Before Radiolab became a cultural phenomenon, it was an experiment… one that
Jad Abumrad built voice by voice, sound by sound. In this episode, Jad walks Dallas through his journey with the show, from its scrappy beginning in a New York basement, to leading a massive team, and ultimately stepping away. Along the way, he breaks down his signature sound design and storytelling techniques, and how he’s carried those into newer projects like Dolly Parton’s America and Fela Kuti: Fear No Man.
Learn about this year’s Listener Stories competition and submit your story at
20k.org/2026.
See Dallas tour Jad's studio on
Youtube.
Twenty Thousand Hertz is produced by
Defacto Sound.
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More Perfect,
Dolly Parton’s America, and
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