Closure of ‘BBC Sounds’ (BBC Radio App) for users outside the UK
BBC Sounds has closed for users outside the UK on Monday, 21 July 2025.
“Why did you make this change?
BBC Studios is a commercial subsidiary of the BBC and is focused on bringing our trusted, world class journalism and storytelling to international audiences. Earlier this year, BBC Studios launched a new audio section on bbc.com/the BBC app (a commercial service) outside the UK.
Revenue generated by these services is returned to the BBC to support its public purpose in the UK.
As part of this announcement, we said we would close BBC Sounds outside the UK – and make it exclusively available to listeners in the UK.”
Above is an extract from the BBC’s full article: https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20250207-bbc-podcasts-are-now-available-on-the-bbc-website-and-app
Users overseas can still listen to BBC Radio stations live, but there’s no longer the playback of earlier programmes anymore. You have to catch the programme live or you miss it – not ideal when you are in a different time zone across the world.
As a regular BBC Radio 6 listener (Radcliffe and Maconie, Craig Charles, etc) this is huge disappointment.
Why cut off all of the users around the world?
If this is indeed necessary, then why not give overseas users the option of subscribing and paying a minor fee?
Seems a very shortsighted action by the Beeb!
