BBC Sounds

Launches in beta today

Over the past year or so we’ve talked a lot about how we need to reinvent the BBC for a new generation.

Today we’re releasing the first version of a brand new audio app from the BBC. Available to download for free from Apple, Google and Amazon app stores from later today, BBC Sounds brings together our live and on demand radio, music and podcasts into a single personalised app.

Every user’s experience of BBC Sounds will be unique as it’s designed to learn from your listening habits, providing one-tap access to the latest episodes of your favourite BBC podcasts and radio shows and introducing you to new audio you wouldn’t otherwise have discovered from the 80,000 (yes, really) hours available.

| more details …….. | BLOGS on BBC.CO.UK | 26-Jun-2018 @ 08:37 |

It's nice that the app pulled across my favourites, but not sold on the use of Reith Serif in the app, nor the logo itself.

They're using that incorrect version of the BBC logo still

It's been squashed! Martin Lambie Nairn would be appalled by that...... and a whole host of in house brand roll out post 2000.

Not keen on the look and layout, the radio dial thing they made a point of retaining doesn't work as well as it does on iPlayer Radio, though the 'how long through the programme' indicator is useful.

The main improvement I can see is that it's now possible to make a playlist of programmes, so I can do a car journey with my choice of programmes. Currently I have to naughtily download and add to my normal podcast app.

I can't see any way to download programmes though

The only thing that worries me about this new app is the streaming bitrate. When I was listening indoors, the streams sounded as if they were the 320kbps AAC+ streams. No good for me with my data allowance when using 4G.

There’s a lot of functionality missing which I presume (hope) will be added over time before they retire the iPlayer radio app.

First impressions are fairly positive though.

It looks really good. Always seems to be the case that the BBC manage to make non-TV stuff look aesthetically pleasing!

The BBC Sounds rollout appears to be escalating.

bbc.co.uk/radio now directs to the new bbc.co.uk/sounds for one.

More on the About the BBC Blog.

BBC Sounds?!?!?! Christ, how W1A is that?! Ridiculous

Agreed it is a bit Naff, but considering it’s remit radio doesn’t fit now so something had to be subbed for it. Radio+ might have worked but considering the aims for adding shortform podcasts and mini features alongside pointed subchunked radio programmes. Sounds is as good as anything really.

Worth noting that in the top global navigation the 'Radio' link has been relegated to the 'More' drop-down, and a 'Sounds' link has appeared where the radio link was. I'm guessing the radio link in the more section is temporary whilst people get used to the new name/brand, as it redirect to the /sounds site.


Similarly the 'TV' link has now been relegated to the more section, I'm guessing as it now redirects to part of the iPlayer site. The link for the /music site is now also missing, which I'm guessing means it's only a matter of time before it's merged into the BBC Sounds site.

EDIT: The radio station sites (e.g. https://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2) currently look a bit weird as they're now missing the radio banner, and are yet to have any replacement 'BBC Sounds' banner to replace it. Changing radio stations is currently harder than before.