Radio downloads coming to BBC iPlayer app

06/09/2012 - 12:37 | 3 Replies More

The ability to download radio programmes to the iPhone from the BBC iPlayer is coming, the corporation says.

The app, which was upgraded this week to allow the downloading of television programmes, currently excludes the ability to save a radio show locally. But the BBC has told RadioToday.co.uk that they “hope to be able to offer mobile downloads of BBC radio programmes in the future and are working through the relevant technical, rights and permissions issues.

In addition, BBC iPlayer mobile downloads will be coming to Android devices in early 2013 and the BBC is looking to making this functionality available to other devices in the future.

On the BBC help pages, it says: “Unfortunately, it is not yet possible to download all radio programmes for rights reasons. Certain content, including full-length music tracks, can only be offered with digital rights management protection (DRM), and we don’t yet have permission from the BBC Trust to offer radio content with DRM.”

So whilst the technology is available for radio programmes to be downloaded, the rights are yet to be cleared – rather than the iPlayer team treating radio as second best, as it has been claimed.


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Category: Industry News

  • I’m just a number

    why does the BBC need to create apps for this at all, why not just release the APIs that would allow others to do so.

    If you did this, then you wouldn’t have the embarrassment of not producing an app for the most popular current platform and instead only producing one for iOS and then having to try and defend that decision.

    I haven’t noticed the BBC only allowing its content to only run on one make of TV or radio.

  • http://www.facebook.com/rosspatzelt Ross Patzelt

    An app that only runs on pcs called Radio Downloader already downloads bbc shows fromt the iplayer as mp3 and works brilliantly so to be able to do it on mobiles will be even better.

    Cant wait till they bring it to Nokia phones but as always iphones get there 1st. This really bugs me! Does everyone have an iphone?…….no!

    • Chris

      get an iphone then

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