I have long been a subscriber to KCRW’s Top Tune. For many years, the tune would show up daily in my iTunes. Since the move to Apple Podcast, the Top Tune episodes appear erratically in Podcasts on my MacBook. Sometimes once a week. Sometimes once a month. In trying to fix it, I have wound up with two subscriptions to it - but neither get a daily song. Also, as others have said, it is hard, if not impossible, to search for episodes that I haven’t received. I have emailed KCRW several times about these issues but have never gotten an actual reply.
For several years now I have been trying to listen to KCRW’s Today’s Top Tune. Not once have I been able to a complete week’s worth of songs. The app has been unsubscribed from and then re-subscribed to multiple times and the results have always been the same. It’s a shame as the station always plays something new, if not something good.
Feed breaks often. But what is really annoying is that there is no list of past songs played, and downloaded songs disappear, so if you like something and don’t take a screenshot, there isn’t any way to find it. It’s frustrating.
One suggestion: have a week's worth of the most recent songs. That way people won't be dissuaded to subscribe because you only have one (older) song on the list during the weekend.
The feed breaks on a regular basis. Doesn’t update the new songs available and doesn’t automatically download even if set to do so. Otherwise it’s a great collection of music.
I have been a listener to this podcast for years, understanding that the way it works it is very difficult, if not impossible to download missed episodes. Fair enough. But lately, the playlist appears to be updated only rarely, showing only two tunes available -- one recent, and the other that Nick Cave song from ages ago. Is this podcast dead? If so, tell us in the description so we don't waste energy trying to track down TODAY's top tune if the tune for today doesn't exist.
I have been a KRCW Top Tune subscriber for many years. I don't always keep the songs they post, but when I enjoy their selections.
Recently they have added a advertisment to the beginning of each song, which I quickly delete.
If they keep this annoying header to every song, I think I will unsubscribe from this podcast.
KCRW, my hometown public radio station, really has a lock on the best DJs and music curators. Their picks for daily songs are the best and most interestingly eclectic I have ever heard. Subscribe and you won’t regret it!
They only give you a feed for one song. You have a day to download that day's song and then it's unavailable. As I look this morning Feb.27 2016 there are no songs available. How cool is that?
I've been a faithful subscriber to KCRW Song of the Day Podcast forever. Have gotten turned onto so much wonderful music. However, recently it seems as if they've changed their download system to more of a cloud like thing (sorry I'm technically challenged). In any event, it's no longer working for me. Perhaps because I'm living in China and there is a lot of censorhip of the web here? Anyone else with this problem?
I'm an LA girl so I've been listening to KCRW for years. and even work the pledge drives. TTT is such a great service - it's rare that I don't like the selection and it's a particularly great way to introduce yourself to world music since quite a few of the selections are from international artists. Thanks so much KCRW :-)
This used to be my favorite place to find new music, but over the past year it's gotten mellower and lamer. Now it feels like a great place to find an indie band your mom would like or a folksy/alt country tune to put in a Diet Dr. Pepper commercial. What happened?
This is one of my favoriet podcasts. 200+ new songs every year, most of which I like and love many enough to go by the full albums. I just wish I could get to the archives of songs from befrore I subscribed!
By educational I mean I learn about music that would slip by me. I am subscribed on both my desktop and laptop Macs. So when I go on vacation and turn on my laptop, iTunes starts up and looks for a connection to get KCRW's Today's Top Tune (since, as noted, if you don't get it the day it's offered, you're S.O.L.). Even then, though, I have to check that it's been downloaded in either location. Sometimes it takes most of the day to get it posted online for some reason. Sometimes it's available at KCRW.org and not on iTunes. It's usually worth it to track them down!
Pros:
1. Great variety of music posted by people who clearly care a lot about and listen to a lot of music.
2. Of the 3 podcasts KCRW is the best about posting information about the musicians they post.
3. Pretty good about getting back to you and fixing the problem when they have a problem with their feed, as occasionally happens.
Cons:
1. They take yesterday's song off after 24 hours, so if you go on vacation or simply don't open up iTunes and push the refresh button in your podcast folder, you're out of luck. This strikes me as parsimonious as both KEXP and MPR have found a way to keep their posts up for a while.
2. While most of the posts are current and are a good sample of what the california musicophiles are listening to, there are occasional eccentric choices where we're suddenly listening to a Ray Charles song from 1972 or something, which is not really why I personally subscribe to a podcast like this.
