r/BritishRadio • u/burplesscucumber • Mar 06 '25
BBC discontinuing BBC Sounds service to the U.S.A.
WTF? It looks like only World Service and Radio 4 are going to be available. I know I can use a VPN, but mine doesn't work on my work computer, this is annoying.
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u/jetblackswan Mar 07 '25
I JUST saw this notification on my Sounds page, and i'm SUPER gutted, as a very avid listener here in the US, and have been for about... a decade now. To lose this and all their international listeners... this almost seems really out of the blue. The quality of their programming has made radio here in the US VERY unlistenable, so i've no idea what i'll be doing once Sounds gets slashed internationally soon.
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u/amysf415 29d ago
I am very very sad, as well. I have been listening (as an American) to shows, podcasts, other county BBC stations, etc. for 20+ years. It is a real loss as I listen all day, every day. I, honestly, have no idea what I will do when the sounds app goes dark. I would be happy to pay for the service. I hope, eventually, they offer the app again, for a fee. Gutted.
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u/cheekies7 27d ago
I think bbc podcasts are available wherever you normally get your podcasts but they have ads, if that is of any use.
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u/amysf415 27d ago
Yes, there will be podcasts available, but not the full list that is currently available on the sounds app. It will be a real loss when the app goes dark. :(
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u/Hugogone Mar 07 '25
I feel the same⌠so much so I wrote a little poem about it which I just posted here. Misery loves company, so let me know what you think to it
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u/Hugogone Mar 07 '25
Perhaps this is silly, but itâs a real loss for me. Since emigrating, the ease of listening to the breadth of the bbc has been a real comfort. It led me to write this lament;
Oh BBC, my faithful friend, From early dawn to eveningâs end! With voices wise and dulcet tones, A world alive through glowing phone. Yet now, within my island home, I press âPlay Liveââand stare at Chrome.
No longer shall my kitchen ring With Melvyn Braggâs acerbic sting. No more shall cosy Archersâ chat Accompany the curled up cat. My fingers twitch, my heart is soreâ Theyâve locked the doors on Radio Four!
Did Auntie think me such a pest? Another rogue, just like the rest? Or is it some arcane decree That bars my ears from news with tea? The nationâs voice, once proud and free, Now walled awayâfrom even me!
So here I sit, bereft, alone, Condemned to podcasts on my phone. No Westminster with sharp retorts, No cricket voices with reports! Oh BBC, in days gone by, Youâd never let your children cry.
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u/achmelvic Mar 06 '25
Assume itâs a funding/licensing thing as BBC radio is paid for out of the TV licence charged to UK households, except the world service which think still gets funding from the UK government.
With the pressures to change the TV licence & BBC funding models in the UK this means they can argue the radio stuff isnât being provided to the rest of the world who arenât paying for it.
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u/shredditorburnit 27d ago
Silly though as that kind of thing builds a ridiculous amount of soft power in the world for pennies/taxpayer.
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u/achmelvic 27d ago
Fully agree, unfortunately suspect the coming public debate about the TV licence will descend into usual culture wars with stupid/ignorant people saying âIâm not paying for foreignersâ so the BBC is trying to avoid giving them that ammo
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u/shredditorburnit 27d ago
Yeah. It's almost like we need a national broadcaster with a mandate to educate people like that...
I'm not even sure if I'm being sarcastic or not. Political discussion is in a sorry state, it's all just very disappointing.
I thought we were going to be doing star trek federation type stuff by the time I was an old man, now I'm middle aged and watching us debate whether fascism was actually such a bad thing or not while a drugged up lunatic runs the world's most prominent space program as his own personal plaything.
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u/bluepaintbrush 9d ago
I would seriously pay twice the licence fee if it meant I could have full BBC access in the US.
Itâs a win-win: I sponsor the licence costs for a British resident and myself, and I get to stop scouring the internet for pirated content.
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u/Potential_Neat_8905 9d ago
Exactly this. I would pay the equivalent of the UK license fee just to have access to Sounds. Instead Iâll have to subscribe to VPNs to try and get a workaround, which will be clunky and doesnât give anything to the BBC. I have been expecting an announcement that Sounds would become a subscription service outside the UK one day, the BBC is missing out on a revenue opportunity.
