Not sure when it started, but several of the radio stations in my Music playlists (Sonoma 14.3) no longer work.
I am particularly interested in BBC Radio 3 and France Musique.
I can stream the stations in a browser, but if I copy the URL and paste it in Music > File > Open Stream URL…, nothing happens.
Any idea how I can listen to them again in Music?
Thank you,
David
What URL’s are you using? Many of these stations change the links often as they seem to want you to visit their web page instead of using your own app.
Using the Inspect Element function in Safari or Firefox, then Network, then Media you can find the URL of the station but after checking on the BBC 3 station, it seemed they changed something a few months ago so that could be an issue there:
https://www.reddit.com/r/bbc/comments/17hlggf/bbc_radio_streams_gone/
Here in the UK we use BBC iPlayer for BBC tv and BBC Sounds for radio. These are accessed through the BBC website.
On the iPad and iPhone there are dedicated apps for each service and they work very well.
Similarly France Musique, however I cannot find it in the App Store even though I was with someone yesterday who was using it!
Another option is the Radioplayer app. I have that on my phone.
In theory , if you have Homepods (or any other ‘smart’ speaker) you are allegedly able to play BBC streams by just talking nicely to the speaker.
I use BBC Sounds in a web browser to listen to the BBC. Further, there is no need to register to listen (dismiss all the nags).
Yes, TuneIn (which provides many of the radio streams in Music) seems to be falling apart. I’ve contacted both TuneIn tech support, and the stations that don’t work, but they seem uninterested.
The best solution I’ve found is the Broadcasts app. I don’t understand why it can do what Music can’t, but I’m happy that it’s able to do so.
Here’s a global radio website/app I’ve had fun with over the last few years:
Thanks for the tips.
I am copying the URLs from the BBC and Radio France websites, but as you say, they only work there.
Also, I tried the new formats at the Reddit link you gave, but while they worked in a browser, unfortunately they didn’t in Music.
Thanks, @FishTickler, although I can play the stations fine via the BBC and Radio France Musique websites. What I would like to do is play them in Music, where I appreciate the convenience of having all my stations together in one place.
I noticed the same behavior when trying some of those links. I guess you can only use some in a browser or use some of the other sites recommended above by others. Fortunately, most of the stations I still listen to work in iTunes or Music but for how long time will tell.
Thanks for this great suggestion. It looks like a perfect alternative to Music.
Thanks for this tip. Not really what I am looking for (no storage of playlists – at least no support of “Favorites” with Safari) but a very interesting concept.
Here’s a Reddit thread that gives the URL structure for BBC audio streams. Unfortunately, Mac Apple Music cannot handle the m3u8 file type. They will open in VLC.
I like to use my Mac as the base of my home sound system. I play a stream or playlist in Apple Music, and via the Airplay dropdown can send it multiple destinations at the same time. Unfortunately, that only works in Apple Music. I’ve tried using Rogue Amoeba’s Airfoil to enable multiple speakers, but I’ve never liked that solution. However, IOS and iPadOS permit sending audio to multiple destinations, and a Mac can be a destination. So, suppose you’re using Apple Music to send the audio to the network. In that case, one solution is to open the IOS version of VLC (or another app that can handle the BBC stream format) and use the iPhone Control Center to stream the output to your desired speakers, including the Mac.
The Broadcasts app, by an Irish developer hence the initial radio station offerings when you launch, is excellent.
Your mention of the file type got me interested. Here are some possible solutions and issues:
I use BBC Sounds app