Podcast
Twenty Thousand Hertz
Hosted by Dallas Taylor · EN
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
58episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Listener Stories
Jun 26, 202400:25:48Summary readyFor this special episode, we’ve passed the mic to our listeners to hear six unexpected stories about sound. Featuring auditory hallucinations, amplified heartbeats, long remembered voices, and whistles both strange and familiar.Sign up for Twenty Thousand Hertz+ to get our entire catalog ad-free.If you know what this week's mystery sound is, tell us at mystery.20k.org.Follow Dallas on Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn.Watch our video shorts on YouTube, and join the discussion on Reddit and Facebook.Find the right doctor, right now at zocdoc.com/20k.Get a FREE Netsuite KPI Checklist at netsuite.com/20k.Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial at shopify.com/20k.Learn a new language with 55% percent off at babbel.com/20k.Episode transcript, music, and credits can be found here: www.20k.org/episodes/listenerstories Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Summary
Boom Bling: TikTok's sonic guerrilla marketing
May 8, 2024Tap to summarizeTikTok’s sonic logo is one of the fastest growing sonic logos in history. Today, that little sound is being heard millions of times a day on apps like Instagram, Reddit and Youtube… but creating it wasn’t easy. To make it, the creative team went through thousands of iterations, executed a covert marketing strategy, and fought through a final debate about a single note. Featuring Roscoe Williamson and Aifric Lennon from MassiveMusic.Apply for the Associate Sound Designer/Mixer position at Defacto Sound at jobs.defactosound.com.Sign up for Twenty Thousand Hertz+ to get our entire catalog ad-free.If you know what this week's mystery sound is, tell us at mystery.20k.org.Follow Dallas on Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn.Watch our video shorts on YouTube, and join the discussion on Reddit and Facebook.Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial at shopify.com/20k.Claim your $75 sponsored job credit at indeed.com/hertz.Episode transcript, music, and credits can be found here: https://www.20k.org/episodes/tiktoksboombling Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Sounds That Sell: How companies entice us with sonic candy
Nov 1, 2023Tap to summarizeSince the earliest days of commercial radio, companies have been using sound to worm their way into our brains. And over the decades, they’ve come up with all kinds of sonic tactics to make us want, crave and remember their products. In this episode, we take a whirlwind tour through the sounds of persuasion. This story was adapted from Under the Influence with Terry O’Reilly.Follow Dallas on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and LinkedIn.Join our community on Reddit and follow us on Facebook.Sign up for Twenty Thousand Hertz+ to get our entire catalog ad-free.If you know what this week's mystery sound is, tell us at mystery.20k.orgSend us a message with your Bass Tape memories at hi.20k.org.Subscribe to Under the Influence with Terry O’Reilly wherever you get your podcasts.Enter to win a free Scarlett audio interface at focusrite.com/20khz.Listen and subscribe to Class of 88 on Wondery.Get 15% off an annual MasterClass subscription at masterclass.com/20k.Support us by supporting our sponsors at 20k.org/sponsors.Episode transcript, music, and credits can be found here: https://www.20k.org/episodes/soundsthatsell Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Vocal Stratosphere: The world’s most extreme singing techniques
May 24, 2023Tap to summarizeOur vocal system is incredibly complex. What we call “the voice” starts with very precise movements of our vocal cords, and then goes through an entire “resonation system” that includes our throat, mouth, lips, tongue, and teeth. With enough control over these components, people can do some truly mind-bending things with their voices, creating sounds that feel out of this world—from rumbling lows to piercing highs, and even two notes sung at once. This episode features vocal coach Matt Ramsey and Tuvan musician and throat singer Albert Kuvezin.Check out our new store at 20k.org/shop.Follow Dallas on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and LinkedIn.Join our community on Reddit and follow us on Facebook.Sign up for Twenty Thousand Hertz+ to get our entire catalog ad-free.If you know what this week's mystery sound is, tell us at mystery.20k.orgSubscribe to Matt’s Youtube channel, Ramsey Voice Studio.Explore Albert Kuvezin’s music with Yat-Kha on Spotify, Apple Music, or Youtube.Visit fastgrowingtrees.com/20k to get 15% off your entire order.Go to indeed.com/hertz to start hiring today.Find the right doctor, right now with at zocdoc.com/20k.Get your very own Clarett+ 2Pre at focusrite.com.Get a your first month of lossless music streaming free at qobuz.com.Episode transcript, music, and credits can be found here: https://www.20k.org/episodes/vocalstratosphere Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Guess That Sound 2022: Endless Thread
