BBC SOUNDS: THE FUTURE OF LISTENING?
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Written by Ria Sharma Edited by Eve Moat
Created in 2018 and eventually replacing the iPlayer radio app, BBC Sounds is the number 1 place to find BBC Live radio, podcasts and on-demand audio.
But is it the future of BBC listening?
As of 2023, BBC Sounds is drawing in a record number of listeners – up 50% from the last year. Weekly, the platform has an audience of 4.8 million people.
The Artists Icon Collection particularly caught my attention. The episodes are either hosted by artists or presenters playing songs by their own favourite artists (like Griff playing her favourite Taylor Swift tracks). Or, a presenter will find rare performances dug out of the BBC archives. Even better, there are episodes where the artists themselves play the songs that inspired them throughout their careers. The 6 Music Artist Collection is also a highlight. BBC Radio 6 says they are “Celebrating the music and career of artists and exploring their influences and those they have in turn inspired”. The artists celebrated range in genre, from Blur to Phoebe Bridgers.
Sounds is also a capsule for the many defining Radio 1 events that go on throughout the year. Radio 1’s Live Lounge Month was in October and all the tracks have been uploaded to Sounds for anyone who didn’t manage to catch them live – including the likes of Olivia Rodrigo, Doja Cat and Troye Sivan. Similarly, you can access behind-the-scenes content from Glastonbury and a 32-episode Eurovision podcast series. The BBC also uses Sounds to capture their own events, like Big Weekend.
Regarding podcasts, BBC Sounds had 237 million podcast downloads in the 2nd quarter of 2023. Of course, BBC Sounds lacks a lot of independent podcasts that can be found on other platforms such as Spotify. The BBC tends to commission podcasts from already established podcasting companies or pick up podcasts after they have already gained traction. In the music genre of podcasts, Sounds has succeeded in having big names as hosts. This includes Dua Lipa’s At Your Service Podcast which is on its third season. There is also the Eras Podcast which includes episodes in which Martin Freeman narrates the history of the Beatles.
Beyond music, there is also a wide selection of audiobooks on BBC Sounds, from classics like The Great Gatsby to recent releases such as Yellow Face by R.F Kuang. Similarly, there are series of BBC Bitesize content for English Literature, Biology and general study support.
Just by looking at the app, you can see that Sounds is aimed at the younger generation who are perhaps unlikely to tune into Live Radio. Yet, many young people are likely to be surprised at just how much Sounds has to offer – especially the content of their favourite artists.
As a streaming platform, BBC Sounds is in many ways a success. With big competitors like Spotify, BBC Sounds still has far to grow but with its original content and famed hosts, it is definitely ticking the boxes for a great listening experience. So will BBC Sounds take over regular BBC radio? Probably not anytime soon as traditional BBC radio still racks in a large number of viewers with the BBC stating that nearly 1 in 4 of all UK adults are tuning into Radio 2 live.
But with people wanting more content on demand, we can definitely say that BBC Sounds is on the rise and whether you’re into classical music, pop music or even podcasts about music, there is something for everyone!
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