BBC iPlayer Radio App

In an attempt to give this blog a kick up the caboose, I thought any reviews are better than no reviews.  To that end, I wanted to propound upon the charms of iPlayer Radio App for Smartphone.  I am a Luddite and did not actually get a Smartphone until about 2 years ago.  Although I was shown the iPlayer Radio App I didn’t download it immediately.  However, I did finally give it a try in November, and now I am quite obsessed with it.  I have to admit I almost never listen to radio drama on analogue anymore, but with the App I am now scarcely listening to it via iPlayer website, as I used to.  I find the App very convenient for commuting—I have been listening to OTR and downloaded audio drama on the phone though there are capacity limits—and a secondary effect is that I am listening to programs I normally wouldn’t make time for, such as comedy, documentaries, and music.  And Prayer for the Day!  Also, I am getting to hear drama from Radio Scotland which, for one reason or another, I was never able to hear before.  This is very exciting!  Like iPlayer online, you have your finite download period, after which the episode disappears.  Once you’ve finished with the episode, you can delete it yourself and make room for more!  The download feature defaults to “downloading is paused” if you are not connected to Wifi.  

I found the App extremely useful for a transatlantic flight.  Everything I had downloaded before leaving the UK remained with its finite download period (obviously you can’t download anything new when you’re outside the UK).   Thus I had a phone full of content to listen to on the plane there and back.  I did have a problem when the App upgraded; I couldn’t get any of my downloads to work, and the only thing I could do to fix it was delete the App and reinstall.  This, unfortunately, meant I lost all my downloads. 

Of course, you don’t have access to everything that you can get on iPlayer online, due to rights issues I suspect (I noticed that you can’t download the BBC World Service programs, you can only listen to them streaming).  But, as I said above, it pushes me out of my comfort zone somewhat, which has been refreshing. 

It would be exciting if one day we had a similar Smartphone app for audio drama generally, with a recommendation feature (“if you liked X, then you might like Y, Z, and A”).  I like iPlayer Radio App so much I think I would pay a modest monthly or annual fee for it, but it’s nice for now that it’s free.