Public Radio PlayerGive us your feedback
Your feedback is an important part of the Public Radio Player project. We want to hear what you think about the the iPhone app – what we got right, what’s bothering you, and how it could be improved. We are currently working on developing new features for the Public Radio Player, so now is the time to let us know what you think. Leave a comment below.
I recently downloaded the Public Radio Tuner app onto my iPhone and I am loving it. But I have one suggestion….it would be great if the app continued to run after I closed out of it, allowing me to access other apps simultaneously.
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I love the app on my girlfriend’s iPhone. Any chance you will make a version that will work with my Windows Mobile phone or with my Android phone?
hi,
great app. I love to listen to us-public-stations in europe.
Please add KPFA Berkeley to the stations.
Greetings
Thomas_U
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Are there regulatory, trade, copyright, or other legal reasons why say, a Canadian public radio station like ours – CKUA Radio -Alberta, Canada’s listener-supported network, cannot be listed or made available?
This project(and the Tuner App) is the future. I’m a financial supporter of KPLU/Jazz24, WWOZ, WBGO,WXPN. I’ve used my Treo 650 and pTunes to listen to my favorite stations at a cost of $50/month for the Verizon data package, for over 3 years. I’ve also subscribed to XM (now XM/Sirrius) for 6 years (and watched the slow deterioration of satellite radio to a series of talk fests with music interspersed). I just purchased my iTouch and through the support of the Webmaster at Jazz24 I found out about the Public Radio Tuner App. This app will allow me to discontinue both my cell phone data package and my XM subscription (I finally did get over the need to have instant email access and I don’t twitter or instant message). I would rather channel my support to public radio and this project. Keep up the good work! I will continue to financially this project and the radio staions that invest in this project.
Best Regards, Bruce Amos, Philadelphia
Your app keeps stopping on my iPhone 3g. Had 2.2 firmware, now 2.2.1. Any idea why?
Great application on iPhone. Even greater if you add San Diego’s KPBS!
Fabulous. 2 notions…
NPR stations need to put links on their websites so it is easy to donate, since we are now highly likely to listen to websites a long way from where we live. Most, but not all stations do this already, and to the extent PRT can facilitate this it would be good.
Second, I would REALLY like being able to do the same thing with C-SPAN. Given that they already have a web stream, it should be easy to add them.
Best regards.
Great App! I use it on the iPhone. May it be accessed through iTunes when at one’s Mac/PC?
Keep up the great work.
KPFA (Berkley) is listed under ‘current stations’ and KPFA’s website even has a link for the app, but it does not appear on the downloaded app…what gives ?
Thank you so much! I work in a valley with poor radio reception. I have been streaming via my computer, but this new app frees me to move around without missing anything or forcing others to listen to my radio choices. Love it!
Thomas and Doug, KPFA is available on the Public Radio Tuner. In fact, I am listening to it this morning. Please make sure you are using version 1.1 of the Public Radio Tuner.
The application is great except for one thing. Instead of stopping when there is an interruption to the stream the application needs to automatically re-establish the link and continue streaming. Right now everything stops.
I have an Apple IPod Touch with Software Version: 2.2.1.
I have Public Radio Tuner Version: 1.1 installed.
Today starting around 2PM every 20 – 40 I received “Audio Stream Unavailable. try again” messages while listening to Jazz24. After trying again I received the signal. After several times of this occuring I turned on my laptop and used only the wireless connection and the laptop did not loss connection to the stream when connected to wwww.jazz24.org, but I stilled received the above message on the IPod Touch.
Is there a way I can find out if the problem is in the IPod Touch or in the Public Radio Tuner?
Please see the comments under “iPhone software=smooth sailing”. There are 20 comments similar to my posting of 3 Feb
I’ve downloaded the application for the iPod Touch and it looks great, but I can’t get it to access a single station. All I get is “audio stream unavailable, try again.
Great app! Desperately needs to keep running after the iPhone goes into sleep mode!
Can you tell me what stream would be the
‘24 hour stream’ that appears on the top of the npr.org page?
Okay, I’ve used it some more. Now it will start playing a station but stop after about 30 seconds. Then the stream won’t reload. Another station, another 30 seconds.
I have a strong WI-FI connection and using iTouch first gen w/the latest update.
I just found this application this morning and I am excited about getting public radio stations from around the country. I can listen to the NPR programs such as Weekend Edition Sunday earlier than Chicago Public airs the program, especially the Sunday Puzzle at 7:40 a.m. It works well on my iPod-Touch second edition.
I am unable to get NET Radio out of Lincoln NE (netNebraska.org/radio) to play.
App looks good otherwise. Thanks.
Great application! One suggestion – display whatever show the station is playing as well as the station. That way, I can find a particular NPR show without going through all the stations.
