WXPN 88.5 vs KCRW
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
WXPN 88.5
Discover emerging and heritage artists with handcrafted playlists and live concert broadcasts. This app offers a vast mix of classic and lesser-known tracks across diverse genres like rock, blues, roots, and folk, curated by music fans for music fans.
- Music discovery
- Handcrafted playlists
- Live concert broadcasts
- Artist interviews
- Diverse music genres
- Emerging and heritage artists
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The WXPN app is your home for music discovery and an unparalleled listening experience featuring emerging and heritage artists. Programmed by music fans for music fans, our playlists are handcrafted. Driven by a mission to connect artists and audiences, WXPN is where many first heard artists like Brandi Carlile, Hozier, Leon Bridges, and boygenius before they became well-known. Enjoy a vast mix of both classic and lesser-known tracks from artists like Bruce Springsteen, Adele, Radiohead, The Rolling Stones, Talking Heads, The Pretenders, Janelle Monae, and so much more. Live concert broadcasts, themed music programs, and artist interviews are also a part of the mix; reflecting a range of diverse genres including rock, blues, roots, and folk. As a non-profit, member-supported radio programming service, everything we offer is fueled by the backing of music lovers like you. To explore more and become a part of this vibrant music community visit xpn.org.
KCRW
Access a curated selection of music, news, and cultural content. Enjoy new livestreams, real-time song information, and exclusive member benefits.
- Curated music and shows
- New livestreams (Dance24, Vintage24)
- Real-time "Now Playing" information
- Member perks
- Redesigned interface
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Your shortcut to the music, shows, and city you love. The KCRW app is your home for in-depth journalism, community storytelling, and free music discovery. Stream live, catch up on shows, and hear real-time Now Playing. New in this version: Explore LA. Discover events, places, and cultural picks curated by KCRW, browse hand-picked collections from local experts, and see what's happening near you on an interactive map. Bookmark your favorites to revisit or share, and keep all your member perks in one place. With livestreams including Dance24 and Vintage24, member perks in your pocket, and now a curated guide to the city, there's more to discover than ever.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: WXPN 88.5 at 3.6 against KCRW's 2.9. KCRW's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 9 months) and ratings volume (401 vs 72). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
WXPN 88.5 holds the better App Store score, 3.6 against 2.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: KCRW has 401 ratings behind it against 72, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 39% of WXPN 88.5's written reviews are positive against 32% of KCRW's.
WXPN 88.5 ships an update every 9 months, KCRW monthly. Both last shipped on November 6, 2026.
| Parameter | WXPN 88.5 | KCRW |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.6 (72 ratings) — better | 2.9 (401 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 39.0% of reviews — better | 31.9% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 72 | 401 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 9 months | Monthly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | 15.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 24 MB | 121 MB |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | University of Pennsylvania | KCRW |
Customer experience
WXPN 88.5
KCRW
User reviews
WXPN 88.5
From 72 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🎶 Great music selection
- 🏠 Access from anywhere
- 📱 Easy to use interface
- 🎵 Recently played songs displayed
- 👍 Reliable streaming (for some)
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent crashes
- 🔌 Connection drops/buffering
- 🚗 No more CarPlay support
- 🔋 Battery drain issues
- 🔄 App restarts or plays twice
KCRW
From 401 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 💎 Best music station
- 🎧 Excellent music selection
- 🌍 Accessible from anywhere
- 🔍 Helpful for music discovery
Room to improve
- 🐛 Buggy and crashes frequently
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 🔍 Difficult to navigate
- 🔇 Playback issues (pausing, resuming, skipping)
- 🔧 Broken functionality after updates
Bugs and requests
WXPN 88.5
Reported bugs
43 issues- App often cuts off or restarts
- App plays twice or reopens on its own
- No longer compatible with Apple CarPlay
- Skips and buffers endlessly
- Archives stop after an hour and don't save progress
Show 38 moreShow fewer
- Concert calendar not working
- Problem downloading audio
- App crashes on launch or after a few seconds
- Update loop in App Store
- App crashes after iOS update
- Battery drain issues
- XPN2 stream not found or not working
- Switching streams turns the app off
- Menu for switching streams vanished
- Cannot listen to live stream when plugged into car
- App freezes then crashes on launch
- App won't load on older iPhones
- App crashes and reverts to update queue
- App crashes after updating iOS
- App crashes consistently after software update
- App crashes today
- App doesn't work after reloading
- App crashes when opening or configuring
- App crashes after a few seconds of streaming
- App crashes when changing volume
- App crashes frequently, sometimes every 10-15 minutes
- Podcasts, archives, etc. show 'Error Can Not Load Player'
- Concert calendar shows nothing
- App kicks out to home screen after clicking LISTEN
- App cuts out and doesn't come back automatically
- App doesn't buffer, just cuts out
- App is worse than ever, constantly loses feed
- App loses feed after 10 seconds
- App shuts down every few minutes
- App doesn't work on Wi-Fi or 3G, crash city
- App crashes when trying to do anything
- App requires Flash on website, but app is an alternative
- App times out on Wi-Fi and 3G
- App loses signal often
- App cuts out after a minute or doesn't play at all
- Links to website don't play within the app
- App has awkward startup page
- App has compatibility issues, connection dropped after a second
Requested features
9 requests- Bring back CarPlay support
- Optimize for iPad landscape mode
- Add XPN2 stream access
- Improve archive listening (longer history, resume playback)
- Fix concert calendar
Show 4 moreShow fewer
- Add dark mode
- Allow stream selection (24k/128k)
- Implement in-app requests and donations
- Update UI for Retina displays and Apple guidelines
KCRW
Reported bugs
5 issues- App crashes on launch
- Incompatible with older iOS versions
- Notification badge won't clear
- Streaming cuts out frequently
- Eclectic 24 playlist not updating in real-time
Requested features
5 requests- Resume playback from where left off
- Improved song/artist information display
- Chromecast/AirPlay support
- Ability to save/favorite songs
- Landscape mode support on iPad
In-app purchases
WXPN 88.5
No in-app purchases
KCRW
No in-app purchases
