Twenty Thousand Hertz
Dallas TaylorTwenty 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
• 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
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
The winning pieces from our 2026 Listener Story competition.
Oops! All Video Games
The inside story of fast food’s longest-running jingle.
The second collection of listener-produced pieces from our 2026 competition.
Behind the scenes with the Music Mixers of Late Night television.
The first collection of listener-produced pieces from our 2026 competition.
The silly, surprising history of “Europe’s Super Bowl.”
From blockbusters to concert halls.
From piano player to film composer.
After the podcasting Gold Rush, what comes next?
A brief history of this strange and beautiful medium.
Why are there so many poop songs on Spotify?
How simple melodies carry big feelings.
How Jad Abumrad makes the familiar sound strange.
One final piece from last year’s Listener Story competition.
The sound design sorcery of the new Harry Potter audiobooks.
How David Jeffers rebuilt himself, one sound at a time.
Mics, camera, action!
From TARDIS to tape loops, the story of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop.
The birth and evolution of Reading Rainbow’s iconic theme music.
Why do we sing “Auld Lang Syne” on New Years?
Three guests from our video series go head to head in our annual Mystery Sound competition.
Crafting the immersive sonic world of Fallout.
How Wicked’s audio team captured the astounding vocals live on-set.
The vintage grooves behind modern hits.
The sonic secrets of Disney Imagineers.
The chaos & craft of mixing SNL
The Nursery Rhyme That Ruined a Rock Band
The winning stories from our listener-produced Sound Off competition.
How a cowboy’s yodel became Yahoo’s signature sound.
Super Mario Bros: Koji Kondo’s 8-Bit Masterpiece
The second collection of listener-produced stories from our Sound Off competition.
Behind the faders at a legendary music venue.
The evolution of Jeopardy’s unforgettable theme song.
The first collection of listener-produced stories from our annual competition.
An odyssey into the power of names.
Hollywood’s sound masters share their best sonic stories.
The fact and fiction around one of the greatest composers in history.
How Switched on Pop changed their theme music after 400 episodes.
How accessible design benefits everyone.
The trends and tropes of movie marketing.
The incredible story behind a single line of dialogue in Halo.
Hearing the universe through data sonification.
The rise and fall of the Boom Car phenomenon.
How to keep radio listeners hooked.
Three audio pros go head to head in our annual Mystery Sound game.
How to decode your dog’s barks, growls, and wags.
How to decode your cat’s meows, chirrups, and chitters.
The voices and real-life inspiration behind the hit series.
The organic sound design of the hit series.
A linguistic deep dive into nonsensical phrases.
How Lofi became the go-to genre for studying and relaxing.
What sound can tell doctors about our health.
The design genius behind Apple’s ringtones, alarms, and more.
The design secrets behind Apple’s iconic sounds.
A collection of six audience tales.
Once you listen, you’ll never hear nursery rhymes the same way again.
The mysteries of aquatic sound, and the fight against underwater noise pollution.
The dog bark was a mistake.
Mixing Seth Meyers
Je ne say what?
Bringing an alien world to life through sound.
You’ve gotta hear it to believe it.
It’s time to bass the music.
A hidden world of showbiz…
Take Me There.
A lovingly-crafted podcast about the amazing world of sound.
Simply ear-resistible.
Tech on me.
Check your head(phones).
How brands use sound to make the invisible visible.
AVAS, ye matey.
aaAAAAgghh!
We'll fix it in post.
Sandworms and gremlins and bees, oh my!
Where is your mind?
Hey! Listen!
It's dangerous to groove alone.
New format, who dis?
Just to cheer up the boys she knew, she made the gang sing this song…
You have to sound bad in order to sound good.
Cricket good.
Embracing imperfection.
Stereo killed the monaural star.
Pardon my tartle.
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
Hanks for listening.
Finding solitude in chaos.
Head South.
Stop, hey, what’s that sound?
A new foe has appeared!
Round one. Fight!
Do you see what I hear?
How to turn your trailers up to 11.
The rise and fall of 900 numbers.
How a Japanese-American radio host became one of the most despised voices of World War II.
Meet the voices of TikTok.
The winning sound design behind Ted Lasso.
Practical tips for making your world sound better so that you feel better.
Dun dun duuun!
Dallas reveals the tricks of the trade.
A story from Dallas’ former life.
Can we really trust our ears?
Inside the secretive world of ghostwriting and ghost producing.
The death and rebirth of the Windows startup sound.
Start me up.
The sound that haunts Hollywood.
Stand clear of the closing doors, please.
Who writes the hits for the pop stars?
How a soft-spoken, poofy-haired painter changed the world, one gentle word at a time.
How a group of scrappy radio pirates changed the course of music history.
What’s in a name?
The secrets of Simlish, the gibberish language of The Sims.
The hosts of Underunderstood go head to head in our annual Mystery Sound game.
How HBO reconciled its analog past with its digital future.
How HBO crafted two of the most iconic pieces of sonic branding in history.
