Marcus Bowman
@mrbowman.bsky.social
Psychotherapist in Cork. Reader of Emerson, Nietzsche and Freud.
Reposted by Marcus Bowman
The BBC has quietly removed the BBC Sounds app from international stores. It closes for all of us outside the UK on July 21, after which you can still listen to BBC domestic radio stations, but through a maze of deadends and hidden links. (Or, your smart speaker).
james.cridland.net/blog/2025/bb...
james.cridland.net/blog/2025/bb...
BBC Radio overseas: a new plan after BBC Sounds closes
And some great uses of AI in Finland
james.cridland.net
July 10, 2025 at 6:22 AM
The BBC has quietly removed the BBC Sounds app from international stores. It closes for all of us outside the UK on July 21, after which you can still listen to BBC domestic radio stations, but through a maze of deadends and hidden links. (Or, your smart speaker).
james.cridland.net/blog/2025/bb...
james.cridland.net/blog/2025/bb...
Reposted by Marcus Bowman
BBC Sounds secures the borders from 21 July. I don't want to listen to Radio 4 or any BBC podcast and I have World Service on DAB but I'd quite like to keep Radio 3.
July 12, 2025 at 11:09 AM
BBC Sounds secures the borders from 21 July. I don't want to listen to Radio 4 or any BBC podcast and I have World Service on DAB but I'd quite like to keep Radio 3.
Reposted by Marcus Bowman
The BBC has turned off its excellent BBC Sounds app & is forcing non-UK listeners to use BBC.com instead. I can listen to live radio 4 or podcasts but I don't seem to be able to listen back to radio on demand as I used to.
I'm feeling very sad about I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue 🥺
I'm feeling very sad about I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue 🥺
July 21, 2025 at 12:31 PM
The BBC has turned off its excellent BBC Sounds app & is forcing non-UK listeners to use BBC.com instead. I can listen to live radio 4 or podcasts but I don't seem to be able to listen back to radio on demand as I used to.
I'm feeling very sad about I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue 🥺
I'm feeling very sad about I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue 🥺
Reposted by Marcus Bowman
A Northern Ireland-born presenter has spoken of her regret that BBC Sounds has been blocked to people in the Republic.
‘Many had hoped there would be a special exception’: NI-born broadcaster laments loss of BBC Sounds to listeners in Republic
A Northern Ireland-born presenter has spoken of her regret that BBC Sounds has been blocked to people in the Republic.
www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk
July 22, 2025 at 6:18 AM
A Northern Ireland-born presenter has spoken of her regret that BBC Sounds has been blocked to people in the Republic.
Reposted by Marcus Bowman
So today I did some testing, and if you are running Android, you can install an APK of an older version of BBC Sounds (one from before his year, I tried 2.16.21104). It will bypass the country check (because it was made before it was a thing) and let you continue to use the app as before.
BBC Sounds will stop working outside of the UK on July 21. I am intrigued as to how they are going to do this. iPlayer has a hard block of IP addresses outside of the UK, but they say that BBC Sounds will still function for 'about a month' if you normally live in Britain but go on holiday.
BBC podcasts and audio are now available on BBC.com
Listen to current BBC podcasts and a rich archive of shows on demand on BBC.com and on the BBC app.
www.bbc.co.uk
July 21, 2025 at 4:04 PM
So today I did some testing, and if you are running Android, you can install an APK of an older version of BBC Sounds (one from before his year, I tried 2.16.21104). It will bypass the country check (because it was made before it was a thing) and let you continue to use the app as before.
Reposted by Marcus Bowman
So BBC Sounds is now blocked outside the UK. That means no more Radio 3 (so no more Proms), only Radio 4 and World Service, and some shitty podcasts on a crummy new app.
July 21, 2025 at 6:45 PM
So BBC Sounds is now blocked outside the UK. That means no more Radio 3 (so no more Proms), only Radio 4 and World Service, and some shitty podcasts on a crummy new app.
Reposted by Marcus Bowman
Just listening to BBC Radio 2 live using the BBC Sounds app internationally. It’s July 22.
The banner says the app will close “from July 21”. Ah, sneaky. Maybe it won’t close at all? Maybe the product manager is still in a shouting match with five other unpleasant people in a room in NBH?
The banner says the app will close “from July 21”. Ah, sneaky. Maybe it won’t close at all? Maybe the product manager is still in a shouting match with five other unpleasant people in a room in NBH?
July 21, 2025 at 10:17 PM
Just listening to BBC Radio 2 live using the BBC Sounds app internationally. It’s July 22.
The banner says the app will close “from July 21”. Ah, sneaky. Maybe it won’t close at all? Maybe the product manager is still in a shouting match with five other unpleasant people in a room in NBH?
The banner says the app will close “from July 21”. Ah, sneaky. Maybe it won’t close at all? Maybe the product manager is still in a shouting match with five other unpleasant people in a room in NBH?
Reposted by Marcus Bowman
RIP BBC Sounds (für uns Kontinentaleuropäer)
July 22, 2025 at 6:44 AM
RIP BBC Sounds (für uns Kontinentaleuropäer)
Reposted by Marcus Bowman
Computers making bread and being paid to find a wife. Graham Greene, 1978
March 18, 2025 at 7:36 PM
Computers making bread and being paid to find a wife. Graham Greene, 1978
Reposted by Marcus Bowman
Our cat and his new pillow.
November 14, 2024 at 8:40 PM
Our cat and his new pillow.