Ways to Listen
You can listen to BBC World Service in English on a range of platforms, including online, satellite and cable, digital radio, internet radio, AM, FM and short wave. Click on the devices below to find your way to listen.
- 18 ways to listen...
- across radio, tv, online & mobile
Radio
Radio (worldwide)
Short wave
In Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, South-East and East Asia it is possible to listen to BBC World Service through much of the day using a short wave radio.
To find out more about short wave visit our short wave information guide. To find out what frequency you need to tune your radio to, go to our frequency charts.
Radio (worldwide)
Internet radio
Internet radios are devices that connect to your home broadband connection, usually via Wi-Fi, and play radio stations over the internet. Rather than being limited by stations based near to where you are, they can play thousands of stations from all over the world.
To get to BBC audio, internet radios have to read from a list of stations provided by the company that makes the device. Although we have no direct control over the links that are provided, we work with manufacturers and database providers to provide up-to-date links.
The following links are provided to allow you to listen to our programmes on Internet radio and mobile devices that support Real and Windows Media formats.
Online (worldwide)
Podcasts
Podcasting is free and easy. It delivers the latest episode of your chosen programme as soon as it's available directly to your computer. Just click to 'subscribe' for a free download, and it'll be delivered each week.
In order to subscribe for a podcast, you need an internet connection and a piece of podcast software which is usually available free of charge (have a look at the Podcast Software Directory to see which application is best for your platform).
Once you have installed this software, it will check the BBC for new episodes of your chosen podcast series and automatically download any new episodes for you. These radio downloads are available for seven days after the programme was broadcast, but once you have saved a download you can keep it for as long as you like, and then transfer it onto a portable device such as an MP3 player to listen to your favourite programmes whenever and wherever you like.
Find out which podcasts are available to download from the BBC World Service at the podcast index page.
Radio (Europe)
Long wave
BBC World Service can be heard on 198 long wave (LW) overnight in the UK and Ireland, and in parts of Europe bordering the English Channel and North Sea.
For more information on schedules read our guide.
Radio (worldwide)
FM
BBC World Service is available 24-hours a day on FM in some cities, and selected programming can be heard via many partner stations around the world.
Use the schedule search on this page to find frequencies and schedules.
Radio (Europe)
DRM
Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) is a set of digital audio broadcasting technologies designed to work over the bands currently used for AM broadcasting.
In parts of Western Europe, BBC World Service can be heard on digital short wave via DRM receivers.
To find out more about DRM digital radio services in Europe read our digital radio guide.
Radio (worldwide)
Satellite radio
Satellite radio is a digital radio signal that is broadcast by a communications satellite and covers a much wider geographical range than terrestrial radio signals.
In the US and Canada, BBC World Service is available via the XM and Sirius satellite radio networks and in parts of South and South-East Asia, via WorldSpace satellite radio.
Check our satellite guide for more information.
Radio (worldwide)
Medium wave
In some locations, BBC World Service can be heard on medium wave (MW).
Use the schedule search to find out if there are MW frequencies in your area.
Radio (worldwide)
HD radio
HD radio technology is a system used by AM and FM radio stations to digitally transmit audio and data in conjunction with their analogue signals.
This method is only available in the USA where BBC World Service can be heard via Public Radio stations.
TV
TV (worldwide)
Cable
In many parts of the world, subscribers to television services via cable can also listen to BBC World Service through their TV sets.
Cable subscription services are available in areas that are wired for cable. Digital TV via broadband, delivered over your phone line, is beginning to expand in the UK. Digital TV via cable or broadband requires a set-top box connected to your TV set. This is usually supplied with your subscription.
Contact your provider to find out if they carry the BBC. For more information read our help guide.
TV (worldwide)
Satellite
BBC World Service is available direct to your home from digital satellite via a TV set in Europe, the Middle East and Gulf, Africa, South Asia, South-East-Asia, the USA and Australasia.
TV (UK only)
Freeview and Freesat
In the UK, BBC World Service can be heard via digital terrestrial television on Freeview channel 710 and via Freesat (with a Freesat receiver).
For information about coverage areas and equipment read our digital television guide.
Online
Online (worldwide)
Live
Any computer with an internet connection can easily be turned into a global radio receiver.
To turn your computer into a radio, download a player like Microsoft Windows Media Player or Flash Player. Internet radio is also commonly broadcast in the easily downloadable programmes RealOne and QuickTime.
Once you have installed this software you can listen online to the BBC World Service webcast for free 24-hours a day via the 'Listen Live' link on the homepage or download the 'Listen Live' widget to your desktop.
Radio (worldwide)
DAB
Digital radio transmissions are broadcast using advanced techniques allowing better reception and ease of use.
In the UK, there is a 24-hour BBC World Service channel on DAB digital radio and DAB+ services are now available in major cities in Australia and in Malta. (Please note that DAB digital radios purchased in the UK do not receive the BBC outside the UK however).
Learn more about digital radio with our help guide.
Online (worldwide)
On demand
Listen again to all our radio programmes in your own time. Most are available on demand for seven days after broadcast and some are available indefinitely. Links to programmes can be found on our programme page.
BBC documentary series and special programmes are archived in our documentaries index. You can also listen on demand to the BBC World Service programmes through the iPlayer as long as the computer you are using has a recent version of Flash Player correctly installed.
Please note that we often have to restrict access to some programmes to UK users only and programmes are only available for seven days after broadcast due to rights restrictions (see our separate FAQs for further information about this).
Mobile
Mobile (worldwide)
Mobile
You can listen to BBC World Service on your mobile phone by typing www.bbcworldservice.com into your phone's browser. You can also listen if your mobile phone has an FM radio receiver (or AM receiver in Australia) or if you have an internet-enabled mobile phone.
The BBC does not charge you to look at content, but it depends on your network and tariff and what you want to look at (please check with your operator before browsing). Listeners who have the recent internet-enabled Nokia phones will have a pre-installed radio application.
For all other phones, visit our internet radio mobile links page for live streams and on-demand programmes in MP3, Real and Windows Media formats. For more information on mobile services, visit our mobile services page. If you have a device-specific question about your mobile phone, then please let us know.
Mobile (US only)
BBC Listener mobile app
BBC Listener is a subscription mobile application that features programmes from the BBC World Service along with other great BBC radio programmes, handpicked for the world's curious minds. Subscribers get access to over 20 programmes a week plus access to a large archive of some of the best BBC documentaries from the last ten years.
All programmes can be listened to on-demand and you can also save programmes to listen to when you don't have access to a network connection.
The app is currently only available in US on the Apple iPhone but will be made available on other smartphones (such as Blackberry and Android) and in other countries over the coming months.
To find out more please visit bbclistener.com
Mobile (US only)
iPad
The BBC News iPad app offers the latest breaking news from the BBC and our global network of journalists. Stories are arranged by geographic region and category including business, technology, entertainment and sport.
You can choose top news stories from a selection of the BBC's language services, and re-order them to suit your needs. The app also allows easy listening to news programmes and bulletins from the BBC World Service including World Service live radio. The BBC News iPad app is currently available to download in the Apple App Store in the United States. For more information, read our guide to the BBC News iPad application.
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