BBC Sounds: Radio & Podcasts

British Broadcasting Corporation

About this app

BBC Sounds is the new way to listen to BBC audio – your favourite programmes, podcasts, radio stations and music all in one place.

Explore a wide variety of new podcasts, music mixes and live sets. Listen live to BBC radio stations. Catch up or listen again to your favourite BBC radio shows.

Features include:
‐ Listen live to all BBC Radio stations
‐ Pause and rewind live radio, see past and future station schedules
‐ Download and listen to your shows on the go
‐ Continue listening from where you left off on any device
‐ Autoplay multiple episodes of series or podcasts or all your downloads (optional)
‐ Subscribe to BBC podcasts, mixes and programmes
‐ See the latest episodes from your favourite programmes and podcasts in one handy list
‐ Get personalised recommendations to discover new audio you’ll love
‐ Send music tracks you like to Apple Music and Spotify
‐ Browse by speech and music categories
‐ Sleep Timer

BBC Sounds supports Google Talkback as an accessibility service. In order to use it, you will need to download the Android Accessibility Suite from the Google Play Store.

When using the Android Auto enabled version of BBC Sounds, it is your responsibility to always follow safe driving practices (i.e. don’t be distracted and focus on the road at all times). Comply with all relevant laws, traffic regulations and road signs.

To give you the best experience, this app tracks what you’ve listened to on BBC Sounds and how long you’ve listened to programmes for. It also tracks when you add something to Bookmarks or Subscriptions. By “Allow Personalisation”, you will get personalized recommendations. More information can be found here https://www.bbc.co.uk/usingthebbc/account/about-your-personalisation-settings/.

In addition, the BBC Sounds app uses standard Android app permissions that are defined by the Google Android platform.

The BBC uses cookies and similar technologies to understand how audiences interact with our services, content (such as podcasts and radio) and marketing messages. The categories of personal data processed by our data processors include the following:
• IP address to determine which UK city/region you are in, or which country/continent you are in if outside of the UK
• Activity data, such as time when you first used this app and programmes you listened to and interacted with
• Your device information, such as device type and OS version

For Android devices, the following personal data is also processed:
• Which sites referred you to download and use this app
• Personal data such as unique identifier, BBC Account data, type of campaign seen, social media channel used will be collected. We will aggregate it for reporting purposes

You can “opt out” from our data processor’s tracking by filling the “Forget My Device” form in this link https://www.appsflyer.com/optout

For more information about how and why we use information about you, please visit the BBC Sounds App Privacy Notice. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/help/questions/about-bbc-sounds-and-our-policies/sounds-app-privacy-notice

To read the BBC’s Privacy Policy go to http://www.bbc.co.uk/privacy/

If you install this app you accept the BBC Terms of Use at http://www.bbc.co.uk/terms/

The app is published by BBC Media AT (BBC Media Applications Technologies Limited) which is a wholly owned subsidiary of the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation).

Full details of BBC Media AT are available on the Companies House website at: http://data.companieshouse.gov.uk/doc/company/07100235

BBC © 2021
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking: http://www.bbc.co.uk/help/web/links/

Ratings and reviews

This has improved a lot over the years since my original review. But is still one star as there is no way of downloading a whole drama series or podcast series. not even a list where I can click on ones I want. instead I must select every single episode, select the three dots, and then select download. Dozens and dozens of times! Zzzzzzz😴 At least a download by default on the series I select, or allow simple swiping to select and download like other more modern and less irritating apps.

Works well, fairly easy to use. Sometimes difficult to find a programme - for instance, the 7.45pm nightly story - not under the name of the serialised book, not under 'Woman's Hour Drama' (it's also on in the morning.) But that gripe aside it's pretty good. Update review in July 2025: It is still difficult to find programmes on Sounds, even when using the correct title as printed in the Radio Times. So, it's still very good for the items I can find.

Missing feature: once a cast played, can't be marked as unplayed, to facilitate listening again🤨 So many live streams, a favourites option needed, especially in Google Auto. If a station stream is paused and resumed, very often goes to live 🤬 if a podcast is paused, and "hey Google play radio 1" requested, or any live station, it resumes the podcast. So👏 many👏 foibles! might choose to play through a mobile browser, see if experience better.