Twenty Thousand Hertz+

The stories behind the world’s most iconic and fascinating sounds.

Design
Arts
Music Commentary
176
The Booj
The story of the sounds you always hear in movie trailers, but never noticed... until now.
22 min
177
Dining on Decibels
The story behind how restaurants became so darn loud.
21 min
178
Do Not Disturb
The story of how alarms and alerts came to rule, and endanger, our lives.
24 min
179
Blue! 42!
How headsets revolutionized American football.
23 min
180
Silence
Dallas is locked into an anechoic chamber to experience how our brains process complete silence.
21 min
181
Space Remix
A completely remixed version of our favorite episode, where we explore what other plants sound like.
19 min
182
Boots 'n Cats
The evolution & science of beatboxing.
21 min
183
Being George Clooney
Explore how Hollywood films are adapted for foreign languages.
30 min
184
Xbox Startup Sound
How the designers of the Xbox startup sounds overcame tight parameters to come up with an iconic audio logo.
21 min
185
Theater for the Mind
The stories behind the golden age of sci-fi and horror radio dramas.
29 min
186
The Theremin
The story behind this infamous, spooky-sounding instrument.
25 min
187
Classic Cartoon Sound Effects!
How were old cartoon sounds made, and how did they become so iconic?
27 min
188
Twenty Thousand Hertz
A behind the scenes look at the inspiration and creation of Twenty Thousand Hertz.
31 min
189
Jingles
What is the story behind these unforgettable earworms?
28 min
190
Sonic Branding
The story behind audio logos and what makes them so powerful.
24 min
191
Loop Groups
We go behind the scene with the actors responsible for bringing your TV and film backgrounds to life.
25 min
192
Slot Machines
The sound design and science behind today's slot machines.
16 min
193
Misophonia
The hatred of sound.
16 min
194
THX Deep Note, Part 2
What happened after THX lost its iconic "Deep Note"?
25 min
195
THX Deep Note, Part 1
What was the point of the THX "deep note" and why do we love it so much?
23 min
196
Amen Break
The history of what might be the most sampled piece of music ever.
21 min
197
Ultrasonic Tracking
Your phone might be eavesdropping on you.
21 min
198
ASMR
We explore the autonomous sensory meridian response, a phenomenon where certain sounds can trigger a pleasant physical reaction.
22 min
199
Live Theater
Sound design's critical role in theater and concerts.
20 min
200
The Music in Speech
Your voice is an instrument, and the way you choose to sing your words can communicate a lot.
15 min