BBC has launched a free podcasts app to keep up with rivals like Spotify and Apple.
The new player offers the chance to stream live radio from any of the BBC stations, as well as personalised recommendations for new podcasts, and curated collections around certain topics or interests.
It is part of an ongoing push by the organisation to reinvent itself for ‘a new generation’, and follows a similar blueprint to rival apps from Silicon Valley technology companies, including Apple, Spotify and Google.
BBC Sounds was announced in a blog post from the broadcaster today, with the app now rolling-out to the Apple App Store, Google Play Store and Amazon App Store.
BBC Sounds offers the chance to stream live radio from any of the BBC stations (right) using the same scrolling-dial user interface (left) seen in the BBC iPlayer Radio app
The all-new BBC Sounds app, which is only available to UK users for now, has a focus on personalised recommendations.
Like the latest iteration to its iPlayer video on-demand service, the smartphone and tablet app requires users to sign-in with a BBC account.
This allows the application to track listening history and tailor its podcast suggestions based on each individual app user’s interests.
Head of BBC iPlayer and BBC Sounds, Dan Taylor-Watt said: ‘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.’
The BBC also provides curated collections of podcasts and on-demand music shows under banners like ‘Funny Chat’, ‘Upgrade Your Life’, and ‘Live Sessions’.
BBC Sounds also remembers where you stop your radio show and podcast episodes allowing listeners to easily resume playing where they left off.
The new podcasts app will eventually replace the iPlayer Radio app, the BBC has confirmed.
BBC Sounds is only available to UK users for now. The podcast-focused app tracks listening history to suggest similar shows (right). British comedian Russell Kane’s podcast Evil Genius, launched earlier this year, features on the player (left)
However, this will not happen until the BBC has managed to port all of the features from its iPlayer Radio app into the new podcast-orientated software.
Among these is support for Apple CarPlay and ChromeCast, neither of which work with BBC Sounds.
That means those who want to continue streaming radio shows from their smartphone to their CarPlay-compatible infotainment system should probably stick with BBC iPlayer Radio for now.
BBC Sounds also does not yet support downloads for offline playback, making it useless for anyone who commutes on an underground train network, too.
Both features are on the horizon, although the BBC is keeping quiet about when the updates will become available to iOS and Android users.
The BBC says it decided to roll-out the new app ‘as early as possible’ to start getting feedback from listeners about how the software could evolve and improvement.
Taylor-Watt said: ‘This is very much a first release – we wanted to get it out as early as possible to start getting feedback to help develop the app.
‘There’s a bunch of additional features we’re already busy working on (including downloads, to enable offline listening), and we’ll have lots more to add later in the year, but we’d love to hear how you’d like to see the app develop.’
BBC Sounds, which focuses on personalised recommendations (left), will eventually replace the iPlayer Radio app. However this will not happen until BBC Sounds includes exactly the same features as the latter. Users will have access to a number of podcast shows (right)
BBC Sounds follows a damning report from the organisation which revealed that younger audiences were listening to more streaming services, like Spotify and Apple Music, than all of its radio output.
It noted: ‘For the first time, in October-December 2017 we estimate 15-34s listened more to streaming music services than all BBC Radio (5 hrs vs. 4 hrs 30 minutes a week).’
Spotify incorporated podcasts into its hugely-successful music streaming service back in 2015.
However, the Stockholm-based company doubled-down on its efforts early last year when it announced plans to launch original podcasts on its streaming service.
The latest podcast-focused app form the BBC comes less than a week after Google debuted its own dedicated podcast software. Google separates episodes into three categories – new episodes, in progress, and downloads – designed to help users quickly find their next listen
Its most recent, Amy Schumer Presents: 3 Girls, 1 Keith, is now available on rival streaming platforms but has exclusive content reserved for those who listen on Spotify.
BBC Sounds has launched one week after Google debuted its own podcasting effort.
The Google Podcast app is available to download for free on Android handsets and tablets and supports 47 different languages.
Like the latest from the BBC, the Google-branded offering focuses on personalised curation.
The software uses AI to recommend new podcasts based on past listening habits within the app – surfacing shows created by the same network, or those on a similar topic, like sport or true crime.