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u/saracsit 28d ago
This is why I'm here. From yesterday to today... no more BBCR1 or R2. I've lessened to BBC for over 20 some years - I'm dying. I've been w Greg James forever.
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u/NoSquirrel7184 25d ago
Scott Mills on R1 was all I ever listened to. This is a sad day for expats.
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u/NoSquirrel7184 25d ago
Ive been listeningto radio 1 on my computer since the day it went on the web.
sad day but fair enough seeing as foreigner don't pay for it
Will have to see if a VPN works.
I wish they could put it on subscription
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u/PreviousTax7099 27d ago
What a fucking disaster.
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u/burplesscucumber 27d ago
Iâm fucking gutted mate. And Iâm American. Iâve never even said any of those words before.
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u/cedardesk 26d ago
Awful news. Morning, noon & night we listen to BBC. We're only in Ireland, we're hardly international. C'mon guys, you still occupy the north of our country, let us at least have your radio stations...
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u/FamousMajor8835 23d ago
On high ground near Wexford my car radio can pick up R4 FM and Welsh BBC from across the straits!
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u/Scary_ Mar 06 '25
Article from November https://james.cridland.net/blog/2024/bbc-sounds-the-strategy/
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u/daftideasinc Mar 07 '25
FYI I've noticed that the main iPlayer page has become geolocked within the past couple of days, as well.
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u/burplesscucumber Mar 07 '25
I think it always has been, I could never use even the web version without a vpn.
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u/NoSquirrel7184 25d ago
I honestly feel like crying. R1 has been part of my life every single working day. This really sucks.
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u/ImAFan2014 23d ago
They've been perfectly fine streaming internationally for 20+ years. Nothing randomly changed with licensing. There's something else that changed this and we all know what (or who) it is.
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u/Six_of_1 Mar 06 '25
A lot to unpack.
- Where did you hear this?
- Do you listen to 1, 2, 3, 4X, 5 and/or 6?
- Why specifically the USA?
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u/burplesscucumber Mar 06 '25 edited Mar 06 '25
It's announced on the BBC sounds website. I usually listen to world service, 4 and 6, sometimes the local stations, but it looks like access to the back catalog of recorded shows is going away with it.
Edit: it doesn't say specifically the U.S.A it says it's being replaced outside the U.K. by the BBC.com website. Says it's to do with licensing. The sounds category includes World Service and 4, along with some podcasts. At least the TMS podcasts are still there.
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u/whatatwit Mar 06 '25
It looks like it's true and out of the blue!
Will I lose all my subscribed and bookmarked content from BBC Sounds?
Unfortunately, your subscribed and bookmarked content is not transferred automatically. You'll need to manually set up your subscriptions and bookmarks again. Please log into your BBC account and add it to your new "Follow" and "Saved" lists.
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u/BigRedS Mar 06 '25
This feels odd so soon after the iPlayer->Sounds debacle, though I bet that was longer ago in the past than I recall.
I wonder if maybe, hopefully, this'll include an embracing of podcasts again? I doubt it :(
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u/Six_of_1 Mar 06 '25
I really don't understand what this means tbh. Is it just another rebranding? Everything will still be available they're just calling it something else?
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u/Scary_ Mar 06 '25
It means BBC Sounds will be UK only and elsewhere it will be replaced with something called BBC Audio.
The only radio stations that will be available outside the UK will be Radio 4 and the World Service
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u/Six_of_1 Mar 06 '25
Right well I'm definitely getting a VPN then. What a pain in the arse. do you know what the deadline is? I've got an R4X show to record on Saturday.
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u/whatatwit Mar 06 '25
I sent them an email to ask but atm it looks like only R4 and WS are available. It does sound insane but perhaps it's a reaction to insanity elsewhere.
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u/Six_of_1 Mar 06 '25
It's still working like normal for me, when does this start? I'm going to be out of my mind if I'm shut out from R4X. Going to finally have to get a VPN and hope I can figure out how that works in get_iplayer.
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u/whatatwit Mar 06 '25
FWIW I just looked at the BBC Sounds app on iOS and there was NO mention of any change and then I looked at Sounds web page in Safari on iOS and all the various and local stations were still there BUT there was the same overly terse and uninformative warning about consolidating everything (back) into .com.
