Skip to main content
southern gal
Chromatic Producer I
November 3, 2022

News from BBC regarding BBC Sounds and Shoutcast streams

  • November 3, 2022
  • 64 replies
  • 5091 views

This would likely apply only to the UK … unless you use a vpn to get BBC Sounds on Sonos.  

Currently in the USA you can listen to the BBC Radio stations via TuneIn.

And not sure that BBC Sounds in the UK on Sonos uses Shoutcast…. but thought i would post it for general information

I heard the announcement today after a news program. 

the link below is on the BBC website 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/help/questions/recent-changes-to-bbc-sounds/shoutcast-closure

 

The BBC uses several streaming technologies to deliver BBC Sounds. If you are hearing a message informing of this change, you are listening using Shoutcast. The BBC will stop supporting Shoutcast by mid-2023. 

Why are we making these changes? 

Shoutcast is an older streaming technology and many connected radio devices in the UK no longer use it. Ending support for Shoutcast will enable us to focus on the two most popular technologies currently used – HLS and DASH. As well as delivering better value, it will allow us to understand more on how our content is consumed. This forms part of our strategy for BBC Sounds and is important to help us improve the services we offer to our listeners.  

We informed manufacturers and other service providers of this change in May 2022. 

I hear the message – what should I do? 

If you are using an internet radio or smart speaker, please contact the manufacturer. It might be possible for the device to be updated to use another of our supported streams.  

If you can hear the message when listening to BBC services via the web or mobile phone, please listen on BBC Sounds instead. 

Other ways to listen to BBC Sounds on a Hi-Fi 

There are multiple ways to listen to BBC Sounds on your Hi-Fi. If you hear the message when listening on your Hi-Fi, please contact your manufacturer. Additionally, you might find our FAQ useful – How can I get BBC Sounds on my Hi-Fi?

 

 

 

    This topic has been closed for further comments. You can use the search bar to find a similar topic, or create a new one by clicking Create Topic at the top of the page.
    Pinned Reply By Corry P

    Hi All

    I have an update:

    The BBC are making changes to the way they distribute BBC radio services.  We recommend that if you are listening in the UK you add the BBC Sounds content service to your Sonos app for continued uninterrupted listening. If you are not in the UK we recommend you install the BBC Sounds app on your mobile and cast to your Sonos device. For further information please see here https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/help/questions/recent-changes-to-bbc-sounds/shoutcast-closure

    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.

     

    64 replies

    Show previous replies
    John B
    November 9, 2022

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

      User744741
      Contributor I
      November 11, 2022

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

      It would be nice to lose the frequent BBC warning messages in the short term.  So I guess this needs action in the Sonos Radio service by Sonos to switch to HLS.  Unless there are any other routes for the user to set up HLS streams manually.

      John B
      November 11, 2022

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

      It would be nice to lose the frequent BBC warning messages in the short term.  So I guess this needs action in the Sonos Radio service by Sonos to switch to HLS.  Unless there are any other routes for the user to set up HLS streams manually.

      I don’t think you have understood the situation here.  The service provider sends a stream.  If  if is in a format Sonos can play, Sonos will play it.  Sonos supports HLS and so will play a stream sent in HLS.  It cannot make an unplayable stream playable.  At the moment that also means it cannot make a stream sent with the warning into a stream without the warning.

      Edit: by the time the change is actually implemented I imagine all the radio consolidators would be sending HLS streams or other compatible format to Sonos.

        John B
        November 11, 2022

        There may be other radio consolidators on Sonos that already serve up an HLS stream for the BBC.

        Another way is to add the HLS streaming URLs manually to Sonos.  The process is described here:

        https://support.sonos.com/en-us/article/add-an-internet-radio-station-to-sonos

        The HLS streams are listed here:

        https://gist.github.com/bpsib/67089b959e4fa898af69fea59ad74bc3

        For example, for BBC Radio 1 add:

        http://a.files.bbci.co.uk/media/live/manifesto/audio/simulcast/hls/uk/sbr_med/ak/bbc_radio_one.m3u8

          Airgetlam
          Airgetlam
          November 11, 2022

          And yes, while it would be nice to lose the BBC warning messages, that is content controlled by the BBC, so they’d need to stop including it in the stream that they provide to others. 

          Bruce
          User744741
          Contributor I
          November 11, 2022

          Thanks @John B that is what I was looking for.  I have been able to add BBC HLS (but not DASH) to TuneIn manually - I didn’t realise that you could do that.  I assume that this will get round the BBC messages, as I’ve understood that these only related to the Shoutcast service @Airgetlam.

          My joy was shortlived however: I was then reminded that TuneIn doesn’t work with Sonos Voice Assistant, which I use a lot to switch stations.

          So… it would still be nice to have the Sonos Radio service updated to non-obsolete BBC streams so I can have warning-message-free BBC content and voice control.

          John B
          November 11, 2022

          So… it would still be nice to have the Sonos Radio service updated to non-obsolete BBC streams so I can have warning-message-free BBC content and voice control.

          You still don’t seem to have got it.  The BBC’s Shoutcast streams contain the message.  Their HLS streams don’t.  So if the radio service sends a Shoutcast stream to Sonos, the message will play.  There is nothing Sonos can do about this.  What needs to happen is that the radio service needs to start sending an HLS stream instead. If they do that now the message will disappear.

          There is nothing Sonos can do about this,  So I beg you, PLEASE stop repeating your meaningless and impossible  request for Sonos to do something.

          John B
          November 11, 2022

          I was then reminded that TuneIn doesn’t work with Sonos Voice Assistant, which I use a lot to switch stations.

           

          Even if it did work, it would not work with these manually added streams.

          mifrho
          Lyricist I
          November 23, 2022

          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.

          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.

            Corry P
            Corry P
            Sonos Staff
            November 23, 2022

            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.

            "Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen." - Albert Einstein
              Show more replies
              Terms & ConditionsAccessibility statement