BBC radio available outside UK after Sounds switch-off
BBC Sounds will close for listeners outside the UK on 21 July 2025.
International listeners will be able to listen to the BBC's radio stations through links on the station directory online, the BBC said.
This includes the BBC's national stations - BBC Radio 1, Radio 2, and Radio 3, 6Music, 1Xtra and Asian Network, Radio 4Xtra and 5Live - all the stations in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales and every local radio station in England.
The BBC announced in April that it had delayed blocking BBC Sounds app for audiences outside the UK.
That delay came after a decision made by the corporation meant listeners outside the UK would only be able to access Radio 4 and the World Service via a new audio section on the BBC website.
Questions had been asked about what this would mean for listeners in the Republic of Ireland who would be unable to use the internet to access Northern Ireland-based stations BBC Radio Ulster and Radio Foyle.
The BBC said listening to BBC audio programming on non-BBC platforms would not be affected by the change.
It also said a range of English, Welsh and Gaelic language podcasts were available on BBC.com/audio and third-party podcast services.
BBC Sounds is the online home of BBC radio.
People can listen to live radio streams, on demand programmes, podcasts, audiobooks and music mixes.
It can be accessed via the Sounds website or its dedicated app.
People can also listen on many smart speakers and internet radio devices.
The BBC said UK users who went on holiday outside the UK for a short time would still be able to use the BBC Sounds app.
A BBC spokesperson said: "BBC Sounds will now be available on the same basis as BBC iPlayer.
"Both services are restricted to a UK domestic audience, reflecting rights and associated considerations.
"BBC Radio Ulster/Foyle will remain more widely available via bbc.com."

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Hill
26 minutes ago
- The Hill
Royals who abdicated the throne or stepped back
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry shocked the world in January 2020 when they announced they were planning to step back as senior members of the British royal family. Their decision, while controversial, wasn't the first time members of royal families around the world decided to abdicate the throne or step back from their royal duties. King Edward VIII Edward, Duke of Windsor, was crowned King Edward VIII in January 1936 following the death of his mother, Queen Victoria. However, Edward, who was Queen Elizabeth's uncle, abdicated the throne in December 1936, serving less than a year as king, so he could marry American Wallis Simpson. 'Given my character, my roving curiosity and independence, my life appeared to form a disconnected pattern—duty without decision, service without responsibility, pomp without power,' Edward wrote in his 1951 memoir. 'Meanwhile, something had happened that, although I did not realise it at the time, was destined to change the whole course of my life. I met Wallis Warfield Simpson.' Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Nearly two billion people around the world watched Prince Harry and Meghan Markle get married in 2018. However, less than two years after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's wedding, they announced in January 2020 that they would be stepping back from their roles. The decision followed rumors of heightened tensions with Prince William and Kate Middleton, People magazine reported. After spending some time in Canada after leaving the U.K., the couple moved to Southern California and are raising their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. Princess Diana The late Princess Diana lost her official title of 'Her Royal Highness' after she and then-Prince Charles divorced in 1996, according to People magazine. Diana was still allowed to use her apartment at Kensington Palace and retained an allowance. On Oct. 26, 2021, Princess Mako, who's the niece of Japan's Emperor Naruhito, was forced to give up her royal title and benefits when she married Kei Komura in a no-frills ceremony due to Komura not being of royal descent, according to People. 'I am very sorry for the inconvenience caused, and I am grateful for those … who have continued to support me,' she said at her wedding, according to the BBC. 'For me, Kei is irreplaceable — marriage was a necessary choice for us.' Komuro and Maco moved to New York City in 2021 and welcomed their first child earlier this year. Margrethe II of Denmark Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, who was the longest-running Scandinavian monarch after reigning for 52 years, stepped down as queen in 2024 so her son, King Frederik X, could assume the throne, People magazine reported.


