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.

Signal to Noise

What happens when you work with sound everyday -- listening to it, recording it, manipulating it -- and then one day, one of those sounds sticks around for good?

The Pigeon Race

We may be a bit biased subject-wise, but here's a delightful, sound-rich exploration of an endangered sport and community in Maine that's got it all: history, suspense, expertise and devoted participants both human and winged.

We Believe We Are Invincible

In sports, the margin of victory can come down to just thousandths of a second. Ben Rubin interviews several famous track and field stars to explore the mental edge athletes try to develop as they prepare for competition.

Cognitive Dissonance: Lightning in a Bottle

What was the earliest sound ever recorded, or "bottled"? The First Sounds (FS) project, organized by a group of audio historians, scientists, and archivists, is dedicated to exploring these pioneering sounds, and sharing them with the world.

The Auctioneer

More than 20 years ago, musicologist Ned Sublette attended the Missouri Auction School in Kansas City, and brought along his tape recorder.

Practice, Practice, Practice

Everyone knows the riddle: How do you get to Carnegie Hall? And the answer: Practice, practice, practice. But what if you practice, practice, practice, and still don't get there?

Downtown Avant Garde

Composer, label owner and multi-instrumentalist John Zorn is one of the most beloved (and provocative) American masters of free jazz, improvisation, and musical innovation.

Basement Story

When his mother decided to sell his childhood home, Austin Bunn returned to help clean out the basement and rediscovered traces of a childhood game that never really ended.

Finding Miles

A few years ago, radio producer Sarah Reynolds was privy to an intimate confession: her friend Megan told her that she was about to undergo a transition in gender from female to male.

Lucia's Letter

Slavery in America still exists. In southwest Florida, for example, women and girls from Central America arrive everyday looking for a better life.

Red Brick Houses

Here's a conversation with my 92 year-old neighbor Liza about how our neighborhood has changed since 1959, with "Mack the Knife" played on ukelele by fellow neighbor Tom Bassett.

The Too Hard Basket

Only in the last 60 years or so have people begun to talk openly about sex, but one group is often left out of the discussion.