I don't have a Sonos speaker yet, but I'd love one.
However, I listen to a lot of US radio on my computer (just via the speakers, nothing fancy yet). I have to use a VPN in order to listen because the stations aren't normally available here. I have searched TuneIn and my main station is listed as not available here via that service, so I just listen via the website with a VPN built-in to my browser.
My question is can you set up a Sonos to workaround the restrictions? Or would I have to mess with my router settings (which I have no clue about)?
Listening to US radio in UK...
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Not really. However, you could potentially setup the vpn on your router, rather than you PC, and then Sonos would be within the same “area”. But what radio station is it? Is it perhaps an iHeart radio station? That probably wouldn’t be in the TuneIn plug in, but instead the iHeart radio plugin, and you could forego the VPN completely.
It's www.thenew1037.com Not clear channel as far as I know, it's owned by Beasley Media Group. I know there are probably hundreds if not thousands of US stations I can listen to on Sonos with no restrictions, but this one is my favourite.
Hmm, I’m mildly restricted as I’m on an iPad right now, but at first blush, and my own inexperience, this looks like it may be a flash player, which Sonos wouldn’t know how to deal with.
But, I’m wrong. I do have the Tunein app installed on this iPad, so I can indeed see that the station is in Tunein. And it works. Look for “The New 1037”. And I found it in the Sonos implementation of TuneIn, under ”Country” and “All Stations”, although it took some scrolling to do so, I’m not quite sure how they’re organized.
Now I need to chastise you for forcing me to listen to Country music
But, I’m wrong. I do have the Tunein app installed on this iPad, so I can indeed see that the station is in Tunein. And it works. Look for “The New 1037”. And I found it in the Sonos implementation of TuneIn, under ”Country” and “All Stations”, although it took some scrolling to do so, I’m not quite sure how they’re organized.
Now I need to chastise you for forcing me to listen to Country music
Oh, one final thought. I don’t know if it’s region locked...I do happen to be in the US.
Are you in the UK? Because when I searched for it on TuneIn it said not available here. 
How did you get it to work? I'm having to use Vivaldi browser with a free VPN just to listen.
I also have the TuneIn app on my iPhone/iPad but haven't tried it in awhile. Knowing I had issues on the PC with it being restricted I didn't bother to try.
I'm sorry... lol... I should've warned you.
How did you get it to work? I'm having to use Vivaldi browser with a free VPN just to listen.I also have the TuneIn app on my iPhone/iPad but haven't tried it in awhile. Knowing I had issues on the PC with it being restricted I didn't bother to try.
I'm sorry... lol... I should've warned you.
Ah, yes, that answers my question lol. It's region locked... hence the VPN.
Laugh. Not an issue. See my last post, though.
But if you setup your vpn at the router level, you may get around region locking. I’m not an expert in that. Did a minor amount of research while I was in a Bangkok for several month in a hotel, but determined it was beyond my ken, and required more effort than I was willing to put into it.
But if you setup your vpn at the router level, you may get around region locking. I’m not an expert in that. Did a minor amount of research while I was in a Bangkok for several month in a hotel, but determined it was beyond my ken, and required more effort than I was willing to put into it.
I'm clueless about VPN setup within my router I'm afraid. I'm not entirely sure I want to mess around with that either. I guess for my radio listening I'll just stick to my PC and if I do get a Sonos speaker I'll use it for the other stuff.
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I'm in the UK and also can't play that station from the web link you posted. What I will say is that there are probably hundreds of Country music radio station available for free on Sonos via TuneIn. So unless there's something really special about that station I"m sure you'll find something to your liking.
I really love that station lol... it's near to where another passion of mine is based (NASCAR) Charlotte, NC. I have e-mailed the station actually to see if they can do something about their georestrictions.
I am in Germany. I can get my Sonos to stream iheartradio and other regional lock radio stations. Best solution is to get a router that support open VPN. Asus is my is my recommendation. When you want to listen to US content. Turn on the VPN service on the router. And every then on your network will be on US IP address.
If you don't want everything behind the VPN. You can attach a VPN to your existing router. Change the IP for the VPN router to 192.168.2.1 and the setup openvpn on that router. Then connect all the Sonos equipment to that router. So when you want to listen to Nascar enable your VPN service on the router. And all you other computer will still be on UK IP address. This is what I do aactually.Main router on German IP, attach vpn router on usa IP address.
What router do you have currently. If it is provided by you ISP it will most likely not support VPN service.
The simplest way is actually get a separate route. Asus rt-n18u would be my recommendation. All you need is to get the openvpn file from your VPN provider and user name and password. Then just load that into the router. Once done you can turn on the VPN when you want to listen to US radio stations. Just make sure Sonos is set up on the VPN router.
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See if this might work for you... this is the core URL of the audio stream. Not sure if it'll play in your browser or not... I'm able to play it successfully (I'm also in the US like Bruce).
https://15723.live.streamtheworld.com/WSOCFMAACHI.aac
If that doesn't play, then the streaming servers are likely configured to block foreign IP addresses. If it does play, then the blocking is just being done by the website. Just note that the URL could very well change in the future... the streaming provider could change servers, the station could change streaming providers, or any number of other things.
https://15723.live.streamtheworld.com/WSOCFMAACHI.aac
If that doesn't play, then the streaming servers are likely configured to block foreign IP addresses. If it does play, then the blocking is just being done by the website. Just note that the URL could very well change in the future... the streaming provider could change servers, the station could change streaming providers, or any number of other things.
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