Yes, please pin it to the backside of the BBC executive responsible for all this

Hi All

I have an update:

The BBC are removing all of their content from TuneIn (and therefore Sonos Radio) in mid-2023 - although they are switching to different technologies, they are not doing so on TuneIn, which contradicts the assumption I now realise I made. My apologies for any confusion. 

To be clear, if you are outside the UK, then the only ways to play BBC content will be through the BBC Sounds app for your smartphone or tablet - this can then be sent to Sonos via AirPlay, Bluetooth or Line-In, if you have compatible players - or with the Alexa BBC Sounds skill which will also work, and play on Sonos, but multiroom playback will not be supported.

UK listeners should add BBC Sounds to their Sonos system.

I realise this will not be what many of you wanted to hear, but I can only recommend feeding back to the BBC - this is not under our control.

In that case, you have misunderstood.  The format of the stream is determined by the consolidator, e.g. TuneIn.  Sonos will play the stream provided it is in a format that Sonos supports.  Sonos already supports the HLS format that the BBC will continue to use after mid-2023.  The real problem is that the BBC is withdrawing its streams from TuneIn and at least some other services (possibly all such services, I am not totally sure on that point).  So there is nothing Sonos can do about this.

This isn’t an issue for UK residents as we can use the BBC Sounds service integrated into Sonos.  It is potentially an issue for those living outside the UK.

If the BBC withdraws from all consolidator services then I think your only option will be to use Airplay or Bluetooth to play the BBC Sounds app to your Sonos system.  So the worst case scenario is that you will need to buy a Roam, if you don’t already have one.  Another option is a Bluetooth receiver in the line-in port of any Sonos device equipped with a line in.

I tried the Links from John B’s Post above, and realised the links were for teh UK streams, so didn’t work for me (you can see “UK” is mentioned in the url.

This page contains the links to the Worldwide streams (“nonuk” is in the URLs)
https://en.everybodywiki.com/List_of_BBC_radio_stream_URLs

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

Rather than John’s link of http://a.files.bbci.co.uk/media/live/manifesto/audio/simulcast/hls/uk/sbr_med/ak/bbc_radio_one.m3u8

sbr_Low (96 Kbps) is the highest they go for non-uk streams

Thx John for the pointer though.

An interesting hack! Nice.

Still seems simpler to switch one’s Sonos country to the UK, setup BBC Sounds, then switch back to the original country.

the BBC seems consistent to kick out all non-UK residents, in line with the BREXIT strategy :-)

Conversely, perhaps their strategy is to pay for certain rights, and not pay for all worldwide and streaming rights for every bit of content. 

The legal landscape has certainly changed from the times of WWII, when they were the source of international news broadcasting. 

@Notanothername . Are you in the UK?

Hi. You should not have to set anything up. The BBC streams in HLS and Sonos happily plays it.

The Roam can connect to your WiFi and Bluetooth at the same time.  So Bluetooth to the Roam, then group the other speakers to the Roam.  Mute the Roam if you don’t want the sound on the Roam as well.

This is my understanding of the situation.  My understanding may be imperfect, so I am open to correction.

1.  The BBC Sounds app is available and can be installed on computers and mobile devices worldwide.  (I don’t know if it is available to every country in the world, but ‘worldwide’ will do.  It is certainly available in the USA.)
2. This means you have access to live BBC radio and to BBC Sounds’ on demand content, to play on your PC, mobile phone etc.
3. So one consequence of the previous point is that if you have Sonos speakers that are Airplay or Bluetooth compatible you can already listen to all this on your Sonos speakers, wherever in the world you are.  No reason for that to change.
4. Prior to 13 April 2022, it was possible to listen to live BBC radio on Sonos using TuneIn, Sonos Radio and other radio services.  From 13 April 2022 that stopped being possible in the UK, but remained the way to listen to live BBC Radio on Sonos outside the UK. 
5. In the UK, we got an integration into Sonos of BBC Sounds - bringing a different way to listen to live BBC radio, and full access to the BBC Sounds on demand content for the first time.  (Previously you could pick up some shows by searching on Podcasts and Shows.) 
6. Why just the UK?  I would stake my life savings on this being a BBC restriction, related to the BBC’s hunger for listening data and to data protection issues.  (This is the main driver for the BBC pulling out of the consolidator services’ apps and insisting that digital listening is through the BBC Sounds app.)

