PODCAST · arts
Twenty Thousand Hertz
by Dallas Taylor
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 Remot
Episodes
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How modern Music Supervisors craft the perfect Needle Drop
In Part 2 of our deep dive into needle drops, Dallas, Casey and Grace uncover more surprising stories behind some of cinema’s most unforgettable song choices. From a fiercely contested track that became a ‘90s comedy staple, to Quentin Tarantino’s habit of raiding old movie soundtracks, these...
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Needle Drops: How pop songs first started showing up in movies
When a filmmaker pairs a scene with the perfect song, the results can become iconic. But when and how did movies start using popular music this way? In this episode, Dallas, Casey and Grace trace the history of “needle drops,” from a forgotten Broadway song that became an unlikely hit, to the…
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Guess That Sound: Video Game Edition
For a special video game edition of our Guess That Sound competition, we invited three game audio experts to test their ears on 18 sounds from gaming history. Play along as they identify iconic fanfares, weapons, spells, power-ups, and some seriously tricky deep cuts. Who will claim the title of...
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Listener Stories 2026 (Gold): Protest Pop & Birthday Ballads
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…
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I'm (Still) Lovin' It: The McDonald's Jingle Saga Continues
The “I’m Lovin’ It” jingle is one of the most recognizable melodies on Earth. But the story behind it involves a global competition, thousands of mixes, a Trojan Horse pop song, and a surprising amount of celebrity beef. In this updated version of one of our favorite episodes, we trace how a...
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Listener Stories 2026 (Silver): Keyboard Clicks & Singing Forests
Our 2026 Listener Story competition continues with five more incredible listener-made pieces. In this Silver collection, you’ll hear the surprising craft behind mechanical keyboards, the natural sounds hidden in Indian ragas, and how learning a new language can transform noise into belonging....
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Colbert & Fallon: Mixing Music for Late Night TV
Mixing music for Late Night television means working fast, putting artists at ease, and delivering polished mixes under immense pressure. In this episode, the Music Mixers of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon swap stories from decades behind the…
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Listener Stories 2026 (Bronze): AI Music & Coral Crackles
Twenty Thousand Hertz proudly presents the first five selections from our 2026 Listener Story competition. From AI-generated music, to the hidden crackle of coral reefs, to historic birdsong recordings, these bite-sized stories are crafted with curiosity and care. Twenty Thousand Hertz is…
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Eurovision Song Contest: Inside the Gimmicks & Glamour
For millions of people, Eurovision is a cultural institution, and one of the biggest live television events on Earth. But for many Americans, it remains a complete mystery. In this episode, producer Andrew Anderson takes Dallas and Grace on a joyful crash course through the history, music,...
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John Williams: A Composer’s Legacy
In our last episode, we followed composer John Williams from his childhood to his 1970s run with Steven Spielberg and George Lucas. Now, we pick up the story as John enters an era of seemingly impossible success… from Raiders of the Lost Ark to Home Alone, Jurassic Park, Schindler’s List, and...
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John Williams: A Composer’s Life
John Williams has written some of the most famous film scores ever, from Star Wars to Indiana Jones to Jurassic Park. But before the blockbuster success, there was a kid growing up around jazz musicians in New York, and a young composer trying to find his voice. In this episode, journalist Tim...
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Age of Audio: The Future of Podcasting (and 20k)
After making Age of Audio, a feature documentary about the history of podcasting, filmmaker Shaun Michael Colón sat down with Dallas for a revealing conversation about the state and future of this industry. Together, Dallas & Shaun unpack the shift toward celebrity chit chat shows, what gets lost...
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Age of Audio: The Inside Story of Podcasting
The history of podcasting has rarely been told. But in this episode, the brightest minds in podcasting reveal the inside story of this medium: from the invention of RSS feeds, through the Gold Rush era of corporate investments, to the bubble bursting, and the rise of celebrity podcasts. Along the...
