Kirk McElhearn
Co-Host of The Next Track
Kirk McElhearn is a freelance journalist. He writes on his website Kirkville, and is Senior Contributor to Macworld, where he is The iTunes Guy. He is also a regular contributor to TidBITS, as well as several other web sites and magazines. He is co-host of The Committed podcast. Kirk has written more than twenty books, including Take Control of iTunes. On Twitter, he's @mcelhearn, and he has a Facebook page.
Kirk McElhearn has hosted 281 Episodes.
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Episode #105 - The Future of Vinyl
May 18th, 2018 | 34 mins 44 secs
Andy Doe joins us to discuss the present and future of vinyl records.
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Episode #104 - The Future of iTunes
May 11th, 2018 | 32 mins 4 secs
Doug and Kirk discuss the future of iTunes. What effect will streaming and Apple's forthcoming video service have on iTunes? Will it split into several apps? Will it still be called iTunes?
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Episode #103 - The Eurovision Song Contest
May 3rd, 2018 | 39 mins 21 secs
We welcome Dean Asker, a Eurovision Song Contest fan and expert, to discuss the past and present of this unique annual event. Curious how the voting works? We find out.
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Episode #102 - Silence
April 27th, 2018 | 33 mins 54 secs
Doug and Kirk discuss silence: how it is important in music, between pieces of music, around music, and on its own.
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Episode #101 - Radio Paradise
April 20th, 2018 | 33 mins 44 secs
Bill Goldsmith of Radio Paradise joins us to talk about programming a free-form, internet radio station, listener support, and the future of radio.
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Episode #100 - How We Listen to Music Today
April 13th, 2018 | 32 mins 59 secs
For the 100th episode, Doug and Kirk discuss how they listen to music today, and how their music listening has changed in the two years they've been producing this podcast.
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Episode #99 - Radio, Radio
April 6th, 2018 | 39 mins 45 secs
Radio has long been the first way that people have discovered and listened to music. It is still very powerful, in spite of the ubiquity of music streaming services. We discuss how radio works, how it's changed over the years, and where it may be going.
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Episode #98 - 1981
March 30th, 2018 | 35 mins 16 secs
1981 was a pivotal year for popular music. We take a deep dive into the tunes of that year and discuss the most memorable music of the year.
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Episode #97 - Jerry Ewing on Progressive Rock
March 24th, 2018 | 38 mins 23 secs
Jerry Ewing, editor of the UK's Prog magazine, discusses the history of progressive rock, and presents his new book Wondrous Stories.
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Episode #96 - Kiku Day Explains the Shakuhachi (Japanese Flute)
March 16th, 2018 | 38 mins 1 sec
We welcome Kiku Day, ethnomusicologist and shakuhachi player, to discuss this Japanese Flute.
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Episode #95 - Movies about Music, Part 3: Concert Movies
March 9th, 2018 | 33 mins 32 secs
We finish our look at movies about music by discussing concert movies. What makes a good concert movie? Why are concert movies no longer interesting?
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Episode #94 – Do Classical Record Labels Make Money?
March 2nd, 2018 | 41 mins 52 secs
People often wonder if classical record labels make money. We asked Andy Doe, who has a lot of experience in the classical record business, and he explains how the business works.
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Episode #93 – Simon Vance on Narrating Audiobooks
February 23rd, 2018 | 44 mins 39 secs
If you’re an audiobook listener, you will probably recognize this voice.
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Episode #92 – How They Listen to Music: Chuck Joiner, Podcaster
February 16th, 2018 | 33 mins 2 secs
Podcaster Chuck Joiner talks to us about how he listens to music: which sources he uses, how he chooses what to listen to, and what equipment he uses.
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Episode #91 – The Apple HomePod Sounds Great, Except When it Doesn’t
February 9th, 2018 | 32 mins 46 secs
Kirk got his HomePod. He spent a couple of hours listening to music to judge the sound quality. In short, it sounds great at times, but at others it doesn't.
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Episode #90 – Liz Pelly on Streaming Muzak and Playlists
February 2nd, 2018 | 43 mins 44 secs
Journalist Liz Pelly talks about streaming muzak, Spotify, playlists, and the future of streaming.