Dec 14, 2022Tap to summarizeIn our third annual Mystery Sound Game Show, the crew from Endless Thread compete to guess the most sounds from this year’s batch. Get ready to listen along and test your knowledge of classic sci-fi movies, strange animal calls, video game themes, UI sounds, and more. One thing is certain: It’s gonna get toasty. Twenty Thousand Hertz is produced by Defacto Sound. Subscribe on YouTube to see our video series. 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. Follow Dallas on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Join our community on Reddit. Use promo code 20k to get $20 off your next purchase over $100 at American Musical Supply. Find the right doctor, right now with at zocdoc.com/20k. Visit shopify.com/20k to get a free 14-day trial with Shopify’s entire suite of features. Episode transcript, music, and credits can be found here: https://www.20k.org/episodes/endlesshertz Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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The Waterphone: Hollywood’s spookiest sound effect
Apr 13, 2022Tap to summarizeFor nearly half a century, one eerie sound has been showing up again and again in movies and TV shows. It’s typically used when something spooky or mysterious happens—and it can be heard in Poltergeist, The Matrix, Let the Right One In, and countless episodes of Unsolved Mysteries. So where did this strange sound come from, and how did it spread across Hollywood? This story comes from the podcast Every Little Thing. Twenty Thousand Hertz is produced by Defacto Sound. Subscribe on YouTube to see our video series. 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. Follow Dallas on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Join our community on Reddit. Subscribe to Every Little Thing in Spotify. Get 10% off your first month of BetterHelp online therapy at betterhelp.com/20k. Visit zocdoc.com/20k to download the Zocdoc app and sign up for free. Get one month free of Headspace at headspace.com/20k. Find coupon codes on over 30,000 sites with Honey. Sign up for free at joinhoney.com/20k. Episode transcript, music, and credits can be found here: https://www.20k.org/episodes/liquidterror Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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I'm Lovin’ It: How “Ba da ba ba ba” took over the world
Feb 24, 2021Tap to summarizeSince its introduction in 2003, the McDonald’s “I’m Lovin’ It” jingle has become one of the most recognizable melodies in the world. This is the story of how a catchy five-note jingle conquered the planet, from its humble beginnings at a German ad agency, to being sung by globally famous pop stars. Featuring interviews with "I'm Lovin' It" composers Tom Batoy and Franco Tortora of Mona Davis Beat. Twenty Thousand Hertz is produced by Defacto Sound. Subscribe on YouTube to see our video series. 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. Follow Dallas on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Join our community on Reddit. Get a 4-week trial, free postage, and a digital scale at Stamps.com. Just click the microphone at the top right corner and type the promo code 20k. Hiring? Sign up at Indeed.com/Hertz and get a $75 credit to sponsor your first job post for better visibility, more applications and quicker hiring times. Episode transcript, music, and credits can be found here: https://www.20k.org/episodes/imlovinit Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Sing Gently: Singing together, even when apart
Dec 16, 2020Tap to summarizeAfter composer Eric Whitacre finished Virtual Choir number 5 in 2018, he thought the project might be done for good. But 2020 was just around the corner, and the Virtual Choir was far from over. For our last episode of the year, we've re-edited and remixed our episode about the Virtual Choir, and added a brand new section to bring the story up to the present.Follow Dallas on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and LinkedIn.Join our community on Reddit and follow us on Facebook.Become a monthly contributor at 20k.org/donate.If you know what this week's mystery sound is, tell us at mystery.20k.org.Discover more at lexus.com/curiosity.Visit our website to see all six virtual choirs.Episode transcript, music, and credits can be found here: https://www.20k.org/episodes/singgently Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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