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James L.
James L.
Retired Community Staff
April 13, 2022

Important Update to BBC Live Radio Access

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Important Update to BBC Live Radio Access

Hi everyone,

 

The BBC has made some changes to the way you can access BBC live radio in the United Kingdom.

BBC live radio will not be available through Sonos Radio, or TuneIn in the United Kingdom from Today, 13th April 2022.

Find all your favourite BBC radio stations, podcasts and music mixes on BBC Sounds, available on Sonos in the United Kingdom.


To keep listening, you can add BBC Sounds to your Sonos system:

 

iOS or Android:

  1. Open the Sonos app.
  2. From the Settings tab, tap Services & Voice.
  3. Under Music & Content, tap Add a Service.
  4. Tap on BBC Sounds
  5. Tap Add to Sonos.
  6. Follow the on-screen instructions to add the music service account.

Mac or PC:

  1. Open the Sonos app.
  2. Under the Select a Music Source section, click on Add Music Services.
  3. Click on BBC Sounds
  4. Follow the on-screen instructions to add the music service account.

Users outside of the United Kingdom will still be able to listen to BBC live radio through Sonos Radio.

 

Cheers,

James L.

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    119 replies

    Show previous replies
    TonyS
    TonyS
    Lyricist III
    April 15, 2022

    BBC stations can be played from within the Sonos app, no longer works with voice control at all, always tries to play from TuneIn and fails, known issue Sonos says BBC hasn’t done the work to integrate with the Sonos API to make it work.

    Google or Alexa voice control? I’m using Alexa.

    Ralpfocus
    Prodigy III
    April 15, 2022

    ….

    Like on another thread I had a problem adding the radio stations to Sonos favourites - What I find works is to search for the station and then when you see it under BBC Sounds click the 3 dots to the right of the station and from there it can be added to favourites

    Thank you @Stuart_W got the BBC stations back onto My Sonos; now just need a way to rename the stations back to BBC Radio ….. so that they appear at the top of the list 😀 

    GandalftheCat
    Lyricist III
    April 17, 2022

    confused, frustrated; and still no radio 4...

    Belly M
    Belly M
    April 17, 2022

    confused, frustrated; and still no radio 4...

     Very confused as I am using BBC Sounds on Sonos I am currently listening to R4 and just checked R4 extra plays as well.

    106rallye
    106rallye
    April 17, 2022

    @GandalftheCat To help you more info is needed.

    John B
    April 17, 2022

    To play BBC radio stations using Alexa I think you need to have installed the BBC Sounds skill for Alexa in your Alexa app.

    At any rate, that is how my system is set up, and it works.

    Stuart_W
    Stuart_W
    World-Class Superstar
    April 17, 2022

    One really good thing I have noticed is that the app on iPhone, iPad and on Mac shows the now playing song - worked on Radio 6 Music and Radio 2. I will certainly find this very useful and I know others will too.

    Arc + Sub (Gen 1) + 2 x Play 1/ Stereo Play 3s/ Era 100 Stereo in Kitchen, One Stereo in Bedroom, Play 1 stereo pair in Study, Play 1in Bathroom, Sonos Move 2
      windbag
      Avid Contributor I
      April 17, 2022

      The instructions for putting in BBC Sounds does not work for our old S1 Sonos. 
      First, adding the BBC Sounds is from a completely different part of the menu structure described.
      Second, once found and installed, all we get is "Unable to browse music".

      But then, if we "Search" under the stations tab, the stations appear.
      Select one and we get "Unable to Play the Selected Item"
      Have deleted the old BBC favourites, and have added Radio 4.
      But it still says "Unable to Play the Selected Item"

      Any ideas how to make progress ?

      John B
      April 17, 2022


      First, adding the BBC Sounds is from a completely different part of the menu structure described.

      Please explain what you mean by this. Which part of what menu are you using?


      Second, once found and installed, all we get is "Unable to browse music".

      But then, if we "Search" under the stations tab, the stations appear.

      You shouldn't be searching under the station tab  Have you added BBC Sounds as a service? It's under Services & Voice.

       

      windbag
      Avid Contributor I
      April 17, 2022

      Hi John B

      For info, we are on S1 kit and v10.3 of the android app - as that is the only way we can run Sonos without replacing SEVEN Nexus7 mkII tablets that we use as controllers (I can ref an earlier thread on this)

      >You shouldn't be searching under the station tab  Have you added BBC Sounds as a service? It's under Services & Voice.

      In our S1 there I is NO “Services & Voice”.  But we have added it as a service by “three dots=more”/Add Music Services.  It went through the full authorization process that is needed & works for the TV/Android BBC Sounds apps and then appeared where we would expect.

      >Please explain what you mean by this. Which part of what menu are you using?

      The ONLY place we can then find an appearance of BBC Sounds Radio Stations in our S1 is by doing a Search (bottom line) and under the Stations tab.

      If we try “Browse/BBC Sounds” all we get is "Unable to browse music", as I said.

       

       

       

       

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