Having said that, I would absolutely recommend this as a necessary addition to your iTunes experience. You should definitely subscribe to this podcast and start building some cool playlists to impress your friends with how current you are.
As much as I like this podcast, the fact that they are not available a day later is aggrevating. I don't always get to update everyday and there are no backups. Instead of a tune a day, I get a tune a week.
A great way to expose yourself to new music genres and musicians. Fantastic variety to challenge one's music-snobbery. Musicians - please continue to contribute your work. I have bought many new songs after learning aobut them via this podcast.
With many budgets cut Morning Becomes Electic is the best music bargain in the country. I have been listening to KCRW for years and years and it only gets better. Jason Bentley has settled into the job and filling Nic's shoes is quite a feat. Good for Jason. Quality, variety and very very electic. It is the only station I can hear new music by new artists and LIVE too. THX, KCRW.
KCRW is one of the finest, if not the finest radio station I know. This podcast is just one example. The variety and quality are terrific. It allows me to hear some things I had never heard before and to either, buy, the cd, or go to see the band when they are in LA. Thanks for the great music along with the other shows you guys have on. My wife and I are loyal, card carrying members :-) :-)
A lot of people like the shift and freshness that Jason Bentley has brought to MBE, unfortunately, I'm not among them. I miss Nic, and the truly diverse programming that he brought to the party, and to the podcast.
I love all KCRW podcasts but my only complaint is that if I do not turn on my computer one of the days that I would usually get the podcast, I am unable to download the podcast at all. Is there anyway for me to get all of the podcasts after I go out on a vacation or if I am just not at home that day?
i dnt know if its just me- bt my comp shows that this podcast has NO episodes. i dnt know if this is just me... bt why are people rating this so high if it has no episodes. maybe its just messed up on my comp. idk if any1 else can c that. bt it seems like a good radio station. maybe i should subscribe to it. i hope they come out with episodes soon :]
This is a great podcast, the good folks at KCRW have an excellent ear for up and coming music. It's a great pity, however, that they've chosen to reduce the bit rate of the podcast from 128 to 64 kbps. I realize this probably saves bandwidth, but it makes the tracks sound awful. Here's to hoping they come to their senses, since I can't be the only audiophile subscribing to this podcast.
pirate skulls and bones. sticks and stones and weed and bombs. this song is amazing. i blasted it atleast 30 times last night in the car and i was shocked that this was today's top tune<33
amazing is about all to be said. used to love kcrw when i grew up in la in the 90s and thrilled to be able to listen and get new music from the station now that i'm on the east coast.
Used to live in LA and KCRW was the preset station on my car radio. NPR News and public affairs in the morning and afternoon. At 9 AM came Morning Becomes Eclectic. What a great show for hearing what's going on in the LA music scene. Now the Podcast, Today's Top Tune. Subscribe and you'll soon build up a very eclectic library of your own.
A great way to sample an excellent mix of (indie-dream pop-latin-soul-funk-electronica-random? the only common theme seems to be "interesting") music. Have been impressed with the quality - from the less well-known to the well-known to the about-to-be-well-known (the song "Phantom Limb" from the Shins' "Wincing the Night Away" top-selling album appeared here before? around release time).
I grew up in So Cal. In the early 90's KCRW began to emerged as THE station to listen to. There were many other decent choices, KDAY,KROQ and 91X. However, KCRW just got better and better and better. They now set the pace in a wide spectrum of radio music, not just in the US but around the world. There are very few bands that you can think of that are truly good/great that don't receive some sort of attention from this station--compared to typical stations that play mostly junk and miss lots of great stuff. To boot, many artists perform live (great performances, generally) on the station--all archived of course. In any event, it's not just Nic who's fantastic--Jason Bentley is an important (radio) force in electronic and dance, and Chris Douridas and Raul Campos are both knowledgeable and spin great music. Then there's Anne Litt and Liza Richardson....all very good. I left So Cal many many years ago now. This station simultaneously gives me a feeling of comfort and nostalgia while also regularly sending me to the record store to get the wonderful stuff they play. I contribute to KCRW and am a member because the station is just that valuable to me and well, just plain great. You should contribute too if you can--especially with music royalty rates apparently going up.
There are two things that I look forward to Monday through Friday. The first? A kiss from my daughter as she heads off to school. The second? Nic Harcourt's supremely enjoyable "Morning Becomes Ecelectic" streaming into my downtown Cleveland office. Thanks, Nic (and KCRW) for being my very welcome second best!
