Sound Recordings
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
The Physics Behind a Leaky Faucet’s Maddening ‘Plink’
Microphones and high-speed cameras show that what happens when a water droplet hits water is surprisingly complicated
Scientists Record the Thunderous Call of the Loudest Known Fish
The Gulf corvina’s collective mating call is so powerful that it can damage the hearing of sea lions and dolphins
Even Without Ears, Oysters Can Hear Our Noise Pollution
Study shows that certain frequencies of noise cause oysters to clam up
The Acoustics of Ancient Greek Theaters Aren't What They Used to Be
The sound quality in ancient times was likely much better than it is today
This Ambitious Landmark Hip-Hop and Rap Anthology Was Successfully Funded
Smithsonian's nonprofit record label launched a Kickstarter for help and got it
How the Bristol Sessions Created Country Music
Ninety years ago, a yodeller named Jimmie Rodgers laid down two of the tracks he would be remembered for
How Human Noise Ruins Parks for Animals and People
Even in America’s most pristine wildernesses, unwanted sound is changing landscapes
Hear a 20-Year-Old John F. Kennedy Speak
Archivist have recently digitized a clip from a 1937 public speaking course, believed to be the oldest recording of the president
N.W.A., NPR Among This Year’s National Recording Registry Inductees
The latest class of 25 also includes Judy Garland and Vin Scully
Listen to the Sounds of Sacred Spaces Around the World
A new project documents, then remixes, religious and spiritual sounds
Page 4 of 8