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    20K Hertz

    20k.org · Publication · on HN since 2016

    The site of 20,000 Hertz, a podcast telling stories about sound and sound design, with episodes on Bluey, the Windows logon sound, and Netflix's ta-dum.

    Visit blogHN submissions
    Culture & SocietyDesign & UX
    What HN says

    HN commenters recommend the podcast as a well-made show about sound, and link its episodes when sound design in TV, film or software comes up.

    Stats for nerds
    29HN people shared it
    6linked in comments
    7story points
    Aug 2025last shared
    2016people per year2025

    Top posts on HN

    1. 1
      Ta-dum It's Netflix (2020)
      1 person · 2 points · first shared 2022 · Discussion on HN
    2. 2
      What do other planets sound like? (Podcast) “Space” on 20K Hertz
      1 person · 1 points · first shared 2019 · Discussion on HN
    3. 3
      The Sound of Apple
      1 person · 1 points · first shared 2024 · Discussion on HN
    4. 4
      (314)914-6093
      1 person · 1 points · first shared 2018 · 1 comments on HN
    5. 5
      Voyager Golden Record
      1 person · 1 points · first shared 2019 · Discussion on HN
    6. 6
      Ultrasonic Tracking
      1 person · 1 points · first shared 2018 · Discussion on HN
    7. 7
      Thesoundofbluey
      5 people · first shared 2025
    8. 8
      Homepage
      4 people · first shared 2016
    9. 9
      Thevoicesofbluey
      3 people · first shared 2025
    10. 10
      Windowslogonwav
      3 people · first shared 2022

    What HN people wrote when they linked it

    • eddygJun 2017

      I listen to the SANS Internet StormCast ("daily 5-10 minute information security threat updates") every morning:
      https://isc.sans.edu/podcast.html

      Many of my other favorites have already been mentioned, but I also listen to:

      Twenty Thousand Hertz ("stories behind the world's most
      recognizable and interesting sounds")
      https://www.20k.org

      and have started listening to this new NPR podcast:

      Wow in the World ("a new way for families to connect, look up and discover the wonders in the world around them. Every episode, hosts Mindy and Guy guide curious kids and their grown-ups away from their screens and on a journey. Through a combination of careful scientific research and fun, we'll go inside our brains, out into space, and deep into the coolest new stories in science and technology")
      http://www.npr.org/podcasts/510321/wow-in-the-world

    • brownbatJan 2020

      The 20,000 Hz podcast provided a full history of this, discussing various samples along the way:

      https://www.20k.org/episodes/loudnesswars

      It's pretty standard for that podcast, which features lots of stories about sound and sound engineering. There's another interesting article on creating the most silent possible room, and how eerie it feels to be in it.
      https://www.20k.org/episodes/silence

      Another on how restaurants got louder and louder over time, that deep bass sound that's taken over film, another on scientific experiments trying to measure if the Stradivarius is as great a violin as everyone insists, another on the tangled history of the iconic Price is Right theme song... so many really.

      Great podcast, lots of range given the topic.

    • loganmarchioneApr 2022

      AWS Morning Brief podcast - <10min summary of AWS-related news (host is hilarious)
      https://www.lastweekinaws.com/podcast/aws-morning-brief/

      Twenty Thousand Hertz - Stories about famous sounds
      https://www.20k.org/

      2.5 Admins - Two sysadmins (one is Jim Salter from Ars) share their knowledge with one non-sysadmin
      https://2.5admins.com/

      Darknet Diaries - True stories about hacking/security/etc...
      https://darknetdiaries.com/

      ISC Stormcast - <5min daily podcast about IT security news
      https://isc.sans.edu/podcast.html

    • csnoverMay 2022

      The podcast Twenty Thousand Hertz recently did a two-part series on all of the Windows startup sounds[0][1]. They interviewed some of the Microsoft employees who worked on the various sounds, and included archival tape of Eno being interviewed by the BBC about the Windows 95 sound. (It looks like the BBC interview may be the primary source for this SF Gate Q&A.)

      [0] https://www.20k.org/episodes/tadaitswindows

      [1] https://www.20k.org/episodes/windowslogonwav

    • billtiMar 2025

      The sound designer goes over their use of this type of music in this excellent podcast. You'd really enjoy it. (Available Apple Podcasts, which is where I listened to it, but linking directly here).

      The next one about the voices is excellent too, so linking both. The care they put into both the show and the people involved is almost as touching as the show itself.

      https://www.20k.org/episodes/thesoundofbluey https://www.20k.org/episodes/thevoicesofbluey

    • fimdomeioMay 2022

      There's two pretty interesting podcast episodes about windows startup sounds at Twenty Thousand Hertz:

      https://www.20k.org/episodes/tadaitswindows

      https://www.20k.org/episodes/windowslogonwav

      Also All Apple startup sounds. Really interesting how one could describe the two companies complete approach to design just from the startup sounds.

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLEupC2OWUU

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