Twenty Thousand Hertz

Twenty Thousand Hertz

Release Date

All Episodes

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 unlikel ...  Show more

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 cl ...  Show more

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 fi ...  Show more

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 ...  Show more

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 in ...  Show more