There are lots of things you can say and do with BBC Sounds on Alexa. You can use the following links to navigate to specific sections on the page that you want to explore:
To get started, say "Alexa, open BBC Sounds." When prompted, ask for the name of the live radio station, programme, podcast or music mix that you want to listen to.
If you’re using an Alexa device with a screen, like an Echo Show, you’ll also see the screen shown below. From here, you can browse and play content through additional options like Radio, Music, Podcasts, and Your Listening History.
- To browse through the list, swipe left or right on the screen with your finger, or say “Alexa, scroll left,” or “Alexa, scroll right.”
- To select an item in the list, simply tap it, or when prompted, say the name of the item you want to browse, for example “Alexa, browse music.”
- Each item is also numbered, for example “Browse Radio” is item ‘1’ in the list, you can select this item by saying, “Alexa, select the first item.”
Live Radio
You can now restart, rewind, and fast-forward radio shows on the BBC Sounds Alexa skill.
The BBC Sounds Alexa skill now gives you the ability to rewind and fast-forward radio, or restart the show you’re listening to. BBC Sounds is the only radio provider in the UK to offer this functionality.
How to play live radio
- To start playing live radio say, "Alexa, play [live radio station]." For example, "Alexa, play 6 Music” or "Alexa, play Radio 2.”
How to find out what's playing on live radio
- To find out what song or programme is currently playing on a live station say, "Alexa, ask BBC Sounds what's playing."
- If you're listening to a rewound stream, you can say "Alexa, ask BBC Sounds what's playing" to find out the station and show you're currently listening to.
How to restart live radio
- Love The Archers but missed the start on Radio 4? No problem, just say, “Alexa, ask BBC Sounds to restart,” and we’ll take you to the start of the show.
How to rewind live radio
- Listening to Radio 2 and missed Ten To The Top? “Alexa, ask BBC Sounds to rewind to 10.30am.”
- Asked for Radio 1 just as your favourite song is ending? “Alexa, ask BBC Sounds to rewind 3 minutes.”
- And if you’ve just missed a goal on 5 Live, “Alexa, ask BBC Sounds to rewind” will rewind one minute.
How to fast-forward or return to live radio
- You can fast-forward by using the corresponding requests, for example “Alexa, ask BBC Sounds to fast-forward to 9.30pm / 5 minutes.”
- And when you’re ready to listen live again, just say, “Alexa, ask BBC Sounds to return to live.”
How to pause and resume live radio
- You can also pause and resume live streams by saying "Alexa, pause" and "Alexa, resume."
How to browse and play BBC live radio on a screened Alexa device
If you’re using an Alexa device with a screen, such as an Echo Show, you can also browse and play BBC live radio stations in additional ways. To begin, say: “Alexa, ask BBC Sounds to browse radio.” The screen shown below will then appear, allowing you to explore BBC live radio stations and see what’s currently on air. Your last listened to station will appear at the start of the rail for easier access.
- To browse through the list, swipe left or right on the screen with your finger, or say “Alexa, scroll left,” or “Alexa, scroll right.”
- To play an item in the list, simply tap it, or when prompted, say the name of the station you want to hear, for example, “Alexa, play Radio 1.”
Send a comment
What is 'Send a Comment'?
'Send a Comment' allows you to send a comment to any BBC radio station from your Alexa device.
- To send a comment to the BBC radio station you’re listening to say, “Alexa, ask BBC Sounds to send a comment.”
- To send a comment to a different BBC radio station say, “Alexa, ask BBC Sounds to send a comment to [station name].”
For more information about 'Send a Comment' have a look here: What is 'Send a Comment' and how do I use it?
Podcasts and music mixes
How to play a podcast
- To start playing podcasts and music mixes say, "Alexa, ask BBC Sounds to play [name of content]." For example, "Alexa, ask BBC Sounds to play That Peter Crouch Podcast,” or "Alexa, ask BBC Sounds to play Woman's Hour."
How to play the first available episode of something
- To play the first available episode of something say “Alexa, ask BBC Sounds for the first episode of [name of content].”
How to play the latest available episode of something
- To play the latest episode of something say “Alexa, ask BBC Sounds for the latest episode of [name of content].”
How to pause or resume a podcast or music mix
- To pause or resume say, "Alexa, pause" or, "Alexa, resume."
How to fast-forward or rewind a podcast or music mix
- To rewind or fast forward say, "Alexa, ask BBC Sounds to rewind 30 seconds," or "Alexa, ask BBC Sounds to fast forward 5 minutes."
How to navigate between episodes
- To navigate between episodes, just say "Alexa, next" or "Alexa, previous."
- To browse through the list, swipe left or right on the screen with your finger, or say, “Alexa, scroll left,” or “Alexa, scroll right.”
- To play an item in the list, simply tap it or when prompted, say the name of the podcast you want to hear, for example, “Alexa, play Focus Beats.”
- Each podcasts item is also numbered, for example, ‘Radio 1 Anthems’ is item ‘2’ in the list, you can select this item by saying, “Alexa, select the second item.”
Podcasts
To get started say “Alexa, ask BBC Sounds to browse podcasts,” the screen shown below will appear. From here, you can explore and play podcasts.
- To browse through the list, swipe left or right on the screen with your finger, or say, “Alexa, scroll left,” or “Alexa, scroll right.”
- To play an item in the list, simply tap it or when prompted, say the name of the podcast you want to hear, for example, “Alexa, play Newscast.”
- Each podcast item is also numbered, for example, ‘Football Daily’ is item ‘3’ in the list, you can select this item by saying, “Alexa, select the third item.”
Continue Listening
To continue listening from where you left off, just ask Alexa for the playlist, podcast or on-demand programme you were listening to previously, for example, "Alexa, ask BBC Sounds for Pace Setter.” If you're not listening to the last episode in a series, we'll play the next episode automatically when your episode ends.
How to browse and play your listening history on a screened Alexa device
To get started say, “Alexa, ask BBC Sounds to browse my history,” the screen shown below will appear. From here, you can explore and play your listening history from BBC Sounds. There’s a progress bar on the image that shows how much time you have left.
- To browse through the list, swipe left or right on the screen with your finger, or say, “Alexa, scroll left,” or “Alexa, scroll right.”
- To play an item in the list, simply tap it or when prompted, say the name of the podcast you want to hear, for example, “Alexa, play The Archers.”
- Each podcast item is also numbered, for example, ‘Desert Island Discs’ is item ‘3’ in the list, you can select this item by saying, “Alexa, select the third item.”
News
How do I access BBC news?
- To get our 24-hour interactive news service, say "Alexa, play BBC News."
- To get your local news bulletin personalised to the postcode in your BBC account, say “Alexa, ask BBC Sounds for my local news.”
- To choose another local news bulletin, check our How can I listen to national and local news bulletins on my smart speaker? page to find the phrase you need.
Multi-Room
How to use Multi-Room
Multi-Room allows you to play your favourite BBC Sounds music, podcasts or radio stations on multiple Alexa-enabled devices at the same time with our Alexa skill.
You can find out more information here: How do I use Alexa Multi-Room?