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Mar 06 '25
[deleted]
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u/Six_of_1 Mar 06 '25
I'm still only seeing R4 and WS on the bbc.com/audio. That and bunch of podcasts. I want proper radio with announcers saying it's 4o'clock and it's raining.
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u/whatatwit Mar 06 '25
Yes! I retract that as it looks like it was under a Sounds moniker. The app meanwhile appears to still have no message so perhaps that will be untouched.
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u/whatatwit Mar 06 '25
Please keep me posted if you research an iOS VPN. Ironically I just installed Ad Block after all these years of just putting up with ads or aborting websites because BBC News started putting full screen ads in front of the news! They have a VPN for a small fee but we tend to use iOS for Sounds and I don't think Ad Block and its VPN would work there as far as I recall.
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u/Six_of_1 Mar 06 '25
I've never needed a VPN because any BBC TV content I could easily pirate, and radio content was available internationally.
Albeit I recently discovered that I was getting a reduced bitrate of 96k. I read it was 320k so I encoded my archive in 320k only to discover it was a waste of space because it's only 320k in the UK.
So all I'd done was upscale 96k broadcasts into 320k mp3s making them take up more space than they need to. It never crossed my mind for a second that there would be different bitrates in different countries.
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u/burplesscucumber Mar 06 '25
Doesn't say when it starts. Getting the iPlayer app is a pain, you can't download it from the app store just with a vpn, you either have to find a pirate copy or create a fake gmail account with a U.K. address to get to the U.K. app store. I have a hard time getting live shows to work on iPlayer, I have to try a number of different U.K. servers sometimes. Sometimes they work for some shows and not for others whereas itvX and Channel 4&5 work fine with any U.K. server
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u/burplesscucumber Mar 06 '25
No, everything but World Service, radio 4 and some podcasts are gone. TMS is there but not Tailenders.
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u/Six_of_1 Mar 06 '25
It's still working like normal for me, do you know when this starts? I'm a big R4X, R3 and R6 listener and I don't understand why it's being taken away from me. I also don't understand why their article is dressing this up like it's a good thing that's going to help me. They're taking away entire stations and I'm supposed to appreciate the streamlining?
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u/whatatwit Mar 06 '25
This dressing it up is the new normal now. Everything is marketed to the hilt to the point of disinformation and yes fake news. It's trickle down from politicians. They all went on comms courses where they learnt how not to answer the question and just put lipstick on the pig!
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u/Aggravating-Monkey Mar 06 '25
I think it's likely that the BBC is tightening up access to services. At present access to the iplayer asks if you have a TV licence and as the BBC iPlayer is funded by the UK TV licence and its use is restricted to UK residents only. I suspect before long it will require inputting the licence details as part of the login to gain access and possibly sounds will go the same way.
Unlike the commercial UK channels the BBC is entirely funded from income from the Television Licence and sales of it's productions, those revenue streams have been falling over the years with the rise of the streaming channels and the cost of the TV licence increases limited further each time it comes it comes before parliament for consideration.
There has long been a debate about the TV licence, which also funds the BBC radio stations and websites, and potential alternative means of funding the BBC have been proposed, including making it a subscription service partially or in whole. The government is already giving consideration as to how to fund the BBC in the future so this may well be the start of the BBC working to protect it's interests and products.
The last government imposed the additional cost of running the BBC World Service on the BBC (the only free output actually intended for international audiences), switching it from being funded by the Foreign Office. It's the government that want the BBC World Service but it has limited appeal to UK consumers so it is an expensive loss-leader for the BBC.
The BBC announcement on BBC Sounds says "BBC Sounds is a UK licence fee funded service. To offer better value for our UK listeners, BBC Sounds will be repositioned and made available exclusively to UK audiences", and BBC. com says "Due to rights limitations, not all BBC content can be made available to international users. This includes BBC music radio stations as well as some podcasts."
Live terrestrial TV & Radio audiences have consistently fallen over recent decades but a lot of broadcast material is now viewed or listened to via the internet and the operating, production, and talent costs have risen. Frankly it makes sense for the BBC to ring-fence it's output and find ways to monetise it's product to those who are not UK nationals paying the licence fee.
