BBC Sounds has confirmed it will no longer be available outside the UK from 21 July this year.
Listeners in the UK will continue to have full access to the BBC Sounds app, including while travelling abroad for up to one month. The change only affects users based permanently outside the UK.
The move follows the international launch of BBC Studios’ new audio service on BBC.com and the BBC app. That platform now hosts content such as BBC Radio 4 and BBC World Service English alongside podcasts including Global News Podcast, World of Secrets, and The Infinite Monkey Cage.
As part of the transition, a new section has been added to BBC.com offering direct access to the BBC’s full portfolio of UK radio stations.
This includes national services like Radio 1, Radio 2, 6 Music and 5 Live, as well as BBC Nations and every local station in England.
Jonathan Wall, Director of BBC Sounds, confirmed: “We’ve been clear throughout that the ongoing availability of BBC radio stations to listeners outside the UK is a priority – and we’ve been working on a solution.”
International users will still be able to listen live via the links provided on BBC.com, and selected podcasts in English, Welsh and Gaelic will remain available on-demand. BBC Radio 4 and World Service English will also continue to stream via BBC.com.
There will be no changes to how audiences access BBC audio through third-party platforms.