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public-broadcasting edited this page Dec 20, 2022 · 15 revisions

BBC Sounds (Community Edition) for Sonos

In December 2021 BBC Sounds launched in the Sonos app. Listeners with Sonos speakers in the UK are able to enjoy BBC radio, music mixes and podcasts, using the Sonos app.

Listerners outside the UK have to fall back on the TuneIn integration or Sonos Radio, which relys on TuneIn. The BBC streams available on TuneIn occasionally play an announcement indicating that the streams are outdated and will stop working in mid-2023. There is no way to have the streams updated to get rid of the message.

Besides the alternative of downloading the BBC sounds app for iOS/Android and transferring it to Sonos via AirPlay, Bluetooth or Line-In (based on the specs of the existing speakers), there are also options to manually add the desired radio station to Sonos.

BBC Sounds (Community Edition) bring back the classic Sonos control in order to listen to your favorite stations, without the hassle of using third-party apps and cast technologies.

Content

Installation

1.) Get the IP Address of one of your speakers

   Sonos App for iOS/Android: Settings -> System -> About My System
   Sonos App for macOS: Sonos -> About My System
   Sonos App for Windows: Help -> About My System

About My System

In this example the IP Address of the speaker is 192.168.0.156. For the following steps, replace the IP Address shown here with the IP Address shown in the app.

2.) Open the custom service descriptor page by opening the web address below with a web browser of your choice:

http://192.168.0.156:1400/customsd (Replace the IP Address shown here.)

3.) Fill out all fields as shown below:

Tip: For a better view download the HTML file.

   3.1 SID: Enter 255
   ℹ️ If you already have a CustomSD, then switch to one of 240-253.

   3.2 Service Name (leave blank to erase): Enter BBC Sounds (Community Edition)
   ℹ️ You can also specify a name of your choice.

   3.3 Secure Endpoint URL: Enter https://smapi.streamurl.link/

   3.4 Polling interval (seconds): Enter 300

   3.5 Authentication SOAP header policy: Choose Anonymous

   3.6a Strings table (optional) - Version: Enter 1
   ⚠️ After an update, this number must be increased. (May differ from screenshot.)
   3.6b Strings table (optional) - Uri: Enter https://smapi.streamurl.link/strings.xml

   3.7a Strings table (optional) - Version: Enter 1
   ⚠️ After an update, this number must be increased. (May differ from screenshot.)
   3.7b Strings table (optional) - Uri: Enter https://smapi.streamurl.link/pmap.xml

   3.8 Container Type: Choose Music Service

   3.9 Capabilities - Search: Check the option Search

   3.10 Capabilities - Extended Metadata: Check the option Extended Metadata (More Menu, Info & Options)

Press the submit button after you have filled in the fields.

The settings should look like this screenshot:

About My System

4.) Add the service as a music service

You will notice that you now have an additional music service to choose from.

About My System

Add BBC Sounds (Community Edition) as a usual music service to your system.

Troubleshooting

When I select BBC Sounds (Community Edition) I get the error message "Unable to Browse".

  • The management of stream URLs and the API behind it is subject to constant changes that require adjustments. Certain changes require a re-run of the setup via the custom service descriptor page (CustomSD) with manual increment of the version number. While this happens automatically in the background for common music services, custom services require manual adjustments.

    Please run the installation again and make sure that the version in step 3.6a/3.7b matches the release number.

Release Number

I have a station from BBC Sounds (Community Edition) saved in my favorites that suddenly won't play anymore.

  • Test if the affected radio station is playable via the usual search and browse function.

    • If via search/browse the playback was successful, then delete the affected station from your favorites and add it again.

    • If via search/browse the playback was not successful, please report it through this link.

I have a station from BBC Sounds (Community Edition) set up as an alarm and recently I have been woken up only with a chime instead of music.

  • Test if the affected radio station is playable via the usual search and browse function.

    • If via search/browse the playback was successful, then repalce the affected station from your alarm with a station from an official service.

      • If the alarm works with a station from an official service, retry by adjusting the alarm with the desired station.

      • If the alarm still fails, then you are expering an issue that is not based on the BBC Sounds (Community Edition). In this case get in touch with the Sonos Community in order to get help.

    • If via search/browse the playback was not successful, please report it through this link.

Frequently Asked Questions

I am located in the UK. Do I get any benefits from using BBC Sounds (Community Edition)?

  • The official BBC Sounds integration offers significantly more content and also transmits more information to the Sonos controller about the current program/tracks. Use your advantage and use the official BBC Sounds integration to fully utilize the offering.

Does BBC Sounds (Community Edition) work with voice services like Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant or Sonos Voice?

  • BBC Sounds (Community Edition) has no association with Sonos, so it must be integrated through the custom service descriptor page (CustomSD). This makes the integration self-contained and does not use any cloud-based services from Sonos. As there is no partnership, features like Voice Services cannot be integrated.

    The development of an Amazon Skills or Google Action is not planned.

The BBC provides MPEG DASH streams. Can these also be added to BBC Sounds (Community Edition)?

  • This option has already been explored, but it was not possible to get it running on Sonos.

There are several radio stations missing in BBC Sounds (Community Edition). Can the missing ones be added?

  • BBC Sounds (Community Edition) covers all BBC radio stations which are intended for accessibility outside the UK.. The missing radio stations are not available outside the UK.

    To test whether there is an error, you can visit the following page and select the desired radio station: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/stations

    If you see the banner "This content is not available in your location." and you are outside the UK, everything is as expected. If not, please report the error through this link.

Can you assign a service logo to the BBC Sounds (Community Edition) integration?

  • This option is not available for custom integrations.

I have found a bug or there is a problem with BBC Sounds (Community Edition), who do I contact?

  • If you have found an error, please consult the Troubleshooting section first. If the error is not listed there, report it through this link. Please do not contact the BBC and/or Sonos support. They will not be able to help you in any case.

How do I delete BBC Sounds (Community Edition) from my Sonos?

  • First, remove the BBC Sounds (Community Edition) as you would do with any regular music service. Use this Article for assistance.

  • Second, run the installation procedure again with the difference that you leave all fields blank. If you have previously customized the SID (Step 1), you must do so before submitting the blank form.

  • Optional: Stations that were previously saved in the Sonos Favorites/Alarms must be removed manually. This does not happen automatically.

This project is not affiliated with the BBC Sounds or Sonos.

All mentioned trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

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