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u/whatatwit Mar 06 '25
"BBC Sounds is a UK licence fee funded service. To offer better value for our UK listeners, BBC Sounds will be repositioned and made available exclusively to UK audiences",
How very modern!
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u/NonDeterministiK 29d ago
Well then why don't they make BBC sounds available outside the UK for a fee? I'm in Canada but find most radio stations in Canada and the US unlistenable. The range and quality of the content on BBC Sounds is unmatched anywhere. It's a sad development
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u/PasdeLezard 28d ago
I would happily pay a reasonable fee. I listen to Gilles Peterson's show every week on BBC6 via the archive and listen to other shows in real time as well. I guess now I'll just hear his show on Worldwide FM. :(
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u/PreviousTax7099 27d ago
This is explained on the BBC Feedback program that went out recently. Apparently charging for content (eg the Essential Mixes I listen to constantly) would require them to pay the record companies accordingly. So rights management issues mean they can't/don't want to charge those of us who would happily pay. This doesn't explain why they don't charge for the BBC generated content (eg: the news, etc) as opposed to material covered by DRM (music).
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u/Ok-Shape5039 26d ago
The "Feedback" program: about 17 mins in: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0028jvr while BBC Sounds is still available....
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u/Ok-Shape5039 26d ago
If the record companies have âsuddenlyâ discovered that the internet is a worldwide thing, and now want to extort broadcasters to pay much higher (international) Â fees, this might be the end of cross border radio as we know it. Thanks to those money grabbers, pretty soon NTS, Shoutcast, SomaFM, Radio France (FIP), will also be affected.Â
Even when I was young, before the internet, I could listen to radio stations from abroad via FM and medium wave. But in the new world, where technically it so easy to broadcast all over the world, these record companiesâ actions mean that any non 100% speech stations, will be restricted to their country of origin.Â
This is going back in time. Bye bye to cultural exchange. Youâll be limited to what national stations want to play. And here in the Netherlands as for music, national radio is dismal.Â
And to think that the artists are going to see any penny from these increased record company fees is very optimistic.Â
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u/Ok-Shape5039 26d ago
Probably connected to these developments:
Sony And Warner Music Are Out To Destroy the Internet (Radio)
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u/ian9outof10 26d ago
Because when they start charging for it, they have to pay licensing fees for each country itâs available in, and honestly I doubt the maths of that adds up. The small fee wouldnât be that small, but Iâm sure there will be âalternativeâ options.
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u/Downtown_Two_7467 22d ago
Yeah, it's an app - why not make BBC Sounds a subscription-only app and leave it as it is. I'd pay $100 a year for it.
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u/Chilled_Beef 15d ago
SiriusXM had BBC Radio 1 until 2011. Perhaps itâs time they bring it back since it too is a paid service with online streaming? They have Canadian station, why not bring the BBC over to satellite radio?
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u/swainsoid 26d ago
You donât need a licence to listen to BBC radio in the UK so the login would need to involve something other than licence fee details.
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u/Aggravating-Monkey 26d ago
You make a fair point and it's correct you don't need a licence to listen to radio broadcasts, even though BBC radio is funded by the same licence fee revenue. My comment was speculation based on the financial situation the BBC has at present and you are right in what you say.
Unlike terrestrial with 'over the air' radio/DAB, or TV., services broadcasts that cannot easily be restricted it would, however, be possible to require a registration and/or login of some sort to access the podcasts and listen again features on Sounds it being an internet only based service and hat could either be in the form of evidence of a TV licence or some kind of subscription as an alternative, or a mix of both. I know that there has been discussion about the possibility of making the BBC income subscription rather than licence based based and, whilst I am unsure how that could ever be done with live over the air TV and radio broadcasts, I suspect it could be easily applied to the internet only based services.
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u/JonTravel Mar 07 '25
I suspect before long it will require inputting the licence details as part of the login to gain access and possibly sounds will go the same way.
It's unlikely that Sounds will require TV licence details because you don't need a TV licence to listen to BBC Radio in any form (over the air or streaming). It's funded by the license fee, but the license fee is only required to watch TV broadcasts.
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u/Straight-Chance-440 25d ago
Is it possible this has to do with the new encryption thing the UK is getting rid of? Or whatever it is? Something like there won't be a certain type of encryption and the UK will be able to see more personal information? Maybe they're ending international services so they don't have to be responsible for all that stuff or something? Idk, just throwing it out there. I, too, am deeply bummed, as an American Radio 3 listener.
