Sky Q now offers the BBC Sounds app for podcasts, education, radio and more

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The best of the Beeb's audio content

Sky Q
(Image credit: Future)

Want to listen to, as well as watching, content on your Sky Q box? Well you've a new aural addition to our top-rated set-top box today in the form of the BBC Sounds app, bringing the British broadcaster's radio, podcast and cultural audio content output to your living room.

Joining Spotify among the ranks of Sky Q's audio-focussed apps, the successor to iPlayer Radio boasts 80,000 hours of legacy programming, as well as live radio shows from the likes of Radio 1, Radio 2, the World Service, Asian Network and many more. 

Download the app from the Apps section of the Sky Q menu, and then it's ready to launch as a fullscreen browsing experience, also accessible by the voice search command "Launch BBC Sounds".

Sounds in sync

It's a really great suite of shows and content available through the BBC Sounds app, tapping into decades of archived audio hosted by the Beeb. With all digital BBC content now requiring a user account for license fee reasons, the BBC Sounds app for Sky Q syncs perfectly with its mobile companion, keeping bookmarks and series subscriptions across both platforms.

It's a well-designed big-screen experience too, with tiled recommended content sitting alongside a search tool, bookmark lists and an ever-present 'now playing' pop up on the app's homescreen that lets you jump between browsing and playback quickly.

Podcasts are increasingly big business for platform holders, with Spotify investing heavily in the format, Amazon signing up big names for its Audible podcasts section, and even Netflix said to be considering adding podcasts to its streaming platform. By adding the BBC Sounds app to its service, Sky taps into a ready-made archive of great, free content – not to mention the podcasts its subscribers can access through the set top box's existing Spotify app.

Looking to upgrade to Sky Q? You can make sure you're getting the best price for your package with our Sky TV deals guide.

Gerald Lynch
Gerald Lynch

Gerald is Editor-in-Chief of iMore.com. Previously he was the Executive Editor for TechRadar, taking care of the site's home cinema, gaming, smart home, entertainment and audio output. He loves gaming, but don't expect him to play with you unless your console is hooked up to a 4K HDR screen and a 7.1 surround system. Before TechRadar, Gerald was Editor of Gizmodo UK. He is also the author of 'Get Technology: Upgrade Your Future', published by Aurum Press.