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The Poop Song Conspiracy
One day, Ethan had an unfortunate bathroom incident. Then, he found an entire collection of songs online with his name in the title… and they all seemed to be about that embarrassing moment. That experience sent Ethan and his sister down a bizarre rabbit hole involving AI music, lots of poop…
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The Heartfelt Music of Bluey w/ Composer Joff Bush
What makes the music of Bluey feel so warm and alive? In this episode, Dallas travels to Brisbane, Australia to visit the studio of Bluey’s composer Joff Bush. There, Joff reveals the quirky instruments, musical easter eggs, and songwriting philosophy behind this beloved series. Along the way, he...
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The Acoustic Worlds of Radiolab Creator Jad Abumrad
Before Radiolab became a cultural phenomenon, it was an experiment… one that Jad Abumrad built voice by voice, sound by sound. In this episode, Jad walks Dallas through his journey with the show, from its scrappy beginning in a New York basement, to leading a massive team, and ultimately stepping...
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He was deaf for 35 years + Listener Stories kickoff
Last year, we ran three full episodes of listener-produced stories. But one beautiful story was just a little too long for the final cut… and we couldn’t leave it behind. In this episode, sound designer Jesse Herrera tells the story of his grandfather, who lived in silence for 35 years before...
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Harry Potter and the Sound Designer’s Stone
Harry Potter has been brought to life on page and screen. But what would it take to make the wizarding world come alive using sound alone? In this episode, we go behind the scenes of the new full-cast editions of the Harry Potter series, where a team of sound designers spent eighteen months...
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When Everything Stopped, He Started Listening
David Jeffers has always understood the world through sound. As a kid, he bounced beats between tape decks and built speaker boxes from spare parts. After college, he founded an underground hip hop label. Then came the day that split his life in two. And in the quiet that followed, David started...
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The State of the 20K Multiverse™
What happens when a podcast about sound gets into video? In this special behind-the-scenes episode, producer Grace East flips the script and interviews Dallas about his leap into visual storytelling, and how the different pieces of the 20K Multiverse all fit together. From backstage at SNL, to...
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Doctor Who & The BBC Radiophonic Workshop
What does a time machine sound like? Or a magic carpet? For the BBC Radiophonic Workshop, that was just another day at the office. For 40 years, this oddball collective of engineers and composers pushed the boundaries of sound design, crafting eerie atmospheres, quirky jingles, and the iconic…
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Butterfly in the Synth: Reading Rainbow’s Magical Theme Song
The theme song to Reading Rainbow has been delighting kids (and nostalgic grown-ups) for over 40 years. But how did this instantly iconic track come to be? In this episode, composer Steve Horelick reveals the unlikely story of its creation, from its empowering lyrics, to its “fluttering…
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Auld Lang What? The surprising origins of the New Year’s song
Every New Year’s at midnight, we raise our voices to sing a song that few of us understand: “Auld Lang Syne.” So when and why did this become the anthem of the holiday? In this episode, our friends at the Smithsonian’s Sidedoor podcast trace the mysterious rise of “Auld Lang Syne” from rural...
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Guess That Sound 2025: Youtube Channel Champs
For our sixth annual Mystery Sound game show, we’ve invited three guests from our video series to test their sonic knowledge on 18 sounds, including production logos, video game FX, bird calls, strange instruments, and more. So put on your listening cap and get ready to guess along in this...
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The Sound of Fallout: From Iconic Games to Prestige TV
Behind Fallout’s apocalyptic sci-fi and retro nostalgia is a masterclass in sound design. In this episode, we explore how the audio teams behind both the video games and the TV series built Fallout’s signature sonic identity, from Pip Boy clicks to weapon blasts to mutant roars. Along the way, we...
