BBC Radio (1 Viewer)

[Pinewood]

Hello,

I use a Mac computer to listen to Radio 3. For me Essential Classics, my current listening, is an early morning show. Whether I listen directly from the web site or through "Music," formerly iTunes, I do not get a consistent stream which occasionally goes dead. Is Apple playing me in an attempt to get me to subscribe to Apple Music or is the stream a little unreliable? I seem to have far less trouble with RTS Espace 2 from Switzerland.

Stay safe,
Arthur

 

[delia todd]

Sorry Arthur, only just seen this. Fortunately I don't have to go to those lengths to listen to BBC output, so I can't help with that problem.

Have you tried Classic FM? I think they went international some years ago, so presumably it's available in the States.

Just Googled it and it is:

You can listen to Classic FM online via Global Player, the official Classic FM app, at www.globalplayer.com/live/classicfm. You can also click on the green 'Listen' button on the ClassicFM.com homepage, and at the top of every article on the Classic FM website.5 Feb 2021

At least I've bumped your question

 

[Pinewood]

Sorry Arthur, only just seen this. Fortunately I don't have to go to those lengths to listen to BBC output, so I can't help with that problem.

Have you tried Classic FM? I think they went international some years ago, so presumably it's available in the States.

Just Googled it and it is:



At least I've bumped your question

Hello Delia,

I thank you.
I know of several American classical musical stations on the web: KBAQ and WQXR, a local station, for instance, but I like to listen to the Beeb, especially "Through theNight," which lasts until I fall asleep. "Choral Evensong," is another favourite, which is on now. As I wrote, I also listen to RTS Espace 2, from the Swiss Romain, which never fails.
I have come to the conclusion that the Beeb's servers are not up to the demand for "Essential Classics," my most troublesome programme, which is a morning broadcast, and probably gets far more listeners than "Late Night.'
I also seem to get a more reliable stream hooking up a device to speakers, rather than using a wireless connection from the laptop.

Stay safe,
Arthur

 

[Pinewood]

Hello,

Sometimes, it is the stream from BBC Sounds or from the World Service, as I do get warnings of limited service. Sometimes the problem is my Apple Homepods. When it is the latter, since I get music from the laptop's speakers, rebooting the Homepods seems to overcome the problem. My rather old Bang & Olufsen Beolit 12, a Blue Tooth boom box, is more reliable than the Apple Homepods.

An advantage of the BBC is keeping broadcasts available for 30 days.

Stay safe,
Arthur

 

[Eric222]

Arthur, I was streaming BBC Radio 4 just before reading this. It dropped out twice in 20 minutes, something that seems to be happening more frequently these last few weeks. Sometimes it recovers after a minute or so, on other occasions I have to restart the app on my phone. At first I thought it was our poor rural broadband, however speed tests consistently suggest this is not the case.

One workaround is to use the BBC Sounds Download option, which works well for the sort of programs BBC3 broadcasts where you don't need to hear it in "real time".

Elizabeth Alker's "Unclassified" has become my favourite on Radio 3 (broadcast 11:30 pm on Thursday nights), she plays things I would never have come across before. Often a few tracks are too weird for my tastes, but the beauty of streaming/downloading is that they are now so easy to skip over.

 

[Pinewood]

Hello Eric,

Thank you for confirming my suspicions about the Beeb. 'Through the Night,' which commences at 0030 hours, when few people are listening never rarely has trouble with live listening but when it does, I may be switched to RTS Espace 2, if I am listening on my laptop's Apple Music facility. I often listen outside of real time: 'Composer of the Week' and 'Choral Evensong.' Now, I am listening to yesterday's Radio 3 In Concert, using the Beolit. For classical music, one should sample RTS Espace 2, which has many links to broadcasts of the last month. Yes, the French announcer speaks too rapidly for me but the music is fine and I know enough French to navigate the site.

Stay safe,
Arthur