What is autoplay and can it be toggled on or off?

When you play a programme, BBC Sounds will automatically play the next episode when the current episode ends. We call this autoplay.

BBC Sounds website

When listening to an on demand programme or podcast on the BBC Sounds website, you can use the Play Queue icon to see what's coming up next:

Image from the Sounds website of a programme playing, with the play queue open and highlighted

To turn off autoplay, click on the settings cog in the playback bar then switch off the autoplay toggle. The toggle will be grey when autoplay is switched off and orange when it's on.

Image showing playback on the Sounds website. The Settings cog is highlighted and the autoplay toggle is visible and highlighted
 

BBC Sounds app on mobiles and tablets

Autoplay is switched on by default in the app. Just start playing an on-demand programme, then tap on the queue icon at the bottom right corner to see what will play automatically after that episode has ended. 

Two images from the BBC Sounds mobile app. The first shows the playback screen with the Play Queue icon highlighted on the bottom right. The second shows the Play Queue with the Autoplay toggle highlighted at the top
To turn off autoplay, tap the Autoplay switch on the top of the Play Queue, or go to 'Settings' (tap your initial on the top right of the home screen) then toggle off the autoplay option.
 

BBC Sounds skill on Alexa devices

If you're not listening to the latest episode in a series, we will automatically play the next episode once that episode has finished. You can stop the playback by saying "Alexa, stop."
 

BBC Sounds app on TVs

The next episode in a series will play automatically. At the moment, it isn't possible to switch off autoplay on the BBC Sounds app on TVs.

At the moment, autoplay on the BBC Sounds app will only play the 100 most recent episodes of a programme. If you're listening beyond the most recent 100 episodes, autoplay will not work as expected. We're aware of this and looking into it.