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’
Hitting the High Notes: A Smithsonian Year of Music
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
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