KCRW vs Bilingual Sounds
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
Bilingual Sounds
Experience a unique 24/7 radio station featuring a blend of world alternative music and American rock. Discover emerging artists and rediscover forgotten tracks from the past four decades.
- World alternative music
- American rock music
- Emerging artist showcases
- 80s, 90s, 00s, 10s music
- 24/7 live stream
- Public radio station
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The SoCal Sound's HD3 24/7 radio station blending world alternative music with American rock. Showcasing emerging artists & playing hidden gems from the '80s, '90s, '00s + '10s. A one-of-a-kind public radio station in the nation.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Bilingual Sounds at 94% against KCRW's 32%. Bilingual Sounds also leads on rating (4.8 vs 2.9) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.6). KCRW's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 7 months) and ratings volume (400 vs 36). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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.
Bilingual Sounds holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 2.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: KCRW has 400 ratings behind it against 36, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 32% of KCRW's written reviews are positive against 94% of Bilingual Sounds's.
KCRW ships an update monthly, Bilingual Sounds every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | KCRW | Bilingual Sounds |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.9 (400 ratings) | 4.8 (36 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 31.9% of reviews | 93.8% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 400 — better | 36 |
| Update frequency | Monthly — better | Every 7 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | 13.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 121 MB | 17 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | KCRW | California State University, Northridge |
Customer experience
KCRW
Bilingual Sounds
Bugs and requests
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
Bilingual Sounds
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
KCRW
No in-app purchases
Bilingual Sounds
No in-app purchases