If you live with a snorer, it can be tricky to roll out of bed after a night of little sleep.
How do you voice over 200 monsters?
The ins and outs of gaming without sight.
Keep your ears on the ball.
Hearing is believing.
Self-control through sound control.
What happens when dryers and dishwashers get the sound design treatment?
Cracking the case of a sonic mystery.
Tuning in to spy radio.
The new voices of the Looney Tunes.
The secret tools of Foley Artists.
The secrets behind the subtle art of Foley.
A story within a story about pioneering women in audio.
Why are some device sounds pleasing, while others stress us out?
From Pachelbel's Canon, to the Ice Cream Changes, to the Four Chords, we examine the most-used chord changes in pop music.
How the Shure SM7 became one of the most game-changing vocal microphones of all time.
Crafting the music and sounds of Minecraft.
The history and future of the 20th Century Fox fanfare.
What happens when you get hit with a “sound cannon?”
Ba da ba ba ba.
Listen up! It’s time to go back to basics on the physics of sound.
What’s it like to see sounds and taste names?
How an internet choir connects singers around the world at a time when they can't sing together.
Legendary music archivist Alan Lomax made it his life's work to preserve and promote the sounds of local culture.
From Klingon to Elvish, what makes a good constructed language?
The mind-boggling technology behind space communication.
What can we expect the future to sound like, and how can we build a sonic utopia?
The way we each experience sound depends on so many unique factors, from tiny receptors in our ears to the way we were taught to communicate.
How a four-note melody from the 13th century became a movie soundtrack superstar.
What's it like when every sound you hear—from the whir of the coffee grinder to the beep of the microwave—all sound like musical notes?
The sound design wizardry behind the dinosaurs of Jurassic Park, and how these sounds compare to what dinos REALLY sounded like.
The stunning rise and fall of Napster, and how it transformed the music industry in a few short years.
A diagnosis of vocal nodes is every singer's worst nightmare. But when nodes develop, is all hope truly lost?
Is your voice your own? Maybe not anymore.
The link between chronic noise and chronic anxiety may be closer than we realize.
The never-before-told story behind the iconic Netflix sound.
The McElroy brothers, hosts of My Brother, My Brother and Me, compete in a heated and hilarious game of mystery sounds.
How the sound design of Hamilton draws the audience into the story.
Theft or inspiration? Part two of a deep dive into the complicated world of copyright, sampling and the ability to own a song.
Theft or inspiration? Part one of a deep dive into the complicated world of Copyright.
The history and science behind our favorite fart sound-maker, the whoopee cushion.
How legendary Sound Designer Ben Burtt helped transport audiences to a galaxy far, far away.
The story of Mel Blanc, Part 2. The accident, recovery, and passing of the torch.
The early life and career of Mel Blanc.
The stories behind the world's most recognizable and interesting smells.
The story of a town that stayed quiet to preserve an instrument they love.
Warning: Listening to this episode might entice you to worship the devil.
A nostalgic history of toy sounds.
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.
The story behind one of the most controversial, and influential, pieces of music of the 20th Century.
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.
Take your ears on a mini vacation as we celebrate the sonic wonders of the world.
How we shape language to our needs, and how it shapes us in return.
A song of fuel and fire - what’s happening inside your car engine?
The history and future of one of the biggest viral sensations ever.
The story of the internet choir connecting people from around the world to share the joy of singing.
The story behind one of the most recognizable TV show themes ever.
We take a deep dive into the Loudness War, and look for signs of hope in the modern age.
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A look at the mystical art of mastering from its analog beginnings to the digital world of today.
The most recognizable 3 words of the early internet age + the birth of a whole new musical instrument.
How to find your voice.
The story of how acoustics changed our history, and how we might use it to better our world today.
The story behind the most valuable violins in the world.
The story of the drum machine that (accidentally) changed music forever.
How sonic branding shapes a brand.
The story of how a revolutionary implant sparked a human rights movement.
For plants and the people who love them.
Our hearing can be deceiving.
Hear from the sound designer who gave a voice to the dragons, direwolves, white walkers, and more in Game of Thrones.
Sound Tracker Gordon Hempton gives us a masterclass on how to listen.
The most epic album of all time isn’t even on Earth. It’s over 11 billion miles away.
The story of how birdbrains produce the most complex sounds in the natural world.
The touch tone sounds from our phones might be slowly going extinct.
The story of the sounds you always hear in movie trailers, but never noticed... until now.
The story behind how restaurants became so darn loud.
The story of how alarms and alerts came to rule, and endanger, our lives.
How headsets revolutionized American football.
Dallas is locked into an anechoic chamber to experience how our brains process complete silence.
A completely remixed version of our favorite episode, where we explore what other plants sound like.
The evolution & science of beatboxing.
Explore how Hollywood films are adapted for foreign languages.
How the designers of the Xbox startup sounds overcame tight parameters to come up with an iconic audio logo.