So what does the latest announcement mean for non-UK Sonos users who want to continue to listen to BBC Radio after the change just announced?  I don’t really know.  Possibly Sonos could agree with the BBC that the integrated Sonos BBC Sounds service could be made available in at least some other countries.  I suspect that might not be as easy as it sounds, for data reasons.

Or maybe it doesn’t matter, because there will be consolidator services not using Shoutcast, and Sonos already supports HLS.  If you are hearing that BBC message you may just need to use a different service.  I am not sure that Sonos will need to do anything.  Of course, that only relates to live BBC radio outside the UK, but that is not a change.

Anyone have a different view?

Edit: posted this before seeing @Corry P ‘s post.  Not sure all this background is really needed, but I’ll leave it now I’ve written it.

Hi @southern gal & @Andyneouk1 

Ah - I understand now. Apologies for any confusion. To keep the thread marginally readable, I’ve removed my earlier posts.

The ShoutCast streaming protocol that the BBC are using on TuneIn (Sonos Radio get’s it’s radio URLs from TuneIn so is also affected) and myTuner will soon be changed to the HLS protocol instead. As we already support HLS streaming, this shouldn’t be a problem, though after the change-over you may need to refresh (delete and re-create) any favourites to BBC stations you’ve made in the My Sonos section of the app. You will not need to add a new service to your Sonos system to continue listening to BBC stations, as I previously stated. Many non-BBC stations available on Sonos already utilise the HLS streaming protocol.

Bluetooth needs to be on while you are using it.  I think it would probably be most robust if you connect to the Roam first then group other speakers to it, but I haven’t tried this.  You will have to experiment, but at least you have a method that you know works.

Corry 

Please pass this information up the chain to a manager - 

It would seem that Sonos would be interested in researching this since it's extremely likely that there is a significant audience for BBC Radio stations OUTSIDE of the UK.   

Why wait to find out what is going to happen? 

Certainly someone at SONOS has a liaison with someone at the BBC? 

If not you should.  

Your company sells millions of units and thats millions of customers who potentially will not have access to the BBC.

There is plenty of time to be proactive 

Sonos has to use SOME service and I think the BBC is withdrawing from other services too.  If there is a service streaming in HLS after mid-2023 perhaps Sonos will use it, but they may not have that option.

Why not use it in Europe too?  BBC Sounds app is available outside the UK.  You can Bluetooth to the Roam and thence to other speakers on your network.

It is available on your phone / tablet outside the UK.  Anything that you can play on your mobile device can be played to a Roam.

I’ve changed it back. BBC sounds is still working on Sonos…..

Hi John

Have just tried that and succeeded.

Does that mean I always have to start up the Roam first?

Merry Christmas everyone
https://github.com/public-broadcasting/bbc-sounds-community-edition-for-sonos

But see earlier post on this thread from @ian02054 referencing my even earlier post

Thank you very much for your help, John

I’ll try that.

I’d still prefer to just tap the speaker to listen though - have got lazy.

May I suggest pinning this information?

;)

Just an update John, and to thank you for your tips.

I realise it doesn’t work for me getting Sounds on phone (that bit is easy, but not great sound) then to use bluetooth e to find Roam and then sync to other Sonos speakers.

It’s not what I bought 4 Sonos products for - BBC radio was one of the main reasons. 

I sincerely hope Sonos will find a way of providing BBC radio to the wider community.

And thanks for tracking down the non-UK streams and posting them here.

Hi @mifrho 

That would be entirely up to the BBC. Considering the changes they’ve been making recently regarding who can access what from where, I personally think it unlikely.

are there any plans to extend BBC Sounds support to non-UK Sonos customers? I can freely access BBC sounds on my android phone, and it would be nice to just switch the audio output from my BT Headphones to my Sonos when i get home.