Forbes
an hour ago
- Forbes
Radiohead's Early-Career Masterpiece Leads A Sale Surge
Just a few weeks ago, Radiohead's song "Let Down" began picking up steam on TikTok. The tune quickly went viral and has spent more than a month reaching both longtime fans of the band and those who were previously unfamiliar with the track. Although "Let Down" was actually released decades ago, its recent success has spread to much of the Grammy-winning act's catalog. All the attention being paid to the tune — and to Radiohead in general — seems to be powering something of a comeback for the group. Multiple albums, which have already enjoyed their time in the spotlight, are now on the rise in the United Kingdom, and impressively, it's not just streams that are growing. Pure purchases are growing noticeably as well, which is a relatively uncommon occurrence when virality is involved. Radiohead Fills Three Spots on the Official Albums Sales Chart This week, Radiohead claims three spaces on the Official Albums Sales chart, the U.K. ranking that looks at the bestselling projects of any length or style. Three of the group's titles are rising — some by just one space, while others grow much more dramatically. OK Computer, which includes "Let Down" on its tracklist, ascends four rungs to No. 23, and it stands as Radiohead's current highest-placed and highest-rising full-length on the Official Albums Sales chart. At the same time, In Rainbows improves by just one space to No. 48. Further down the list, The Bends enjoys a significant push, jumping more than 20 spots to settle at No. 50. OK Computer Emerges as Radiohead's Most Successful Album Among all of Radiohead's charting albums, OK Computer is the most successful when looking at the total number of rankings on which it appears. The Bends and In Rainbows live on three tallies apiece, while OK Computer reaches one more and performs best overall, as it also hits No. 74 on the consumption-based Official Albums chart. 'Let Down' Manages a Revival, and It's Not Alone Radiohead may have "Let Down" to thank for this moment of glory, as the albums currently performing the best for the group are tied to the viral tune, but it's not the group's only hit song right now. "Let Down" itself appears on just two rankings, climbing on both the Official Singles Sales chart and the Official Streaming Chart. Another smash, "Creep," also manages to inch north two spaces on the streaming-only tally.


Forbes
an hour ago
- Forbes
Justin Bieber Trades One Hit Song For Another
In its second week on the United Kingdom's charts, Justin Bieber's album Swag only declines by a few spaces on most tallies. The surprise project slips from No. 4 to No. 6 on the main ranking of the most-consumed efforts, and from the runner-up spot to No. 5 on the Official Albums Streaming chart. When it comes to hit songs from the album, Bieber largely wins. The album's lead single 'Daisies' grows to two important new peaks, while he trades one popular album cut for another. A Limiting Chart Rule In the U.K., the Official Charts Company has a rule stating that every musician can only fill three spots on the 100-position Official Singles chart as a lead act at a time. That limits artists like Bieber during especially big frames, when new albums arrive, to just a trio of hits. While that can be disappointing, the rule ends up benefiting the pop star this time around, as he trades a previously charting track for another. 'Go Baby' Debuts 'Go Baby' opens at No. 49 on the Official Singles chart this week, earning the pop superstar his eighty-eighth career placement on the list. Last week, 'All I Can Take' launched at No. 33, but as it disappears, it makes room for 'Go Baby' to arrive. 'All I Can Take' Falls Away 'All I Can Take' only managed a single turn on the Official Singles chart, but it hasn't vanished completely in the U.K. The album cut holds on at No. 20 on the Official Hip-Hop and R&B Singles chart, down from No. 6 where it started just days ago. 'Daisies' and 'Yukon' Join 'Go Baby' Bieber once again fills three spaces on the Official Singles chart, including 'Go Baby.' 'Daisies' pushes from No. 4 to No. 1, earning the superstar his eighth career ruler. 'Yukon' slips just one space, dipping from No. 32 to No. 33, taking the spot 'All I Can Take' occupied last period. Both 'Daisies' and 'Yukon' also appear on multiple other rankings, including the Official Streaming list, where one grows and the other falls by more than 10 spots.