Before following any of the steps below, search our known issues and our general FAQs to check whether you are experiencing a known problem.
Having problems with BBC Sounds on your computer? Try the following steps:
- Step 1: Clear your cache
When you clear the cache on your internet browser, you’re removing data your browser has stored on your computer. This can be a very useful first step in trying to resolve a problem. For instructions, visit the How do I clear the cache? page.
- Step 2: Try an alternative browser
If you find that you’re not able to play programmes on BBC Sounds then you may wish to try a different browser. You’ll find a list of compatible browsers on our Can I use BBC Sounds on my computer? page.
- Step 3: Check your internet connection
If you also have problems playing programmes from other providers as well, try moving closer to your router and switching off other devices that are connected to the internet at the same time.
Try a wired connection. If that helps but you’d prefer to be on WiFi, consider changing the channel your WiFi router transmits on. The following external link has guidance on how to do this: Tech Advisor: How to change your router channel for better WiFi (The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.)
- Step 4: Check you're using our HTML5 player
There are two media players used across bbc.co.uk - Flash and HTML5. If you would like to switch over to HTML5 to see if that helps, you can do this at www.bbc.co.uk/html5. If your browser has already switched across to HTML5, you won't see the option to opt in to HTML5.
Some older content requires Flash in order to play, so you might need to enable Flash on your browser to play these programmes. Head to the Do I need Flash? page for more advice.
For help resolving problems on your internet radio, mobile or tablet, check our other troubleshooting pages:
