The beginning of the end for the iplayer radio app.

Phased out as of today, then it’s BBC sounds app. Hopefully the sounds app has improved since I last tried it.

The BBC Sounds app: with UX seemingly designed by the people who brought the world Google+

I’ve not used sounds yet, is it that bad?

I guess I’ll find out soon

Been using the sounds app for a while now. Definitely an improvement over the the player app. Took a while to get used to after so long using the iplayer which I was very attached to.

Agreed.

Stayed with iplayer until now. Just downloaded the Sounds app and it’s better than it was.

I don’t like change though,

Sounds has improved, I used to hate it but it now has all the functionality of iPlayer. It’s very much young person focused, or at least mine is – maybe it adapts the content it recommends based on your age but mine is all radio 1 podcasts. I quite like certain shows on radio 1 but the podcasts sound awful.

Sounds app is brilliant.

I’m wondering when iPlayer will cease on laptops now.

The Sounds app is fine, works perfectly well, no issues using it for a summer of TMS.

TuneIn user here, as it can cast to my Chromecast audio but iPlayer can’t/couldn’t.
Sound quality seems OK but I only listen to “intelligent speech” (ie patronising middle class smugness) radio.

Just revisited it, it’s still pretty crap for what I want to do. Lots of extra clicking and scrolling involved if I want to download a series of Book Of The Week or 15 Minute Drama. I’ll give the playback a try later but can’t see a playlist function and I hear it doesn’t automatically continue with the next episode but jumps into what’s on currently. If that’s true it’ll be pretty near useless for playing in the car. And why does it only scroll up or down on alternate swipes FFS?

I liked Google+, a convenient place to dump stuff for other people to hear and see.

but it now has all the functionality of iPlayer

apart from the ability to download in higher quality…

I’ve complained twice now and no scheduled date – crazy as the file downloads are clearly made and are available as iPlayer radio can download them, and the code is there in iPlayer radio to be copied or reproduced if Sounds is in a different language.

Basically those radio shows I download are the only thing Iuse from the BBC output, so I might take steps to remove my need for a TV license now.

The sounds app has improved but I use mainly for the obscure or promoted new stuff; I tend to use pocket casts for the regular casts.

I’ve just been giving the Sounds app a try in the car. It played Episode 3 then stopped, even though 4 and 5 were downloaded. I started it manually playing Episode 4 and when it got to the end of that it ignored Episode 5 and started enthusiastically playing Episode 3 from the beginning again.

Utter crap.

My first day of using it today. Is it normal to get the message “there was a problem during loading” every time it starts up?!

Sounds app as launched was utterly useless for you know, listening to the radio. A totally mess of podcast and a back catalogue of past programmes. It is vastly better now however.

As an avid listener to podcasts, only some of which are BBC produced I have no interest in using it for my podcast subscriptions as want all of them in one place. So the rest of the app is of no use to me.

I’m trying it again. It still lacks an intuitive interface – finding what was on previously is a pain for instance. It’s good that it’s now CarPlay compliant. Will have a good play over the next week and see.

iPlayer radio still working here.

Anyone know if you can use Sounds without an account? The old iplayer let you put in any old rubbish email address and never bothered me again. When I tried that with Sounds it wouldn’t play ball. I dont want to have to sign up for yet another account.

Alternatively, is there any other way to listen to BBC podcasts/live radio? Any other apps for it?

Alternatively, is there any other way to listen to BBC

podcasts

/live radio? Any other apps for it?

podcasts – all appear on the apple podcast built in app.

Not sure of another way to access ‘play again’ past broadcasts.

Tunein for a worlds world of the live radio.

high quality (320 kbps) bbc streams here :

BBC Radio 1
http://a.files.bbci.co.uk/media/live/manifesto/audio/simulcast/hls/uk/sbr_high/ak/bbc_radio_one.m3u8

BBC Radio 1Xtra
http://a.files.bbci.co.uk/media/live/manifesto/audio/simulcast/hls/uk/sbr_high/ak/bbc_1xtra.m3u8

BBC Radio 2
http://a.files.bbci.co.uk/media/live/manifesto/audio/simulcast/hls/uk/sbr_high/ak/bbc_radio_two.m3u8

BBC Radio 3
http://a.files.bbci.co.uk/media/live/manifesto/audio/simulcast/hls/uk/sbr_high/ak/bbc_radio_three.m3u8

BBC Radio 4
http://a.files.bbci.co.uk/media/live/manifesto/audio/simulcast/hls/uk/sbr_high/ak/bbc_radio_fourfm.m3u8

BBC Radio 4LW
http://a.files.bbci.co.uk/media/live/manifesto/audio/simulcast/hls/uk/sbr_high/ak/bbc_radio_fourlw.m3u8

BBC Radio 4 Extra
http://a.files.bbci.co.uk/media/live/manifesto/audio/simulcast/hls/uk/sbr_high/ak/bbc_radio_four_extra.m3u8

BBC Radio 5 Live
http://a.files.bbci.co.uk/media/live/manifesto/audio/simulcast/hls/uk/sbr_high/ak/bbc_radio_five_live.m3u8

BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra
http://a.files.bbci.co.uk/media/live/manifesto/audio/simulcast/hls/uk/sbr_high/ak/bbc_radio_five_live_sports_extra.m3u8

BBC Radio 6 Music
http://a.files.bbci.co.uk/media/live/manifesto/audio/simulcast/hls/uk/sbr_high/ak/bbc_6music.m3u8

BBC Asian Network
http://a.files.bbci.co.uk/media/live/manifesto/audio/simulcast/hls/uk/sbr_high/ak/bbc_asian_network.m3u8

Hmmm…. Sounds not available in my location….

Looks like it might be UK only. Annoying.

….. and nor it is (according to Google Play despite using vpn) compatible with neither my Lenovo tablet nor Xperia phone.

Strange.

It doesn’t do alarm clock wake-up like iPlayer and no intention to implement it. I’m casting around for a viable replacement.

Iplayer still working on my iPhone

Does it have a timer to switch the radio off after a set amount of time?

Does it have a timer to switch the radio off after a set amount of time?

Yep. Still has that.
So far found it fine for what I use it for. Nothing appears to be missing. Only thing I’ve noticed is it logs me out occasionally.

Yep. Still has that.

Good, Didn’t appear to when it first launched so I uninstalled it. Will still use iplayer radio until it stops working though, I don’t like change.

not going to implement high-quality downloads even though the files are being produced and code has been written to do it already in iPlayer Radio.

They’ve looked at the stats and not many people use that feature!

**** but the answer I expected as my first job was at BBC Research Department.

They have a chat helpline open from 4.15pm to midnight :

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/help/webchat

so I might spam them for a few days with complaints 🙂

I might start recording from the high quality streams again, using TotalRecorder (http://www.totalrecorder.com/), like I used to have to do. Of course that means that recordings don’t time out after a month.

Try get_iplayer if you want to download stuff? Not sure what bit rate it uses.

Just used Sounds to listen to Thom Yorke on the extended Desert Island Discs (well worth a listen). The sounds app interface is really quite clunky and unintuitive compared to iPlayer. Don’t like it.

Try get_iplayer if you want to download stuff? Not sure what bit rate it uses.

interesting, thanks for pointing that out – looks like it suports best quality.

Radio
Max Bit Rate Max Quality Configuration Notes
320 kbps get_iplayer –prefs-add –radiomode=best default
128 kbps get_iplayer –prefs-add –radiomode=better
96 kbps get_iplayer –prefs-add –radiomode=good
48 kbps get_iplayer –prefs-add –radiomode=worst

I wonder if the BBC will still keep the 320kbps files once they have removed the download feature ?

I’ll ask on chat…

It doesn’t do alarm clock wake-up like iPlayer and no intention to implement it. I’m casting around for a viable replacement.

Let me know what you find. It’s my primary use of the app but, again, no intention to implement in Sounds. I might have to buy a radio alarm clock.

Is there still a GUI that works with get_iplayer or is it all text strings only?

iPlayer still working on my Samsung phone. Not looking forward to having to use that shitty Sounds app…

I get the sounds app fine in France/Switzerland, so long as you download it from the UK App Store.
It’s much better than it was when released. Current track is now listed, although only when listening live & no track listing is available for the shows until after the show is finished & available to listen again, which is annoying if you’ve just missed the artist/title!
The ability to start the show from the beginning, pause & skip forwards/backwards 20 seconds is very handy.

iplayer radio app no longer works on my iPad, but as it’s an older model I can’t download the sounds app.

This makes me cross

For Mac users Audio Hijack does the same job as total_recorder linked above if Sourceforge leaves you feeling a bit clammy and shaky.

iPlayer radio was at least understandable, I was able to burrow through its maze to what I wanted.
Sounds app, sorry, I’m hopelessly lost.
😭

…um,iplayer radio still working fine for me?