- KUTX 98.9 is KUT Public Media’s music station, a 12-time Best Radio Station winner at the Austin Music Awards.
- KVRX 91.7 organizes local showcases, in-studio sets and artist interviews.
- Austin City Limits is an Austin PBS program.
In Austin, radio is still a good way to discover local bands. Several stations make local music a core part of what they do, and they do it in very different ways: a public station with daily features, a student station that prides itself on playing what nobody else does, community radio and a deep bench of country stations. Here is where to listen.
KUTX 98.9: The Austin Music Experience
KUTX is the music station of KUT Public Media, the same organization that runs KUT 90.5, Austin’s NPR station. KUT describes KUTX as Austin’s go-to source for music from local, national and international artists and says it has won Best Radio Station at the Austin Music Awards 12 times. Its regular features include the Austin Music Minute, Artist of the Month and Song of the Day, and it hosts community events such as Rock the Park and KUTX Live at Scholz Garten during SXSW.
KUTX’s FCC license names Leander, but it brands itself firmly as an Austin station. If reception is weak where you live, it streams online too.
KVRX 91.7: student radio
KVRX is the student-run radio station at the University of Texas at Austin, with the slogan “None of the hits, all of the time.” Its DJs promise music you did not know you loved, and the station says it supports Austin music by organizing local showcases, in-studio performances and artist interviews. It has a long history: students started campaigning for a station in 1986, it began on campus cable in 1988 and it went on FM on November 15, 1994.
KOOP: community radio on the same frequency
KVRX shares 91.7 FM with KOOP, which KVRX’s own history describes as an Austin community radio station; the FCC approved the time-share in 1993. That means what you hear on 91.7 depends on the time of day. Check each station’s schedule to know who is on.
Tip: Save 91.7 under both names in your phone’s notes with their program grids. It saves confusion when a student show gives way to a community program mid-evening.
Country, three ways
| Frequency | Station | How it describes itself |
|---|---|---|
| 98.1 | KVET | Austin’s all-time country favorites |
| 99.3 | KOKE | An Austin-based alternative country station |
| 100.7 | KASE | Austin’s #1 for new country |
Between them, these cover classic country, current hits and the more independent side of the genre. KOKE’s FCC license names Thorndale, northeast of Austin, so reception can vary across the metro area.
Alternative and the rest
ALT 97.5 calls itself Austin’s new alternative and also carries every Austin FC match. Other stations on the dial cover pop, hip hop, rock and classical; KMFA 89.5, for example, is Austin’s classical music station. The full list is in Austin Radio Stations by Frequency: The FM and AM Dial.
Austin City Limits on TV
Austin’s best-known music program is on television. Austin PBS, KLRU, lists Austin City Limits among its featured programs, alongside local shows such as Central Texas Gardener and Austin InSight. You can watch on KLRU over the air on channel 18 or through the PBS app; some streaming requires a station membership. See Public Radio and TV in Austin: KUT, KUTX, KMFA, KVRX and Austin PBS.
How to keep up
- Follow KUTX’s Artist of the Month and Song of the Day to hear one new local act a day.
- Check KVRX’s and KOOP’s schedules for specialty shows by genre.
- Look for station-hosted showcases and free events, where stations often introduce the artists they play.
- Listen online when you are out of range; all of these stations stream.
Music on FOX 7, too
Local TV also features musicians. FOX 7 Austin’s site has sections called Live Music on FOX 7 and Good Day Music, built around performances on its morning show. If you prefer to watch rather than listen, those clips are a quick way to find artists to look up on the radio stations above.
When to listen
Music programming changes through the day. Morning shows mix music with news and talk, afternoons tend to be more music-heavy, and evenings are when student and community stations often run their specialty shows. Check program grids for KUTX, KVRX and KOOP to find the hours that match your taste.
Radio is also a good way to plan a night out. Stations that champion local music often mention upcoming shows, in-studio guests and free events, and hearing an artist on the radio first makes it easier to decide which shows are worth a ticket.
And if you hear something you like and miss the name, check the station’s website for a playlist; it is often the quickest way to identify the song and the artist.