Qobuz Sponsors KCRW’s New Series ‘Must Listen,’ Strengthening Their Commitment To Independent Radio

Weekly video series explores essential albums in KCRW’s music library through personal recommendations, with episodes featuring Liz Phair and Sleater-Kinney’s Corin Tucker, Alabama Shakes, Vampire Weekend’s Rostam, Busta Rhymes, and more.

Paris, 9 October 2026 — Qobuz, the independent high-quality music streaming and download platform, today announced its partnership with KCRW as presenting sponsor of Must Listen, the station’s weekly series in which musicians and cultural tastemakers choose one essential album from KCRW’s music library. The partnership is part of a broader Qobuz commitment to independent and public radio, the places where music discovery is still driven by taste, trust, and real human voices.

The premise is simple: browse the shelves, choose an essential record, and leave a handwritten note for the next person who discovers it. Each episode offers a personal look at the music that has shaped a guest’s life and creative work, giving fans new listening recommendations straight from the artists themselves.

In one installment, Liz Phair and Sleater-Kinney’s Corin Tucker explore the library together and share their picks, while Radiohead’s Ed O’Brien says in his episode, "This is the best music library that I've ever seen at a radio station. It’s definitely the coolest.” Vampire Weekend’s Rostam appears in the latest episode, released October 6th.

Watch Liz Phair and Corin Tucker’s episode HERE, and explore the series HERE.

KCRW joins a growing list of Qobuz radio partners that includes Memphis community station WYXR, Martha’s Vineyard’s WMVY and the syndicated SHEROES radio show and podcast. That work sits alongside Qobuz’s music-first partnerships with Rough Trade, Newport Festivals Foundation, Brick Lane Jazz Festival and Chicago-based independent label International Anthem. Qobuz’s sponsorship reflects a shared commitment with KCRW and the independent radio community to human curation, intentional listening, and artist discovery. Alongside these partners, Qobuz brings that mission to life through exclusive compilations and releases, expert-curated playlists, in-depth editorial content, live events, and partnerships that connect its dedicated community of listeners more closely with the music they love.

This is the first in a series of announcements on Qobuz’s support for independent and public radio, with more partnerships to come in the months ahead.