Thomas, I am able to get NET radio to play on the tuner this morning. When you encounter an intermittent stream, the first thing to do is to check if other streams are working on the Tuner. The issue you encountered may have been some downtime at the stream source.
I just got Public Radio Tuner for my iPhone and I love it! I’ve gone through several apps looking for one that lets me listen to my local Hawaii public radio stations. Yours’ is the first to receive their streaming broadcasts. I agree with Julie W. (1/26) that being able to listen in the background while accessing other apps would be great, but that may have to wait until Apple implements multi-tasking. In any case, this is great. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
I tried the app on my 2 gen iTouch. It immediately plays a station but when I pause or go back to the listing of stations to choose another it freezes/crashes and I have to restart the iTouch. I see no other comments about that. Is it a known problem at all, or any way for that not to happen?
[...] is to post them at PublicRadioTuner.com. Here’s the link for general feedback and discussion:http://www.publicradiotuner.com/?page_id=165;And watch the blog there for [...]
Congratulations and Thank You. This will quickly become one of my favorite iPhone apps!
I’d also like to support Julie J-W’s comment about having the audio stream persist if you switch away from this application. That’s the only missing piece I can see!
I love your app!! I’m able to listen to my old public radio station in Ohio, which was only possible during holiday visits.
Please give us specific program options going forward. Some stations in larger markets have greater programming options. I would love to find these programs listed and be able to listen without randomly discovering them.
I’d love to see this app ported to the Android platform!
Like Erik Moser, when I open the app on my iphone, it plays the first station, but then freezes/crashes the iphone if I pause or try to get to another station.
jlika: Thanks for the love. We agree that on-demand program content will be a great addition to the live station streams. In fact, we’re working on that right now, and plan to launch a new version of the Tuner in May.
David: Check out our thoughts on “Life Beyond the iPhone”.
George: Thanks for letting us know. We’re keeping an eye on everyone’s bugs, and working on fixes where we think the app is the source of the issue.
How does one delete a Favorite?
Ralph, you can delete a favorite by clicking on the favorites menu tab and at the top of that page, there should be an Edit button. Hit that and delete any of the stations you have bookmarked.
Thanks Josh,
I guess I should have figured that out since it is similar to some of the other apps. Or, in other words, “I see” said the blind man
A suggestion for Austin, TX. Add Majic 95.5 which is streaming at http://www.majic.com
I love it, BUT how do you listen to an entire show for the day. The app stops after each segment. Example: Weekend Edition Saturday…I would like to listen to the entire show from Feb 14, but after each story I have to tap to get the next one to play.
Thank you, in advance for considering this!
What about unsigned artists and internet radio stations?
I operate an internet radio station that only spins indie and unsigned artists music. How can I add my stream to Public Radio?
underworldcommunications@hotmail.com
help!
this is a great app
I’m having an issue with KUNM which was why I got this app. the sound is all tinny (sounds like bad compression) is there any way to fix this?
When I click on ‘local’ the app suggests that KAFM 88.1 Grand Junction [Colorado] is ‘within 50 miles’ of Little Rock, Arkansas. Probably not.
Is the source code for the tuner available?
Although I have the latest updates for iPhone and the PRT App, the stream quits after about a minute.
Great app when it works.
I love the idea of the public radio tuner. I have also had some problems with “audio stream unavailable” stoppages every few minutes, which is frustrating. I have a very strong wi-fi signal in my house, and have a second gen. iPod Touch. I downloaded the program from the app store yesterday, so I assume I have the newest version. I also updated firmware on the iPod about a week ago, so it should be good. Any idea if it is a bug in the app, or my internet connection perhaps? Is there something else I should be doing to optimize using the tuner?
Thanks for you work on this very nice project.
J. Woods
Please add KUAC to your radio station.
http://linux0.cs.uaf.edu/radio/playlists/kuac64stereo.m3u
A note to those who are encountering problems listening to streams – there are a number of factors and variables involved in getting the radio stream over the internet delivered to your phone and very few of them are within our control.
I’m also having problems listening to streams here in Harvard Square, but when I walk home the streams magically start working again. Some things to consider – AT&T network reliability, internet stream availability and saturation.
My check to see if it’s Public Radio Tuner or the network that is having issues is to open another streaming radio app and see if they are also having problems. Most of the times if I can’t use Public Radio Tuner then Pandora or Wunder Radio also aren’t working.
As an individual who prefers to get most of my news from NPR, I am pleased that I have access to this app. I must say however that an inability to get a steady stream for over one minute has become quite frustrating. I have all the software updates, and understand that this may be an issue with AT&T rather than the software. This is really unfortunate. If I can’t figure out a way to get a steady stream without the program cutting off, then I’ll have to dump the app shortly. Someone help!!
