If, like me, you listen to a lot of BBC radio – and are frustrated that unlike iPlayer videos – which you can download for viewing later (on a PC, iPod, iPhone, Sony Walkman, Zune etc) there is no way to download BBC radio programmes from iPlayer. All you can do is listen to them within the iPlayer interface – but if you want to save them to a portable device for listening to later on the tube – forget it!
There are some very complex kludges that you might try – but nothing as elegant as Radio Downloader by a guy called Matt Robinson.
This is an absolutely superb application which, iPlayer like, displays all possible Radio programmes that are available at iPlayer – by genre, alphabetic listing etc. Simply click the one you want, hit “Download” and Radio Downloader downloads the programme as an MP3 – ready for you to write to your favourite portable media device.
This one is such an incredible gem – and if you have found this article because you have been searching for a solution to the iPlayer radio problem – you will really, really appreciate it. So please, show your appreciation to Matt Robinson by donating him a couple of quid.
Thankyou so much, what a wonderful application you have created!
Hi
Have downloaded this and it is a brilliant tool but unsure how to get it into MP3 format after it has been downloaded?
Rebecca,
Once downloaded (presuming the download finishes) the resulting MP3 can be found in MyDocuments\Downloaded Radio (Windows 7) or something like C:\Users\yourusername\Downloaded Radio on Windows XP.
Best wishes,
Woody.
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thanks this application is useful
Absolutely brilliant bit of software. I’ve been looking for something like this for ages (now that my new car doesn’t have an audio tape player!). Everything else I’ve found either doesn’t work, or is so techie that you need to be a Stephen Hawking or a Brian Cox to use it. This one couldn’t be easier to install and operate; I especially like the ability to pre-program to download a complete series – like podcasts, only for the entire iplayer output.
How can i record a 3 hour programme to CD, tried to do via two CDs but wont accept
Mark, I suspect you would need some editing software, like Audacity or Adobe Audition to split it up.
Hi Woody
Great tip this – it fills a hole in my BBC radio listening experience (I don’t often find myself within range of a BBC transmitter these days).
Many thanks for publicising it and keep up the good work!
Chris
PS I made a small donation to Matt but couldn’t find any contact details to thank him personally – perhaps you could pass on my appreciation to him if you’re in contact
Doesnt work for me,every time i try to download something its an error
Same here…kind of. the download is successful but my computer won’t run the program. I’m using a MacBook…is this a PC only program?
Eddy
Step away from the computer!!
Doesn’t the windows screenshot above tell you anything?
Great little app. now downloading 100% homegrown from bbc1 xtra!
this dude needs to make a mac version… now already
What a great little programme. It does what even Stream Transport and Orbit could not manage and brings my Walkman alive with fresh english voices all over the world. Thank you sire.
What a great programme. I’m losing a bit of my sight
and so I find reading harder, so this is just a great programme. Thank you so much for making it better known. I wish I were clever enough to write such a programme! Mnay thanks!
I FUCKING LOVE YOU!
Do you know how much dicking about I’ve done trying to download/record my favourite shows.
First try and this thing DL’s my show perfectly.
Thanks for the link and props to the Dev.