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u/sound-lab 16d ago
Sad to hear. Been listening to BBC radio 1 and 1Xtra for Years.
If itâs a licensing issue Iâm all for paying a monthly fee to listen to BBC.
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u/Chilled_Beef 15d ago
I only found out about this today while listening to Radio 1 on my desktop. No mention of this impending change on the BBC sounds app. Iâm gutted, been listening to Radio 1 since 2003. Discovered so much great dance and electronic tunes from Radio 1 over the years, with some being modern classics. Iâd gladly pay for Radio 1 and all the music stations, kinda like BritBox but for streaming audio. Or at least let SiriusXM broadcast the main BBC Radio channels as part of their subscription like they did with Radio 1 in the late 2000s until 2011.
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u/maff1987 15d ago
Came here to greave with you all. I was just giving props to the BBC Radio service to friends here in the US as I'm listening back to Radio 1, only to glance up at the banner. Gutted to see the service pulled. I'd happily pay for the quality and joy it brings. There really isn't anything like it especially states side... Come on, Sirius XM?
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u/JonTravel Mar 06 '25
I just posted this on another sub
I've been in the US for a few years now. I've been using ProtonVPN for iPlayer, ITVHub and, when I want to listen to the football commentary or download a programme that isn't a podcast, BBC sounds with no problem.
I use it on my TV (Google Chromecast with Google TV), my Mobile and my laptop.
Incidentally, the BBC website says,
"For listeners who reside in the UK, you will still be able to use the BBC Sounds mobile app when you are abroad"
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/help/questions/listening-outside-the-uk/outside-uk-changes
So it may still be possible to use the app.
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u/whatatwit Mar 06 '25
I noticed that the ProtonVPN was differentially recommended by some folk on r/ios.
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u/JonTravel Mar 06 '25
I'm sure people have different experiences. I can only comment on my direct experience. I only use it for UK TV and radio.
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u/whatatwit Mar 06 '25
When I said differentially I didn't mean different I meant that they justified their preference for ProtonVPN by difference with its competitors :)!
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u/whatatwit Mar 07 '25
Given that you use ProtonVPN for the radio and iPlayer could you tell me please if you use the same login id when you used it before getting the VPN and afterwards with the VPN. This would preserve account information like "what you've already heard" which is useful but might make it easier to detect that your ip address was suddenly very different.
Similarly, does a vastly different ip than before mess-up access to local sites such as Chase or wherever your bank or card is? Is it easy to swicth the VPN service on and off to address this issue?
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u/JonTravel Mar 07 '25 edited Mar 07 '25
I use the same login that I used before I moved to the US. I often view the website, using that login without the VPN. When I want to watch iPlayer or Listen to the football on 5live, I'll switch on the VPN and then open the Sounds app or go to iPlayer on my laptop or TV. When I'm done I turn off the VPN. It's an easy process to switch on and off.
Just one thing to note. If I have been using the BBC sounds app without the VPN or I accidentally open iPlayer without it switched on it doesn't work until I clear the app cache or the browser cache first. That just takes a few seconds.
To answer your questions directly
if you use the same login id when you used it before getting the VPN and afterwards with the VPN.
Yes
This would preserve account information like "what you've already heard" which is useful but might make it easier to detect that your ip address was suddenly very different.
Information on iPlayer and Sounds is preserved whichever ip address is being used (US or UK). Including partly listened programmes which just pick up where you left off even if the IP address changes.
When I'm done I turn off the VPN. It's an easy process to switch on and off.
Yes it's just an app you run in the background or a browser extension and connect to the UK server. When you are finished, just disconnect. A couple of clicks.
Similarly, does a vastly different ip than before mess-up access to local sites such as Chase or wherever your bank or card is?
Absolutely not. As long as you remember to disconnect. đ
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u/whatatwit Mar 07 '25
Thanks very much for the information and especially the gotcha to watch out for. I can't use the same login in my situation because my move was too long ago and before Sounds.
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u/NonDeterministiK 29d ago
Have you changed your google region to the US? Because if so, you will likely no longer be able to download or update the BBC Sounds app on play store
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u/JonTravel 29d ago
Have you changed your google region to the US?