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Defying Gravity: The Audio Wizardry of Wicked's Live Vocals
In movie musicals, the vocals are almost never recorded live on-set. Instead, the actors pre-record their songs, then lip sync to those recordings while filming. But on Wicked, they threw out the rulebook, and recorded all of the lead vocals live. In this episode, Production Sound Mixer Simon…
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The Secret Soundtracks of Movies & TV
In the ‘60s and ‘70s, world-class musicians gathered in smoky studios to record tracks that you couldn’t buy in a store… but ended up everywhere. In this episode, Dallas and the TTH crew dive into the golden age of production music: versatile cues crafted for everything from car chases to…
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Inside Imagineering: How Sound Powers Disney Magic
Sound is a crucial part of what makes Disney parks feel magical… and it all starts inside the closely-guarded rooms of Walt Disney Imagineering. In this episode, Imagineers John Dennis and Greg Lhotka break down how they use music and audio to bring attractions to life, from speaker systems…
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Live from New York, I’m Retired! SNL’s Sound Legend Signs Off
Behind Saturday Night Live, there’s a small army of audio professionals making the whole thing sound effortless. In this episode, Dallas goes behind the scenes at Studio 8H to meet Robert Palladino, who’s mixed SNL for 40 years… and is about to do it one last time. Along the way, he gets an...
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The Nursery Rhyme That Ruined a Rock Band
When a quiz show host asked a simple question about nursery rhymes, it seemed like harmless fun. But that moment triggered a lawsuit that would threaten to bring down one of Australia’s most iconic rock bands. In this story from the Cautionary Tales podcast, we follow the unlikely court case of…
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Listener Stories 2025 (Gold): Transit Tunes & Childhood Chimes
We’re proud to present the winning entries from our Listener Stories competition: five listener-made shorts that rose to the very top. From clever tinnitus tonics to melodic subway signals, from mischievous church bells to a guitar that speaks in whispers, this Gold Collection is rich with…
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Yahoo! The Yodel Heard Around the World
It’s one of the quirkiest, most iconic sonic logos ever: a four-note vocal flourish that defined the early internet. In this episode, we follow the Yahoo Yodel on its unlikely journey from the snowy Swiss Alps to ‘90s country bars to Super Bowl ads. Along the way, we meet the real-life cowboy...
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Super Mario Bros: Koji Kondo’s 8-Bit Masterpiece
From the springy jump sound to the iconic Overworld Theme, the sound of Super Mario Bros. is instantly recognizable. With just five lo-fi audio channels and 40 kilobytes of space, composer Koji Kondo created a soundscape full of unforgettable melodies. In this episode, we explore how Kondo’s...
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Listener Stories 2025 (Silver): Pinball Pings & Airport Acoustics
Presenting the second collection from our Listener Stories competition, featuring five short pieces written and produced entirely by our audience. From the sonic evolution of pinball to reused classical melodies to the battle against airport noise, this Silver Collection is a diverse and...
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Mixing Madison Square Garden for Vulfpeck’s Biggest Show
When Vulfpeck played a sold-out show at Madison Square Garden, the performance looked effortless. But behind the scenes, their Front of House Engineer and Tour Manager Jake Hartsfield was juggling missing tickets, technical curveballs, and mixing seventeen dynamic musicians through a nearly...
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The Music of Jeopardy! From a Lullaby to $100,000,000
It’s the most recognizable TV theme in America. But Jeopardy’s “Think Music” wasn’t originally written for a game show… It was written for a toddler. In this episode, we trace the unlikely journey of the Jeopardy theme, from Merv Griffin’s living room to over 10,000 episodes across six decades....
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Listener Stories 2025 (Bronze): Siren Calls & Medical Melodies
Twenty Thousand Hertz is proud to present the first collection from our Listener Stories competition, featuring six bite-sized pieces written and produced entirely by our audience. From the dawn of recording to the sonic secrets of thunder, from mythic sirens to melodic medicine, this Bronze...
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I interviewed 5 other Dallas Taylors and things got weird
Your name isn’t just a label. It’s a signal to everyone who meets you, filled with meaning that you may not fully understand. In this story, Dallas revisits one of the most surreal experiences of his life: tracking down five other people who share his exact name. What follows is a surprising look...
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Mix Notes: Dumb Farts, Alien Crickets & Junkyard Instruments
Behind every incredible sound in a movie or TV show is a creative person with a unique story. In this episode, Dallas heads to the legendary Sony Pictures lot during Mix Magazine’s “Sound for Film & TV” event, and invites Hollywood’s sound pros to share their wildest, weirdest, and most heartfelt...
