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Solved: BBC Radio streams
#11
OK, the BBC could have been, or rather should have been, a lot clearer how this will play out. But I certainly get the bit that BBC URLs containing either ‘bbcmedia.ic.llnwd.net’ or ‘bbcwssc.ic.llnwd.net’ are due to stop working later this month – so I guess for instance this is going to impact: http://bbcmedia.ic.llnwd.net/stream/bbcm...adio2_mf_p and http://bbcwssc.ic.llnwd.net/stream/bbcwssc_mp1_ws-eieuk.

Let’s not forget though, it previously provided Real Audio and ACC+ streams which are now all defunct, so this stance by the BBC, of periodically reviewing its radio streaming capabilities, isn’t anything new.
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#12
I assume that the streams posted above are the MP3 streams?

A couple of new ones (to me, anyway), which I have added (including logos) to my main MoOde installation (got the Word Service running at the moment - programme about "Tango music" Smile )

We seem to be finding new and updated Stream URL on an almost daily basis (OK, slight exaggeration). So I wonder whether we could have a "sticky" thread in the support section, listing verified URLs that people find with whatever metadata is available. Logos if possible - I always generate a 500x500 pixel logo for the stations I add

I would suggest that it is not used as a discussion forum though, but as a reference area for URLs known to work on the day of posting.

Maybe we could add a second thread for stations which appear to not be working... LOL
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#13
(03-12-2021, 11:19 AM)Zigzag Wrote: OK, the BBC could have been, or rather should have been, a lot clearer how this will play out.  But I certainly get the bit that BBC URLs containing either ‘bbcmedia.ic.llnwd.net’ or ‘bbcwssc.ic.llnwd.net’ are due to stop working later this month – so I guess for instance this is going to impact:  http://bbcmedia.ic.llnwd.net/stream/bbcm...adio2_mf_p and http://bbcwssc.ic.llnwd.net/stream/bbcwssc_mp1_ws-eieuk.

Let’s not forget though, it previously provided Real Audio and ACC+ streams which are now all defunct, so this stance by the BBC, of periodically reviewing its radio streaming capabilities, isn’t anything new.

I get the impression they are moving away from freely accessible streams which do not allow them to capture "sufficient" data from the user. Here's an oldish article:

https://techcrunch.com/2019/03/28/bbc-wa...and-music/

There was a suggestion they are moving to requiring 3rd parties to integrate BBC Sounds Login into their products.Scared by a data-gap compared to spotify et al.

It's a shame - I'm not sure if you can consider streams hidden behind logins or requiring specific software or hardware to truly be "radio".

Anyway...
Good news - it looks like we shall be able to use BBC radio on moode in the medium-term.
Bad news -  in the long term things may change which would be a real loss for me personally and I am sure others who want to use "alternative" ways of listening.

The other bad news is that the BBC seem to be showing no interest in engaging with the listening public on this - only with commercial entities - where this leaves wonderful hobbyist communities like this one I am not sure.
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#14
(03-12-2021, 01:41 PM)FizzyTea Wrote: I get the impression they are moving away from freely accessible streams which do not allow them to capture "sufficient" data from the user.

The other bad news is that the BBC seem to be showing no interest in engaging with the listening public on this - only with commercial entities - where this leaves wonderful hobbyist communities like this one I am not sure.

Exactly that FizzyTea.

"Going forward, the BBC considers its use of the ICY protocol deprecated"

This feels like final notice on the URL's. From everything I could find out about this it's not just a URL change and they haven'
t said how regular the review on the URL's will be. It's a migration with the view to end to listening to BBC services without using Sounds. TuneIn couldn't meet their demands and I don't think any other service could either. They need to enable HTTP streaming from Sounds on a phone over the LAN and that way you can have your own unique radio URL's and of course run a VPN on the phone. So all this is pointless for them. I've always said that I would pay for global access to BBC radio if the content I needed was there (access to my local radio station back home and Radio 4/6).


We're going to need some form of proxy or way to rebroadcast a Sounds page to a HTTP stream ... and if that's illegal it means bluetooth is illegal too, that's a rebroadcast. Bluetooth would be the recommended way to get audio off a phone and into a radio or audio system, and the notion of "rebroadcasting" would then trigger hired guns to claim even more copyright infringements and we get even more restrictions to technology. So this ain't over yet.

What they started with TuneIn can only snowball on and on. This is a horrible battle going on. Try using TuneIn in the UK, this points to a future where "global online radio" at least from the big broadcasters starts going away.
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#15
They are  dinosaurs trying to monetise their demise.

When they eventually have a captive coterie of wealthy but IT-illiterate users they will be happy and isolated from the rest of us who will, no doubt, find other more interesting listening options..... :-)

Britannia no longer rules the (air) waves....!!
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bob
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#16
(03-05-2021, 04:40 PM)TheOldPresbyope Wrote: Well, yes, it appears that one does need to change URLs.