Yes, but I have a UK based Google account on the same phone which allows me to download and update apps that are restricted to the UK only.
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u/burplesscucumber 28d ago
Hmmm, hopefully downloading the U.K. version with my fake U.K. gmail will work then.
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u/saracsit 28d ago
I did that one time to watch TV shows on BBC w VPN. I made up an address - they just wanted code for where you live, so I have email too. I don't know what I'm going to replace it with. Nothing like it in us - w time difference I get Pete Tong in the afternoon.
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u/queen_orca Mar 07 '25
That's what confuses me. How do they know if I am just temporarily abroad or actually live there? I downloaded the UK version of the Sounds app eons ago, so does that technically make me a UK resident who is temporarily abroad?
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u/crankedupreallyhigh Mar 06 '25
cough VPN*
cough Radio World Android app
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u/Interesting_Math3257 13d ago
Which one? Most are now blocked by BBC and weâre stuck with shit R4 and only world service. BBC miserable sad bosses, I wish them only poop in their beers.
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u/North_Compote1940 29d ago
I suspect it's record companies. WS and R4 are essentially speech networks. The rest are mainly music. The record companies seem to have decided to use copyright to stop radio stations streaming outside their approved locality. This happened in the UK a couple of years ago - TuneIn had to stop relayng most US music stations and smart speakers couldn't link direct to them. Enshittification and all that.
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u/Accurate-Donkey5789 27d ago
Radio 5 is mostly music? Are you sure?
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u/swainsoid 26d ago edited 26d ago
Radio 5 Live has a lot of sports and the rights for those will be UK only.
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u/Accurate-Donkey5789 26d ago
That makes sense. I had no idea how little I knew about broadcasting right until I read this thread through and asked some questions
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u/Few_Dust_449 22d ago
But most of their live sports coverage is already blocked outside the UK. I listen to R5 Live for the current affairs and for their late night talk shows, including World Football Phone In, which they may as well scrap since many callers and a few of the presenters are based overseas.
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u/swainsoid 18d ago
Ah right, I donât know then. Maybe the feeling is that Five Live is more UK-centric than Radio 4?
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u/Few_Dust_449 18d ago
Itâs definitely UK centric but Iâm living in the US and they cover a lot of international politics as well. I can just about cope with hearing the news through the lens of the BBC! I called that âWorld Football Phone-Inâ (soon to be âUKâ?) on Monday and neither the hosts nor producer knew about the changes. I just wish there were a subscription option.
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u/interglossa 29d ago
I just learned of this because of the alert on BBCSounds and it's terrible. As a listener in the blue US I am wondering if it is only a matter of time before the BBC will block ProtonVPN also.
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u/Violin-dude 29d ago
Iâm not getting any such message on my R3 playing on iPhone Sounds! Why nor? Am in US
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u/Italianrose74 28d ago
Ok Iâm like freaking out. I listen to Radio 2 everyday for years. I have the isounds app on my phone. Then I blue tooth it to my speakers. What do I do? Whatâs the best VPN ? Please help!!!
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u/Whole-Enthusiasm-734 28d ago
If you are technically minded, check out Lyrion music server, pi core player and Rapberry pi.
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u/SideshowBiden 28d ago
They shouldn't have voted trump
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u/burplesscucumber 27d ago
I mean thatâs true but wtf has that to do with it?
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u/SideshowBiden 27d ago
So they don't get the benefits of other countries governments that they have ruined the relationship with
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27d ago
Like I would pay a subscription for it. I've been loving Drama on 3 and Drama on 4.
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u/Accurate-Donkey5789 27d ago
I do think this is fair. Now that I live in the UK I have to pay a sub (technically for live TV, but it funds BBC sounds directly), where as when I lived in France it was free. I could never quite square that in my mind, why is it free living abroad but you have to pay for it living in the UK. It seems odd.
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27d ago
Oh I completely get why they are doing it. It sucks they cannot seem to figure out a way to go forward in the streaming age but cant say it isnt a loss.
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u/Accurate-Donkey5789 27d ago
Why the BBC isn't a small subscription service for all online services just like netflix, etc, is very reminiscent of how Kodak invented the digital camera and then just didn't know what to do with it. They're coasting along living in the past.
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27d ago edited 27d ago
Long standing institutions tend to get entrenched in practices to their peril. Especially those that get public dollars, and this is Britian, Exhibit A of "country that does things this way because they have always done things this way."
American Hollywood studios would absolutely not have moved to streaming if Netflix wasnt a threat.
Entropy is the greatest force in the universe at a lot of levels.
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u/ian9outof10 26d ago
Because the maths doesnât add up. If you want to start livening tv and music for a global audience, the costs for that are astronomical. American TV shows have famously stripped licensed music out of shows to save money on international distribution. That massive attack song that was the House theme tune, itâs gone in the streaming syndicated versions. So this isnât a new problem.
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u/Accurate-Donkey5789 26d ago
They've been giving TV and radio to a global audience for free online for years, funded by UK TV licence payers. Is it a thing where if they charge global audiences they have to deal with global broadcasting rights, but if they give it away for free it's fine?
I'm sure you're right because I know literally nothing about how that sort of thing works, but I'd love to know more, because on the outset of your explanation that sounds bonkers.
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u/ian9outof10 26d ago
I think itâs sort of a quirk, possibly because of how the BBC licences music. The rule is, if itâs for the UK originally then the licence is valid for use around the world. The BBCâs licence is different to most, in that you can use almost any track in almost any show, and thereâs a whole system for tracking music use that allows artists to be paid.
I can tell you that there is often music replacement done where a different version of the show is used globally. An example of this was the 30 minute cuts of Top Gear for BBC World, which had generic music instead of the original licensed tracks. Probably because that version was never shown in the UK.
Iâd imagine that radio has survived so long because the BBC pays a lot of money to artists. Who knows what is going on, it could be music publishers demanding more, it could be the need to turn non-UK services profitable as the revenue from the licence fee declines and costs rise.
I suspect that the availability of Sounds globally was creating issues and itâs more cost effective to end it than keep going.
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u/Brewster345 27d ago
Are you paying a license fee?
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u/MrsAstrakhan62 26d ago
I would HAPPILY pay a license fee if the option was available, but despite decades of talk it has never been made possible.
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u/Gold-Tangelo-2481 21d ago
Anyone got a dummies guide on how to vpn on iPhone?
Am trying VPN-Superunlimoted in France but bbc sounds gives me the not available in your region/rightsâŚ
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u/garyruns2xs 12d ago
Avid Radio 3 listener ex-pat. CBC is awful. . . the beeb keeps me sane. FYI you can stream all [I think, I didnt actually try all of 'em] bbc stations via Apple Music. Search bbc radio 3. However, there's more than a few programs that really dont do it for me [church services], I have now lost the option of picking the past programs that I want from the schedule. Such a shame, we had good foe a while.
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u/2hanzX 12d ago
Sign the petition to protest. We did this to keep 6 music back in the day⌠https://chng.it/KFD9cRwmc2
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u/External_Squash_4316 10d ago
I've been watching BBCIplayer via a vpn for years. I'm in the US. Wondering why I cant just do this with BBC Sounds and why everyone is freaking out...
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u/burplesscucumber 9d ago
Im sure you can but itâs kind of a pita to get the app if you donât have a UK google or amazon account. iPlayer gives me random errors, especially with the live channels, I have to fiddle around finding a VPN server they arenât blocking. IDK why but that only happens with the app versions and not the web version. Itâs just an unnecessary hassle because of money. The only decent thing on anymore is The Shipping Forecast anyway.
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u/Potential_Neat_8905 9d ago
I am heartbroken. I use Sounds every day - Radio 4 and Radio 2, itâs how I keep in touch as a long term expat.
Why, why, why hasnât the BBC considered a subscription model.
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u/FaerieGreen 8d ago
If you are in the US, the BBC stations are still available on the TuneIn app. Apple Music also carries them through an agreement with TuneIn. It appears BBC said the content will still be available via third party platforms, they are just restricting the content on their own apps.
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u/Appropriate_Shoe6704 7d ago
We won't be able to listen to the Proms this year on Radio 3? That is so disappointing.
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u/sherapop80 7d ago
They wanted to be able to put american style (endless) ads in their podcasts and increase revenue streams so they made a shitty deal. I am not sure they will get the results they wantâŚ.
