognizable TV show themes ever.
18 min
170
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
171
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
172
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
173
From Spinal Tap to The Simpsons: Voice acting ...
How to find your voice.
18 min
174
Hear Here: The messy history of architectural ...
The story of how acoustics changed our history, and how we might use it to better our world today.
19 min
175
What makes Stradivarius violins so special?
The story behind the most valuable violins in the world.
22 min