From the cited BBC Blog entry

Quote:The old URLs will then stop working completely by 31st March 2021.

Further down the entry it says

Quote:Systems that use our Media Selector APIs on the domain 'open.live.bbc.co.uk', we will be updating these APIs and so no action is required by you.

If you directly use URLs from either of the following hostnames:

1. bbcmedia.ic.llnwd.net
2. bbcwssc.ic.llnwd.net

Then you will need to update to prevent impact to your customers as these endpoints will not work after March 2021.

But wait, there's more!

Some helpful soul has created a github gist with a .m3u file containing what appears to be the new [1] open.live.bbc.co.uk media selector endpoints!

Code:
#EXTM3U
#EXTINF:-1,BBC - Radio 1
http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/select/version/2.0/mediaset/http-icy-mp3-a/vpid/bbc_radio_one/format/pls.pls
#EXTINF:-1,BBC - Radio 2
http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/select/version/2.0/mediaset/http-icy-mp3-a/vpid/bbc_radio_two/format/pls.pls
#EXTINF:-1,BBC - Radio 3
http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/select/version/2.0/mediaset/http-icy-mp3-a/vpid/bbc_radio_three/format/pls.pls
#EXTINF:-1,BBC - Radio 4
http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/select/version/2.0/mediaset/http-icy-mp3-a/vpid/bbc_radio_fourfm/format/pls.pls
#EXTINF:-1,BBC - Radio 5 live
http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/select/version/2.0/mediaset/http-icy-mp3-a/vpid/bbc_radio_five_live/format/pls.pls
#EXTINF:-1,BBC - Radio 6
http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/select/version/2.0/mediaset/http-icy-mp3-a/vpid/bbc_6music/format/pls.pls
#EXTINF:-1,BBC - Radio 1 Extra
http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/select/version/2.0/mediaset/http-icy-mp3-a/vpid/bbc_1xtra/format/pls.pls
#EXTINF:-1,BBC - Radio 4 Extra
http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/select/version/2.0/mediaset/http-icy-mp3-a/vpid/bbc_radio_four_extra/format/pls.pls
#EXTINF:-1,BBC - Radio 5 Live sports extra
http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/select/version/2.0/mediaset/http-icy-mp3-a/vpid/bbc_radio_five_live_sports_extra/format/pls.pls
#EXTINF:-1,BBC - Radio Asian Network
http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/select/version/2.0/mediaset/http-icy-mp3-a/vpid/bbc_asian_network/format/pls.pls
#EXTINF:-1,BBC - BBC World Service
http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/select/version/2.0/mediaset/http-icy-mp3-a/vpid/bbc_world_service/format/pls.pls
# GistID: 8705765

Of course we can't use the .m3u playlist directly while the endpoints in it are themselves .pls playlist files so one must dig out the actual URLs. 

To save you the effort, here's the URLs contained in the above .pls files (notice the pattern?). They all play for me here in Maryland USA.


Code:
http://stream.live.vc.bbcmedia.co.uk/bbc_radio_one
http://stream.live.vc.bbcmedia.co.uk/bbc_radio_two
http://stream.live.vc.bbcmedia.co.uk/bbc_radio_three
http://stream.live.vc.bbcmedia.co.uk/bbc_radio_fourfm
http://stream.live.vc.bbcmedia.co.uk/bbc_radio_five_live_online_nonuk
http://stream.live.vc.bbcmedia.co.uk/bbc_6music
http://stream.live.vc.bbcmedia.co.uk/bbc_1xtra
http://stream.live.vc.bbcmedia.co.uk/bbc_radio_four_extra
---
http://stream.live.vc.bbcmedia.co.uk/bbc_asian_network
http://stream.live.vc.bbcmedia.co.uk/bbc_world_service

The Radio 5 Live Sports Extra station .pls file is apparently geofenced; I get a 403 error trying to access it.

Who knows, these may still work in future but there's also hints of BBC moving to HTTPS.

Regards,
Kent

ETA
[1] - Hmm, rereading, I wonder if these are the existing URLs and whether they will change once again when the BBC finishing "updating these APIs". It isn't clear what "no action is required" means.

THANK YOU for this... i totally forgot about the switch... i hope these are live for a good while.
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#17
Will they ever add 'currently playing' info / metadata or am I missing something?
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#18
(11-10-2021, 06:46 PM)cancunia Wrote: Will they ever add 'currently playing' info / metadata or am I missing something?

They never have had that, and I suspect they never will.  It took them years to add it to their own "Sounds" app, and even then it took even longer for it to actually keep time with what was playing rather than lag 3 minutes behind.
The BBC prefer folk to use their app, so I doubt they'll make the stream more user friendly.
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Robert
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#19
That's a shame, must be about the only radio stream that doesn't tell you what's being played. I expect there are others but I've not come across them.
Does anyone have any relevant contact into? I'll give them a nudge.
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#20
FYI, another injected message is back, this time the deadline is mid 2023, still the usual push to use the Sounds app.
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