I just wanted to be able to listen to my local station live and now I can and so much more!
The station oriented structure paired up with the topic/program oriented structure of NPR Mobile is an amazing combo.
Would love to see program schedule for a station as a feature in the future.
Excellent app! Great job!
Awesome application you have there. Mighty fine tool for my travels. I’m sorry about all of the negative reviews in the App Store… Some people just don’t quite grasp the concept of PUBLIC radio… *sigh* … I’m enjoying it nonetheless. I only ask that you guys work a bit more on the volume… Its still a bit low for me. Oh, and 1920s radio rocks!
We live in the Buffalo, New York area and neither of our highly acclaimed public stations are listed on your website. They are WBFO fm, the original NPR station and WNED fm, a total classical music station.
How could these stations have been missed?
I would love to have the ability to close the app and continue to listen while I use other apps on my phone. I assume the audio stops b/c apple does not let thirt party apps run in the background.. but don’t know for sure. Assuming this is apple’s limitation, how about embedding a silly game on the UI just so we can keep our minds occupied. Even better, maybe there’s some sneaky way that you can embed other IPhone apps (or the iphon’es main screen) into the station’s screen (w/ an iFrame or something)….
Agree completely with the previous comment, love the app, but it would be that much better if it continued to run, ipod fashion, once you closed the screen.
Mary Ann, the Public Radio Tuner is an opt in project for stations. We hope all stations will choose to join the project so we can provide public radio streams from coast to coast. You may want to contact your local station and suggest they submit their stream.
I just loaded Public Radio Tuner for my iTouch/iPhones. Great app. Are you working with KCBX San Luis Obispo-Santa Barbara to add them?
After playing a station for a short while, the station stops playing. Public Radio does not quit, it just stops playing the station, and it is till in play mode (the pause button has not been invoked). To get the station to play again, I must press the pause button (pausing the app), which turns into a play button, which when pressed, resumes playing; the stream starts over.
[...] Give Feedback [...]
Would it be possible to add more urban talk radio like WAOK Atlanta please? Thanks.
I love it, but I would like to request SC (charleston area) added.
It would be great if you could add the features that public radio fan has. Specifically, the ability of showing what programs are being streamed by public radio stations at any given time.
We’re Public radio fans. We got an iPod specifically to be able to take advantage of streaming broadcast on the internet and have access to PBS stations around the country. We’re disappointed because we have run into unexpected problems, any station we listen to will cut out after about 20 minutes. We spent time with Apple to help us. We followed all their suggestions but the problem persists. Their position is that the iPod works and Public Radio Tuner is a 3rd party software and they cannot support it. I listen to streaming broadcast on my computer trouble free. I see other users similar complaints on your web site can you please help us.
I have a 1st generation iPhone with the latest software update. Tuner will play for a few minutes, then stop although the screen indicates it is “playing”. Requires constant reloads. The app is simply not usable with this bug. Hopefully, a fix will be coming.
I’d add streaming when the app is closed, and add KPBS.
our station, KAFM 88.1 Grand Junction, is not listed under ‘colorado’ stations on the iphone app. We have to search for it top find it. Can this be fixed?
This is my favorite app – I love exploring new stations. Couple of ideas:
1. Add the Mississippi Public Radio network.
2. Allow tuner to run in background so I can use my iPhone while listening to NPR
3. Add a search for specific programs, eg., On what station is Gestalt Gardener currently playing.
hey if anyone knows how to can you add Key 103 to the public radio tuner?
My 2nd gen itouch keeps crashing with this app. A station comes on and if you stop it or choose another station it freezes up every time.Any suggestions out there?
I love my Public Radion Tuner. I would like to be able to listen in the background while I check my email, for example. Is this functionality currently in development? Thanks.
Are their plans for this project to become an open source project?
[...] Give Feedback [...]
I downloaded the PRT and I love it. I can finally take my favorite Public Radio station with me. I was surprised to find a non-Public Radio station on the tuner. KDFC in San Francisco is a great classical station. But it is owned by a for profit company. What gives?
Thanks for developing such a great app.
It would be great if the user could see what song is playing currently.
Awesome App!
Please add WXEL 90.7fm in West Palm Beach, Florida!
Thanks!
A link to purchase the ‘Now Playing’ song on iTunes would be great, and a source of revenue as well.
Great app… I see that you are working on a program guide. Have you seen publicradiofan.com? They have a great program guide – you may able to work out a cooperative agreement with the people who publish that site.
