Sound Recordings
More Than 80 Cultures Still Speak in Whistles
Dozens of traditional cultures use a whistled form of their native language for long-distance communication. You could, too.
A Peek Inside the World's Greatest Record Store
A lovable grouch, obsessed with the magic of American sidewalk harmony, runs the Philadelphia shop
Using Nuclear Bomb Detectors, Scientists Overhear the Secret Songs of a Never-Before-Seen Pygmy Blue Whale Population
The new group is named 'Chagos' after the islands close to where the melodies were detected
Listening to Nature Gives You a Real Rocky Mountain High
Sounds like birdsong and flowing water may alleviate stress, help lower blood pressure and lead to feelings of tranquility
Researchers Use Whale Calls to Probe Undersea Geology
The study finds that fin whale songs are powerful enough to reverberate through the Earth’s crust, allowing scientists to study its thickness and structure
From the 'Sidedoor' Podcast: How a Woman-Led Record Label Spread Songs of Protest and Revolution
This episode from the sixth season of the Smithsonian's "Sidedoor" podcast delves into the history of Barbara Dane's revolutionary Paredon Records
Take a Free Audio Tour of the World's Most Relaxing Destinations
From bird songs in an Indian jungle to the flowing waves of a Sardinian beach, a new tool spotlights 50 soothing soundscapes
The Pandemic Shutdown in San Francisco Had Sparrows Singing Sexier Tunes
Birds adapted to singing above the urban noise chirped lower, softer melodies
Scientists Map Stonehenge's Soundscape
Study of small-scale model sheds light on how conversation, music moved through the massive monument
The TR-808 Drum Machine Changed the Sound of Pop Music Forever
Sometimes, technology has more impact after it's obsolete
This Sound Artist Is Asking People to Record COVID-19 Haikus
Called "Social Distancing, Haiku and You," Alan Nakagawa's project will result in a sound collage that interweaves a multitude of voices
Listen to the Recreated Voice of a 3,000-Year-Old Egyptian Mummy
Media outlets have likened the sound to a "brief groan," a "long, exasperated 'meh' without the 'm,'" and "rather like 'eeuuughhh'"
One Way to Lure Fish Back to Damaged Reefs? Play the Sounds of Living Coral
The find is fascinating, but can’t save these marine ecosystems by itself
How the Beatles Took Recording Technology to a New Level in 'Abbey Road'
An expert in sound recording details how the band deployed stereo and synthesizers to put a unique artistic stamp on this iconic album
Listen to the First Known Song of the North Pacific Right Whale
Researchers spent years trying to trace the source of the rhythmic, gunshot pattern to the endangered whale species
This May Be the Only Known Recording of Frida Kahlo’s Voice
The sound of the speaker on recording, which was found earlier this year, has been described as 'sweet, delicate, very feminine'
The Site of Country Music's First Recorded Hit Is Set to Be Demolished
152 Nassau Street in Atlanta was home to the first country music recording hit made before the genre even had a name
Flowers Sweeten Up When They Sense Bees Buzzing
A new study suggests plants can 'hear' the humming of nearby pollinators and increase their sugar content in response
Toto's 'Africa' Will Play Forever—Or at Least Until the Next Windstorm—in the Namib Desert
An art installation is playing an endless loop of the 1982 earworm in an undisclosed location in the desert along Africa's southwest coast
Listen to the Moment the Guns Fell Silent, Ending World War I
A new exhibit at the Imperial War Museum uses seismic data collected during the war to recreate the moment the Armistice went into effect
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