KCRW vs Cruel World
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.
Cruel World
Plan your festival experience with this official app. View the lineup, create a custom schedule, manage your mobile passes, and get real-time updates and alerts.
- View festival lineup
- Favorite artists
- Build custom schedule
- Manage mobile passes
- Festival information
- Real-time updates
- Location-based alerts
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The world is a little less cruel with the official Cruel World Festival mobile app. Check out the lineup, favorite artists and build your own custom schedule, plus get the latest updates as the festival approaches. Start planning now by viewing your mobile passes, exploring festival info, & more. Stay tuned for additional details as we get closer to the festival dates, including maps and set times. FYI: you may receive notifications based on your location at the festival that can help you plan your day, including info & weather alerts. Allow push notifications and location to be shared for best experience.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Cruel World at 4.8 against KCRW's 2.9. KCRW's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 3 months) and review sentiment (32% vs 20%). On price, ratings volume, 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.
Cruel World holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 2.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 400 and 929 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 32% of KCRW's written reviews are positive against 20% of Cruel World's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
KCRW ships an update monthly, Cruel World every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | KCRW | Cruel World |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.9 (400 ratings) | 4.8 (929 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 31.9% of reviews — better | 20.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 400 | 929 — better |
| Update frequency | Monthly — better | Every 3 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 121 MB | 93 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | KCRW | Goldenvoice |
Customer experience
KCRW
Cruel World
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
Cruel World
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
KCRW
No in-app purchases
Cruel World
No in-app purchases
