In terms of rights, there is a world of difference between streaming radio and making it available for download. The BBC have been experimenting with making their programmes available as MP3 downloads (podcasts), but from what I understand it's a slow process.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/downloadtrial/

Once you've downloaded a file you can copy it, save it and manipulate it. The broadcaster loses all control and anyone with any rights associated with the programme can't protect them (so the BBC has problems with dramas or the Archers, because, I think, of long-standing equity-style agreements regarding payments for broadcasts). Also, the BBC is making programmes available for only 7 days after broadcast to mirror their streaming policy (again to do with agreeing terms with rights holders). So, download now, listen whenever. The thing that I think is nuts about that is that it's not unusual for me to arrive at a series half way through and want the opportunity to catch up by listening to past episodes. If it's a weekly show, the 7 day limit makes that impossible and removes much of the usefulness of such a service.

Posted by Jemima on October 4, 2005 12:40 PM

There are, however, programmes for recording online radio broadcasts and saving them as MP3 files. One of them Phonostar
http://www.phonostar.com/.
It does not work with all stations, though. Worth a try.

Posted by Bettina Winterfeld on October 5, 2005 9:56 AM

Your frustrations are very common among the podcast-hungry audience out there. "How do I get RealAudio streams onto my mp3 player ?" Well after looking for ages (ok, a few weeks) I found a very simple and FREE solution. The software is called 'StreamBox' (probably similar to Phonostar, which I haven't tried). It works great for every single BBC stream (I haven't tried other online radion stations yet). Here's how you do it:

>>> An easy way to save BBC (or other radio stations) online broadcasts as audio files (e.g. mp3) on your computer.

This is useful if you later want to record ("burn") these files as audio CDs or listen to them on a portable device (e.g. mp3 player, pocket pc, etc.)

NB. Although the BBC (and other online radio stations) already make their programs available on their website in the form of downloadable mp3 files, otherwise known as podcasts, only a few select programs are made available in such a readily-downloadable form. A dozen weakly shows at the most. Whereas you can listen to hundreds of "streamed" broadcasts. Streaming is basically the BBC allowing a trickle of data through to your PC, enough to ensure a continuous audio feed to be played. But at no point are you given the possibility of saving the whole stream as a single file. And this is what "ripping streaming" is about.

Basically you just need to install and run a program called "StreamBox". In it, you simply paste the URL to one of the BBC's 'streamed' radio programs, often a URL ending in a ".ram" extension (.ram, .ra, .rm are all extensions for the RealAudio program used by the BBC).

E.g.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/aod/shows/rpms/radio1/r1blueroom_sat.ram

StreamBox will then collect the whole stream (a one hour program will take only a few seconds to download if you have broadband), and save it in any given folder. With the StreamBox 'ripper' you can then convert this .ram file into any of the mainstream audio formats (.wav, .mp3, .wma) or use RealPlayer itself to burn it straight onto an audio CD.

I got StreamBox (free) from this link:

http://www.pctip.ch/library/downloads/dl.asp?id=4957

If you do go ahead and try this, once you have installed StreamBox you may have to make one slight adjustment to be able to convert files (i.e. the last step described above). This has to do with the fact that StreamBox works with RealPlayer files. Here is the simple fix:

===========================

Following the release of Newer versions of RealPlayer (e.g. RealPlayer v10+) StreamBox Ripper is no longer able to convert files.

StreamBox Ripper may show this error message.

"Decoding of the file requires external codec.

Please download & install G2 Player (www.real.com)

codec info (cook)

StreamBox Ripper needs the codec cook3260.dll Cooker G2 Audio Codec for RealAudio(tm) (32-bit)."

Previous versions of RealPlayer or RealOne Player had this codec.

RealPlayer 10 also has this codec, but it is named cook.dll so StreamBox Ripper cannot find it.

Solution.

Open folder.

C:\Program Files\Common Files\Real\Codecs

Right click on cook.dll and select Copy.

Then right click in that same folder and select Paste.

You will then have a file named Copy of cook.dll

Right click on Copy of cook.dll and select Rename.

Rename the file cook3260.dll

You will then have this codec named both ways.

cook.dll This is the one that RealPlayer 10 will use.

cook3260.dll is the one that StreamBox Ripper will use to convert files to .mp3, .wav, .wma.

===========================

Posted by allan_trad on October 9, 2005 4:17 PM

well if this works ..... that will be the begining of a new era for me !!!! there are only a handfull of mp3 on BBC website and with this i will now be able to record and download automatically Money Box.

great!!!

Posted by olive on October 9, 2005 6:10 PM

Thank you Céline! I must admit that up to now, I'd been a little disappointed about the relatively poor variety and quality of podcast material in French. I'll certainly try RTL..
The BBC's podcasts are quite varied, and of excellent quality. But then, don't expect a former BBC hack to be impartial on this one ! Have a look for yourselves, following the link kindly given by Jemima, or by going here http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/downloadtrial/subscribe.shtml
There are plenty of directories - for instance ( not sure about the quality of the content) http://www.podcast.net/ . French podcasts can be found here "podcasts": http://www.podblaster.net/
Fellow Mac fanatics will already know (?) that the latest (free of course ) version of iTunes allows will download and play podcast feeds.

Posted by Xavier Kreiss on October 12, 2005 12:29 PM

Hi

I've been experimenting with podcasts featuring short articles in French as well as interviews in English.

Please see:
http://www.thisfrenchlife.com/thisfrenchlife/podcasts/

If I can help people please ask away.

Posted by Craig McGinty on October 12, 2005 3:31 PM

Thanks everyone for the feedback, Allan, you're a star, Streambox works a treat!

Posted by céline on October 13, 2005 1:28 PM