Third Coast Audio Library

Our vast and ever-growing collection contains thousands of carefully curated audio stories, episodes from Third Coast podcasts, educational sessions on craft from the best makers on the planet, and more.

We’ve also featured some incredible audio work beyond this audio library, in other ways and using other formats: don’t miss the 2021 Web Showcase, featuring a more in-depth look at the winners, judges and even a list of 40 finalists from the 2021 Third Coast/RHDF Competition.

Telling Stories Far From Home

How can a producer prepare to make radio stories about distant lands and the people who live there, and why tell those stories anyway?

  • 2006
  • 01:25:48

Teens With Mics

Youth producers are creating some of the most revealing and moving work on the radio these days, and we've curated a collection of gems for you.

  • 2006
  • 01:24:23

Talk the Copy

The voice of the storyteller is often overlooked but it's a vital part of making great radio. Marilyn Pittman shows you how to make your narration tracks authentic and compelling with her many tips and techniques.

  • 2006
  • 01:24:29

Megaphone

How do documentary producers and artists address the most common issues in the news and shed new light on them?

  • 2003
  • 01:25:45

Shattered School

Among the victims of the powerful earthquake near Chengdu, China, are hundreds of young students who are feared dead after being trapped in the rubble of their middle school.

Dreaming of Osama

Dreaming of Osama explores the ever-moving boundaries of the "war on terror" and its influence on the collective unconscious. Osama Bin Laden has a way of lying low -- then, just as the public begins to forget about him, he makes an unexpected reappearance.

Hearts, Lungs, and Minds

Hearts, Lungs, and Minds is a "composed documentary" by sound artist John Wynne, who spent a year as an artist in residence at Harefield Hospital, one of the world's leading centers for heart and lung transplants.

Dr. Phil

In the wake of a break-up, writer Starlee Kine finds so much comfort in break-up songs that she tries to write one herself, even though she has no musical ability whatsoever.

Making Waves: The Impact of Radio

In times of crisis the impact of radio coverage on peoples' lives is easy to assess. But day in and day out, how does radio touch the communities or subjects it portrays, and the audience it reaches?

  • 2001
  • 01:09:04

Keyboard Audio

This panel, moderated by Melissa Giraud, brings together two producers (Jay Allison and Elizabeth Meister) who were among the first in public radio and audio production to bring their innovation to the Internet, for a conversation about translating radio stories onto the Web and creating new art forms altogether.

  • 2001
  • 01:11:00

New Voices in Radio

Who's talking to the next generation of public radio listeners? This session, moderated by Ellin O'Leary, turns the mic over to some of the young producers who are busy expanding the audio documentary form by bringing energy and fresh ideas to the world of radio.

  • 2001
  • 01:20:16

D.I.Y. Radio

Do it yourself! This session is geared toward non-professionals and young people who want to learn more about telling stories for radio.

  • 2001
  • 01:03:27

Taking Risks in Radio

Producing "outside the box" is a challenge to the formulaic landscape of public radio, whether you're producing a sound art parody or poetic essay or a show bent on surprising its listeners.

  • 2001
  • 01:27:40

Ear to Ear

David Isay and Dan Collison play excerpts of their radio documentary work and discuss specific challenges, triumphs, and surprises encountered while producing various stories.

  • 2001
  • 59:50

Talking Story

The Kitchen Sisters skillfully lead this panel about creative and unusual approaches and techniques for producing compelling radio stories, including what can be learned from other media, like television and film.

  • 2001
  • 01:00:09

The Music of Voices

Creative sound projects are increasingly blurring the lines between radio, audio documentary, sound art, and music.

  • 2003
  • 01:32:08

Airtime

What does it take to get your work on the national airwaves? Representatives from NPR, PRI, and the Public Radio Exchange, with the assistance of moderator Julia McEvoy, explain how to get work on national programs and how to distribute stand-alone specials and series.

  • 2002
  • 01:06:51