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The Deaf Composer: How Beethoven wrote music he couldn’t hear
What happens when one of history’s greatest composers begins to lose the very sense he relies on most? In this episode, we explore how Ludwig van Beethoven continued to create groundbreaking music even as his world fell into silence. Along the way, we uncover the myths, inventions, and raw...
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The Sonic Brand Makeover We Didn’t Know We Needed
After 10 years and 400 episodes, our friends at Switched on Pop decided it was finally time to revamp their outdated theme song. In this episode, they take us inside the chaotic, hilarious, and surprisingly emotional process of making a new one. Along the way, they get brutally honest feedback…
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Inside Apple: Sonic Accessibility
If you want to know where the future of sound is headed, accessibility is a great place to look. And for decades, Apple has been leading the charge in accessible technology. In this episode, the Apple team breaks down the philosophy and craft behind their most impactful accessibility features....
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“In a World…” The epic evolution of movie trailers
Movie trailers have changed dramatically over the decades, from the classic “Voice of God” narrators of the ‘80s and ‘90s, to today’s thunderous “bwaahs” and “boojes.” In this episode, Dallas and producer Andrew Anderson take a deep dive into the evolving art of trailer sound design, breaking…
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“The Autumn, She’s Been Hit!” The wish that changed Halo forever
In the late ‘90s, Brian Johnson and Brian Morden were suburban teenagers obsessed with video games and music. And then, through an extraordinary wish, the two friends found themselves on a journey that made gaming history. In this episode, we explore how a single line of dialogue became a…
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Solar Symphony: Listening to the Sun’s hidden “music”
What sound can teach us about our Sun? In this episode, we explore how NASA scientists translate electromagnetic waves from the Sun into sound, and even music. Through this process, researchers are gradually unlocking the Sun’s secrets, from the steady “hum” of the star’s rotation, to the way…
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Speaker Terror Upper: When Bass Tapes shook the streets
In the late '80s and early '90s, a seismic subculture shook the streets… literally. “Boom Cars,” decked out with custom sound systems, roamed neighborhoods blasting the bassiest music ever recorded. But where did this movement come from, and why did it fade away? In this episode, we dive into the...
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Radio Station Jingles: 80 Years of Earworms
If you turn on the radio, there’s one thing you’re almost guaranteed to hear: a catchy, over the top jingle proclaiming the name and call letters of the radio station. But where did these little tunes come from? Who makes them? And why are they still so common? In this episode, we explore the...
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Guess That Sound 2024: Sound Pro Smackdown
For our fifth annual Mystery Sound Game Show, Dallas invited three friends from the world of professional audio to compete against each other. So crank up the volume and see how many sounds you can guess. Featuring Dialog & ADR Editor Austin Olivia Kendrick, Sound Designer Mike James Gallagher…
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Dog Translation Guide: Decoding Barks, Howls, & Growls
We all know that dogs are smart, sensitive creatures, but interpreting their vocalizations and behaviors can still be a challenge. In this episode, animal behaviorist Daniel Mills reveals the true meanings behind dogs’ noises, actions, and body language. Then, author Pilley Bianchi tells the…
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Cat Translation Guide: Decoding Meows, Purrs, & Chirrups
Cats can be very vocal creatures, but the exact meaning and intention behind these sounds can often be hard to read. In this episode, cat behaviorist Sarah Brown unpacks the hidden meanings behind cats’ vocalizations, body language and behavior. Then, veterinarian Kendra Baker takes us through…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
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 Remot
HOSTED BY
Dallas Taylor
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Twenty Thousand Hertz have?
Twenty Thousand Hertz currently has 242 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Twenty Thousand Hertz about?
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...
How often does Twenty Thousand Hertz release new episodes?
Twenty Thousand Hertz publishes regularly with 242 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to Twenty Thousand Hertz?
You can listen to Twenty Thousand Hertz on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Twenty Thousand Hertz?
Twenty Thousand Hertz is created and hosted by Dallas Taylor.
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