The stories behind the golden age of sci-fi and horror radio dramas.
The story behind this infamous, spooky-sounding instrument.
How were old cartoon sounds made, and how did they become so iconic?
A behind the scenes look at the inspiration and creation of Twenty Thousand Hertz.
What is the story behind these unforgettable earworms?
The story behind audio logos and what makes them so powerful.
We go behind the scene with the actors responsible for bringing your TV and film backgrounds to life.
The sound design and science behind today's slot machines.
The hatred of sound.
What happened after THX lost its iconic "Deep Note"?
What was the point of the THX "deep note" and why do we love it so much?
The history of what might be the most sampled piece of music ever.
Your phone might be eavesdropping on you.
We explore the autonomous sensory meridian response, a phenomenon where certain sounds can trigger a pleasant physical reaction.
Sound design's critical role in theater and concerts.
Your voice is an instrument, and the way you choose to sing your words can communicate a lot.
Brant Guichard hears music every time he has a seizure.
Find out how sound design draws the audience into the story.
Explore the history of the notification system that keeps us safe.
The company that changed the way public spaces sound.
How television news got its score.
What does Twitter sound like when it comes to life?
In this special Holiday Edition, we uncover an incredible gift to sound and research.
We explore user interface sounds.
Who was behind the infamous Mac sounds that have become part of your daily routine?
How does sound design shape our theme park experience?
How does Hollywood create the terrifying sounds in our favorite scary movies, and why does our brain react to those sounds with fear?
Why do we cry? ...and how do our tears in adulthood make us distinctively human?
Games are often defined by their graphics. How does sound for games work?
How did an open reel tape recorder secretly planted in the White House basement lead to the demise of the 37th President of the United States?
How does our sense of hearing affect our taste buds?
Does flying make you nervous? You’re not alone. Dive into the psychological aspects of how sound can trigger these fears, and find out what all of those sounds really are.
What are the oldest sound recordings in history?
Airplanes, construction, motorcycles - How have these everyday sounds affected our lives and what are the environmental and health repercussions?
How has increased ocean traffic affected underwater life? ...and what can we do to reverse these effects?
You may not realize it, but your accent is a window to who you are and where you come from. How do accents evolve?
A history of the most iconic scream in movie history that you’ve definitely heard, but might not have heard of.
Who are the voices behind our favorite cartoon characters and commercials? Take a look behind-the-scenes of voice acting.
As we age our hearing naturally diminishes, but what other factors are causing our hearing to disappear? Plus, take an informal hearing test.
Ever wonder why certain sounds make us cringe while others are soothing? Find out why we consider some sounds “good” and some “bad”.
What is Foley and how does it make our movie listening experience more realistic?
What do other planets in our solar system sound like to our ears?
Why have humans been so fascinated in re-creating toy versions of ourselves? Talking dolls have been around for over 100 years. Take a look at the evolution of how that came to be… and why they are so creepy.
Discover how car companies are enhancing every aspect of your vehicle’s sound to provide the ultimate driving experience.
Ever wonder how the visually impaired are able to enjoy their favorite movies? Discover how technology has been able to make this possible.
What goes into making a movie soundtrack? Take a look behind the scenes with the sound designers that make your movies sound perfect.
What did we lose when we switched from analog to digital?
We've grown accustomed to the everyday sounds we experience; cell phones ringing, cars idling, Facebook messaging. What about the sounds that we've forgotten about, the sounds we’ve lost?
There’s a hum emanating from an island in Detroit that is so loud it disturbs the residents of Windsor, ON. The hum has caused so much discomfort and annoyance that a film crew decided to investigate the cause.
8-bit audio defined countless childhoods. How did early sound artists and composers create such iconic sounds using the most primitive game technology?
The now iconic NBC Chimes were originally created to solve a small problem. Where did these three notes come from?
Who is the person behind the voice of Siri? ...and how was the world's first virtual personal assistant developed?
Listener Stories 2026 (Gold): Protest Pop & Birthday Ballads
September 21, 202627min 11sec
We’re proud to present the top selections from our 2026 Listener Story competition. In these extraordinary pieces, you’ll hear about the forgotten world of free online record labels, the controversial sounds that shape public spaces, the hidden history of a global pop hit, and finally, this year’s winning story.
Twenty Thousand Hertz is produced by Defacto Sound.
Subscribe on YouTube to see our video series.
Follow Dallas on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
If you know what this week's mystery sound is, tell us at mystery.20k.org.
Support the show and get ad-free episodes at 20k.org/plus.
Listener Links:
- Explore Wesley Slover’s custom music at sanctus.audio.
- Learn about the Sound Co-Op audio collective.
- Learn about defensive urbanism and subscribe to Darknet Diaries.
- Explore Ricardo Ramirez’s work at rezsounds.com.
Build your home sound system today at sonos.com.
Get NetSuite's free business guide, "Aligning for the Agentic Era: How AI Is Changing Everyday Work," at netsuite.com/20k.