Hard Fork

What the Metaverse Sounds Like to Hans Zimmer


Listen Later

Hans Zimmer has spent his career scoring cinematic worlds, from the ancient Rome of “Gladiator” to the futuristic landscape of “Dune.” So what does the metaverse sound like to him? “It sounds like just some giant, horrible, dehumanizing mess right now,” he says.
Zimmer sees tech’s influence everywhere in music. He posits that from drums to violins to synthesizers, “every piece that we use other than the human voice is a piece of technology.” But he’s also cleareyed about how innovations like artificial intelligence and streaming don’t fix underlying issues of fairness in compensation: “The people who have access to the distribution systems really still always will hold the cards.”
In this conversation, Kara Swisher talks to Zimmer about his process for composing the score for “Dune” and why he says finding out that the movie would premiere simultaneously in theaters and on HBO Max was a “crushing moment.” They also discuss how composers can adapt to the shifting demands of viewers and a streaming economy — and what he’s working on next.
(A full transcript of the episode will be available midday on the Times website.)
Kara Swisher is working on a podcast for HBO, which is part of WarnerMedia and is a major player in streaming media.
You can find transcripts (posted midday) and more information for all episodes at nytimes.com/sway, and you can find Kara on Twitter @karaswisher.
...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Hard ForkBy The New York Times

  • 4.4
  • 4.4
  • 4.4
  • 4.4
  • 4.4

4.4

5,069 ratings


More shows like Hard Fork

View all
The Book Review by The New York Times

The Book Review

3,890 Listeners

Popcast by The New York Times

Popcast

1,460 Listeners

Decoder with Nilay Patel by The Verge

Decoder with Nilay Patel

3,138 Listeners

The New Yorker Radio Hour by WNYC Studios and The New Yorker

The New Yorker Radio Hour

6,681 Listeners

Modern Love by The New York Times

Modern Love

8,847 Listeners

Pivot by New York Magazine

Pivot

9,067 Listeners

Inside The Times by The New York Times

Inside The Times

140 Listeners

The Gray Area with Sean Illing by Vox

The Gray Area with Sean Illing

10,670 Listeners

The Run-Up by The New York Times

The Run-Up

2,064 Listeners

Pod Save America by Crooked Media

Pod Save America

86,253 Listeners

The Daily by The New York Times

The Daily

111,165 Listeners

Today, Explained by Vox

Today, Explained

10,092 Listeners

Change Agent by The New York Times

Change Agent

1,465 Listeners

Caliphate by The New York Times

Caliphate

12,630 Listeners

Charm City by The New York Times

Charm City

302 Listeners

Interesting Times with Ross Douthat by New York Times Opinion

Interesting Times with Ross Douthat

6,730 Listeners

The Latest by The New York Times

The Latest

469 Listeners

The Candidates by The New York Times

The Candidates

52 Listeners

Jungle Prince by The New York Times

Jungle Prince

2,298 Listeners

The Choice by New York Times Opinion

The Choice

380 Listeners

The Prof G Pod with Scott Galloway by Vox Media Podcast Network

The Prof G Pod with Scott Galloway

5,284 Listeners

Rabbit Hole by The New York Times

Rabbit Hole

6,668 Listeners

The Ezra Klein Show by New York Times Opinion

The Ezra Klein Show

15,281 Listeners

Day X by The New York Times

Day X

1,497 Listeners

Offline with Jon Favreau by Crooked Media

Offline with Jon Favreau

2,207 Listeners

The Interview by The New York Times

The Interview

1,439 Listeners

The Run-Up (2016) by The New York Times

The Run-Up (2016)

7 Listeners

On with Kara Swisher by Vox Media

On with Kara Swisher

3,276 Listeners

The Argument by New York Times Opinion

The Argument

20 Listeners

The Wirecutter Show by The New York Times

The Wirecutter Show

1,073 Listeners

The Opinions by The New York Times Opinion

The Opinions

400 Listeners

The Run-Up Guide to 2024 by The New York Times

The Run-Up Guide to 2024

0 Listeners