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u/SuddenlyIntrigued 13h ago
My instinct is to simply say "well you shouldn't want to consume any media from anyone who will access gate it in 2025", but really i understand the hurt here for sure. That's a really vast swath of media to just have to obliterate from your mind. Really messed up decision on their part.
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u/Camden-1987 3h ago
This is so disappointing, like others I listen to various BBC radio shows across all channels on a daily basis or subscribe to them to listen later. It is my connection to my âhomeâ and keeps me up to date with what my family and friends are listening to and talking about over there. I would definitely pay to have the full access back.
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u/Antique-Writer-1227 2h ago
I've tried the BBC app (for non-UK listeners), and it's a poor substitute for Sounds. What's more, it seems to ignore my VPN when I go to Sounds. Only two stations and a lot of missing podcast content: that's crap. I've written to the BBC today and am asking you to do the same. If we bury them in protests, we might get somewhere. This is the second message I wrote:
I've already written once today bemoaning the fact that the BBC is axing Sounds for listeners abroad. A little more online research has revealed that countless other listeners are as saddened as I am and that many of them â like me â would be happy to pay a fee to continue listening. Do you really want to ignore that kind of fandom and potential source of income? The financial issue â as you point out, Sounds is funded by the UK licence fee â is your reason for cutting the service. Turn it to your own advantage and continue providing a (paid-for) service to thousands, if not millions, of avid listeners worldwide. To be brief, not being able to listen to the programmes that have become the main soundtrack of my life now that I live alone is galling. It also seems rather parsimonious when I can access all the main French radio stations, including podcasts, on a free app. Do you mean to tell me that the Mother of All Broadcasting can't do the same? It continues to be an advertisement for all that is good and credible in a world plagued by lies and misinformation. Please reconsider!!! Disgruntled, of Zurich
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u/Ochib Mar 07 '25
Thatâs due to the cuts in USAID funding.
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u/90210fred 27d ago
Bizarrely, IÂ believe some USAID finding went into World Service info / propaganda broadcasts, so it could be true. Delicious irony if so (although I don't seriously believe in any connection)
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u/whatatwit Mar 06 '25
I'm wondering if this is a hack or a prank as the links don't seem to work in places.
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u/strum Mar 07 '25
Licensing.
Remember that much of BBC content is produced by independent production companies (this was forced on BBC by govt). Those contracts are meant to cover UK consumption. International consumption either hasn't been negotiated or would cost more.
WS is intended for an international audience. R4 is thrown in for luck.
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u/brustolon1763 29d ago
If that were true, how come theyâve offered international access without restrictions all these years? Are you saying theyâve been flouting all the audio content agreements all these years?
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u/sammy_conn 28d ago
You don't pay for it, so you can't complain really.
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u/burplesscucumber 27d ago
I mean does anyone actually pay the TV license? Perhaps Im the only American who will miss live radio cricket coverage. But someone will.
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u/ian9outof10 26d ago
Licence, and yes they do. Some under protest, and some skip it, but most people still comply. But itâs becoming an issue and budgets are always under attack for various reasons.
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u/swainsoid 26d ago edited 26d ago
Millions of people pay the licence fee, obviously, otherwise the BBC wouldnât be able to function.
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u/burplesscucumber 26d ago
Sounds never asked about the license like iplayer. You donât need the TV license to listen to the radio. I think this is more about licensing rights for content. Which is why you canât watch iplayer overseas even if you pay the license.
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u/swainsoid 26d ago
Sure, yes, but you asked âdoes anyone actually pay the TV Licence?â and the answer is - yes millions of people do.
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u/Ok-Shape5039 26d ago
I want to pay for it. But the disappointing thing is, that that too, is impossible.Â
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u/NoTimeColo Mar 06 '25
On the Android app, the "bbc.com" message it at the top of the home page. Desktop browser, same message. Very disappointing that only WS and R4 are made available. I'm a heavy R3 listener (classical). Also Radio Scotland for a few shows. I'd gladly pay their licensing fee to continue listening.
I use Private Internet Access (PIA) VPN service but, last time I tried, it seems that BBC had blocked all of their UK IP addresses. I'll have to try Proton, as suggested, when they cut things completely.