BBC Access Alterations for Swiss Residents Unveiled
On July 21st, 2025, a significant change will take place in the world of BBC audio content. The BBC Sounds app, popular among UK subscribers, will become a service exclusive to residents within the UK. This means that international listeners will no longer have access to the full BBC Sounds service or catch-up content.
However, fear not, international listeners! You will still be able to access live streams of the BBC World Service and BBC Radio 4 via the BBC website and BBC app. Additionally, all other BBC national, nations, and local radio stations remain available live worldwide through the BBC.com station directory, though without the catch-up or playlist features provided by BBC Sounds.
For UK citizens traveling abroad, there's good news. You can still use BBC Sounds on your trips for approximately a month. After this period, you will need to access BBC radio programmes and podcasts via the new BBC app or the BBC.com website.
It's important to note that rights restrictions, especially for sports content, may limit the availability of some broadcasts internationally. Using VPNs could provide temporary access but is unreliable and may be blocked.
The new BBC app and BBC.com website offer around 1,000 current and archived podcasts, many of which are also available on other platforms like Spotify or Apple, remaining unaffected by the change. BBC TV content access, however, remains unchanged, requiring a satellite package subscription for those living outside the UK.
BBC Studios, a commercial subsidiary of the BBC, has launched a new audio section on bbc.com and the BBC app (a commercial service) outside the UK, generating revenue that supports the BBC's public purpose in the UK.
The good news is that the new BBC app and BBC.com website are free to use. So, while the BBC Sounds on-demand platform will be restricted to UK users, international audiences will continue to have live access to core BBC radio broadcasts, primarily through the BBC website, BBC app, and station directory, rather than the dedicated BBC Sounds service.
[1] https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p07vj5xm [2] https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2021/bbc-sounds-becomes-uk-only-service [3] https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2021/bbc-sounds-geo-blocked-outside-uk [4] https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2021/bbc-sounds-international-access [5] https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2021/bbc-sounds-vpn-access
- Despite the BBC Sounds app becoming exclusive to UK residents, international listeners can still enjoy live streams of the BBC World Service and BBC Radio 4 via the BBC website and smartphones with the BBC app installed.
- The new BBC app and website offer a wide selection of podcasts, including many that are available on popular smartphone gadgets like smartphones and tablets through platforms such as Spotify or Apple.
