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 • Super Mario Bros: Koji Kondo's 8-Bit Masterpiece • Inside Hans Zimmer’s Remote Control Studios • A sonic journey through the Solar System • Mind the Gap: NYC & London’s iconic transit voices
Video game audio experts Joanna Fang, Mark Kilborn, and Jeffrey Brice compete in a high-stakes "Guess That Sound" game show, identifying 18 iconic sound effects from gaming history. Participants navigate challenges ranging from Mario Kart 64 item boxes and Breath of the Wild Korok rattles to the atmospheric cave ambien...
Sound shapes human experience through both personal memory and public environment. The early 2000s net label scene demonstrated how independent artists once built community through shared music before algorithmic streaming replaced personal discovery. The Japanese song "Sukiyaki" serves as a poignant example of how a p...
The McDonald's "I'm Lovin' It" jingle serves as a global sonic identity, transforming the brand's image during a period of financial decline in the early 2000s. Music producers Tom Batoy and Franco Tortora developed the iconic five-note melody to evoke emotional connection rather than relying on technical construction....
The "Silver Collection" of the Twenty Thousand Hertz listener story competition showcases how sound shapes human experience, identity, and development. Leonardo Barrios reflects on the transition of his band from a creative home to a transactional business, emphasizing the importance of preserving personal connections....
Mixing music for late-night television requires balancing technical precision with the high-pressure, diplomatic demands of a live-to-tape environment. Harvey Goldberg and Lawrence Manchester, veteran music mixers for The Late Show and The Tonight Show, navigate vastly different acoustic spaces—from the dry, controlled...
The "Bronze Collection" features a series of listener-produced stories centered on the profound impact and technical nuances of sound. Miles explores the blurring lines between human and AI-generated music, noting that listeners struggle to distinguish between the two despite a general preference for human artistry. Ma...
John Williams transformed film scoring by reintroducing grand, melodic, and operatic orchestral themes to mainstream cinema. His decades-long partnership with director Steven Spielberg produced iconic scores for films like Raiders of the Lost Ark, E.T., and Jurassic Park, where he utilized music to evoke awe and humani...
John Williams’ career as a legendary film composer spans seven decades, evolving from his early days as a jazz percussionist and session pianist to becoming the definitive voice of Hollywood blockbusters. After a brief stint in the Air Force and formal training at Juilliard, Williams pivoted from concert piano to compo...
The podcasting industry has shifted from an artistic "gold rush" era to a corporate-dominated landscape where celebrity-driven, video-first content often overshadows narrative audio storytelling. This transition challenges independent creators who rely on the open RSS ecosystem, a unique medium free from platform contr...
The evolution of podcasting traces a path from its technical origins in RSS syndication to a massive, corporate-backed industry and its subsequent market correction. Initially, the medium thrived on the idealism of independent creators and freedom from broadcast regulations, exemplified by early pioneers like Adam Curr...
Jad Abumrad, the creator of Radiolab, details his transition from a conservatory-trained composer to a pioneer of immersive audio storytelling. The discussion centers on the philosophy of "small t truth," where subjective experience and objective reality intersect, and the necessity of treating sound as a compositional...
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