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BBC iPlayer Radio now plays nice with Carplay and Android Auto
For many, BBC radio is synonymous with driving. When you're stuck in a traffic jam, holiday road trip or boring post-work commute, sometimes the best company is a never-ending playlist punctuated with cheerful DJ chatter. For the longest time, that's meant FM airwaves, but now of course you can use the iPlayer Radio app too. Today, the BBC is going one step further with support for Apple's CarPlay and Google's Android Auto platforms. If you have a compatible in-car entertainment system, or don't mind sticking your Android phone to the dashboard, you can now use these large, touch-friendly interfaces while you're out on the road.
iPlayer will soon require a BBC account
The majority of Brits will soon need a BBC account in order to watch iPlayer, listen to iPlayer Radio and use some of the broadcaster's other services. The BBC has said that registration will move from optional to mandatory within the next few weeks. No formal date has been set because the BBC wants to ensure as many people as possible have been given the opportunity to sign up before it flips the switch, and it's started warning users of the impending change online and within its various apps. The BBC says it's introducing mandatory logins to improve its services and user personalisation, but there's also a secondary motivation: Making sure you're paying your TV licence.
The BBC's iPlayer Radio app is going global
The BBC's numerous radio stations have listeners the world over, not just Brits sitting down to their afternoon tea and crumpets. In fact, the English-language World Service station alone boasts a global audience of 66 million. Tapping into these broadcasts outside of the UK is as simple as pointing your browser towards the right website, but from today, the BBC has begun rolling out its iPlayer Radio app internationally, making streaming on mobile devices that much easier.
BBC Radio 1's new show is designed specifically for iPlayer
Now more than ever, Brits are discovering new music through streaming apps such as Spotify, Rdio and Apple Music. Specifically, listeners are tuning in to playlists that are themed around artists or music genres they're already interested in. The BBC seems to have recognised this and is doing something similar with a new, downloadable "Playlist" show on Radio 1. From January the programme will air every Thursday from 9 to 10pm, but more importantly, it'll also be available to download in the iPlayer Radio app. The show will rotate every week, covering different themes and moods, like "Ellie Goulding's Running Mix" and "Annie Mac's Ibiza Classics." The BBC already offers some show downloads in the iPlayer Radio app, so this idea isn't entirely new. The difference, however, is that the broadcaster seems to be thinking iPlayer-first, rather than radio-first now. It could be an early glimpse at the new, playlist-centric music service that the BBC has in the works.
BBC to create 'personalised radio' that switches between stations
The BBC offers a mixture of local and national radio stations aimed at different types of listeners. Want the latest chart-toppers? Radio 1 has your back. Prefer something classical? Just switch to Radio 3 instead. The problem is that many Brits have eclectic music tastes spanning more than one station. To stop listeners from tuning out, the broadcaster is planning a personalised radio service -- a single stream that intelligently switches between live and on-demand broadcasting based on your preferences. So let's say you like the Today programme on BBC Radio 4, which runs from 6 to 9am. But you also love Lauren Laverne's show on Radio 6 Music, which kicks off at 10am -- the service would, in theory, change stations automatically, and maybe throw in a podcast for the hour in between.
BBC iPlayer Radio app will soon let you download shows
One of the reasons why podcasts are so popular is because, unlike live radio, you can download episodes and listen to them when you don't have a connection. The BBC has long understood their popularity, offering both dedicated podcasts and shows cut from its daily broadcasts. Now, however, it's going one step further and adding radio show downloads to its iPlayer Radio app. The feature should blur the line between the two mediums, making it easier for listeners to catch up with their favourite shows and DJs.
BBC iPlayer Radio adds podcasts downloads
The BBC has added a long-requested feature to its iPlayer Radio app: podcast downloads. Version 1.2 allows users to download a podcast over WiFi and listen to it any time they want, even without an internet connection. The podcast download feature follows in the footsteps of a feature in the main BBC iPlayer app, which lets you download video content and watch it on a device without an internet connection. "With over 3 million downloads and counting, the BBC iPlayer Radio app is evolving," James Simcock, executive producer of Mobile and Radio at the BBC said in a blog post. "Since we first launched the app, we've been listening closely to audience feedback with a view to make continuous improvements to the apps. I'm proud to say that we've now implemented the single most requested new feature -- podcast downloads." "This means that you can grab a copy of your favourite podcasts to listen to on or offline, straight from the app. We've added simple controls to choose whether to allow downloads when on mobile networks or just on WiFi (to avoid data charges), to 'queue' as many downloads as you like and to manage your downloaded content quickly and easily via the new 'My Downloads' section of the app. You'll find this new section in the 'More' menu on iOS devices." iPlayer Radio is a free download.
BBC iPlayer Radio app adds Glastonbury coverage
The BBC has updated its popular iPlayer Radio app with Glastonbury coverage. From the app's release notes: It's summer festival time! This update adds access to the BBC's extensive Glastonbury coverage, which will include live video streams throughout the event, as well as live performance video clips, photos, line up, artist information and more. The Glastonbury Festival is an annual event that takes place in Somerset, England. The festival spotlights a wide range of artists across all genres, but particularly music. The BBC has been toting this year's Glastonbury Festival as the "most digital Glastonbury ever" so it's no surprise they've added dedicated Festival coverage to the iPlayer Radio app. Glastonbury Festival fans can also download the official Glastonbury Festival 2013 app here. The Glastonbury Festival runs from Wednesday, June 26th until Sunday, June 30th. iPlayer Radio is a free download in the UK App Store.
BBC iPlayer radio app finally starts broadcasting on Android and Kindle devices (video)
While the iPhone didn't even have a built-in FM radio to replace, Android phones have now started to forgo the radio tuner in the last few years as streaming services (and data reception) have improved. This time around, Beeb listeners can now access the iPlayer radio app, which has made the leap across from iOS. Not only will you be able to install it on your Android smartphone, but also Amazon's Kindle Fire tablet series. The new app doesn't use Flash, given its absence on most up-to-date versions of Google's mobile OS, instead using HLS (HTTP Live Streaming) to deliver your weekly doses of Doctor Who. There's even a handful of improvements over the iOS iteration, with the ability to use the iPlayer alarm function without keeping the app running overnight. Meanwhile, the radio app's design has been given a rethink for its Android debut, following the design and navigation notions of Google's homemade apps which should hopefully making sense to any seasoned Android 4.0 user. The BBC's Executive Producer James Simcock explains exactly what's been done differently at the source, but if you're not a "reading" kind of... reader, there's a trailer after the break.
BBC launches iPlayer Radio: a separate radio-only mobile app and web UI
No one can accuse the BBC of neglecting radio in its quest for streaming nirvana -- not when the number of radio listeners on iPlayer has shot up 56 percent in a year (and 300 percent on tablets). Nevertheless, from tomorrow morning, iPhone users will find a brand new way to listen to their favorite content: a dedicated radio app with a spinning dial which -- compared to the regular iPlayer app -- will put much greater emphasis on live shows rather than catch-up. There'll also be mobile-friendly features like an alarm clock which will wake you up to your choice of show, reminders for shows you just can't miss, and the ability to identify current and recently-played songs at a glance. The app will reach Android too, as soon as some Flash-related difficulties have been ironed out, and its alarm function will benefit from slightly better multi-tasking on Google's OS, so you won't have to leave the app open before you fall asleep. If you don't want to wait or if you're outside the UK, check out the desktop iPlayer at the source link, or the gallery below, and you'll see just what the Corporation's philosophy about treating radio differently -- rather than as "TV minus video" -- actually looks like.