Love the app! Please add http://www.xlnc1.org/
I love this app and love this idea! My local NPR station has gone completely news and talk. I love public radio for the classical music. I currently have XM radio for that specific purpose. This app is likely to replace XM for me at some point. I too have the problem of the stations dropping out after some period of time I do have a strong internet signal and current SW on my IPhone and I Touch. Some ideas: Show what’s playing now MN Public radio stream has that functionality, have the app reload itself after the shut-downs noted above as I have my ITouch streaming throughout the house and outside having to stop what your doing to reload is a pain, or perhaps if one stream stops automatically go to the stream of your next favorite station to keep the music playing without having to stop what you’re doing. Keep up the great work!
I recently downloaded the app, but was unable to get KUNC out of Greeley, CO to work. I have notified them but not sure who is the one to fix the problem. Looking forward to receiving KUNC when the issue is resolved. Thanks for a great app!!
There is not a single channel for South Carolina, so it’s rather difficult to listen to “local” stations when the closest station to me is in another state.
To all the people who want the stream to continue when you close the app: Stop asking, it is not happening.
This is not possible. It’s not that the developer can’t do it, it’s that it is currently prohibited by Apple in the terms of the SDK. Third party apps running in the background is not something that Apple currently allows.
Anyway, great app. I’ve only been playing with it for about 20 mins but it works as promised. I look forward to new features in 2.0.
Some replies to recent comments
J. Mason Sisler – I am able to access KUNC on the Tuner this morning. Try again, and check your wifi/phone signal.
C Bauknight (and others requesting stations) – the Public Radio Tuner is an opt in project for local public radio stations. You can contact your favorite local station and politely suggest they to submit their stream so you can enjoy them on your iPhone/iTouch.
And as DUB explains, Apple does not allow us (or any app) to run the Tuner in the background as iTunes does.
Ralph, and others having issues with streaming. We are continually looking to identify bugs in the app and make fixes as we find them. Stick with us – the Public Radio Tuner is a work in progress, and your feedback about the issue is really important in helping us track down the problem. We do suggest that you check on your internet connection, and with other music streaming apps (like Pandora) to see if the problem is isolated to the Tuner in general, or perhaps a specific station.
Christian – Yes, we do plan to make the public the code for the app. Our hope is that the Public Radio Tuner will kick start a slew of mobile applications for non-profit public media.
Nick – Interesting idea about click to purchase the song playing. We are planning a program guide for v 2.0, but not live playlists. I don’t think many stations are set up to stream the metadata of artist and song title. Still, great idea for future development
Korry – yes, Publicradiofan is a great example of a program guide for streams. I’ll check to see if we have been in contact.
Great app! Best fix would be if it could work in background!
Contributions?
Since I’m now downloading podcasts AND listening to streams from public radio stations around the country, I feel more compelled than ever to financially support stations outside of my market. Is there a way I should share that I am sending the contribution in part because of their participation in this app? Can you / the app facilitate my contribution? Do you need contributions, be they ever so humble, to continue developing this app?
Oh, on hearing about this on All Things Considered, I thought we Yanks had finally taken to Internet Radio, in miniature. Alas, iPhone is part of the “solution.”
Someday, I hope something will let me listen to BBC World Service on wi-fi. That’s all. Love NPR, but ’tain’t BBC-WS
I am writing you from my Palm phone. I got it after frustrating attempts to run my business with an iPhone. This is my respectful request for a Palm OS app.
Every day, I commute 35 miles, from Los Angeles to Thousand Oaks on the 101 freeway. If I start Pandora before I leave home, it continues wihtout interruption until I get to work. During this time, the net connection switches between wi-fi, 3g, and edge, all without the music stopping.
With NPR tuner, the streaming stops after a few minutes, no matter what station I’m listening to. I then have to close the app and re-open it. This is very inconvenient, frustrating, and dangerous while I’m driving.
I’ve repeated this experiment multiple times. It’s not a problem with the equipment, or the signal. It’s a problem with your software.
What secret does Pandora know that you guys dont?
First of all, thank you so much for creating the Public Radio Tuner. It’s a beautiful concept and it only deepens my love affair with public radio. Thank you for very much for bringing this to the public.
As for improvements/suggestions, I have three:
1. Allow user to see what programming is currently on each station. It would be great fun to see an interesting show you haven’t heard of and tune in. As it is, you have to click around randomly in hopes of finding what you’re looking for.
2. Allow the app to continue running if the user switches to another app (mail, SMS, etc.).
3. Stream reliability is sketchy. When listening on the bus in Chicago, whatever station I’m listening to drops off within a few minutes.
Looking forward to 2.0! So happy to know further development of the tuner is ongoing. Would be happy to contribute a little something if you guys provide a means to do so.
Ditto on all the comments about the stream being interrupted whenever my screen goes to sleep. If I set go to sleep to never, it does seem to continue, but not otherwise.
I love the concept of this app, but like some of the comments above my frustration of the application lies within not being able to continuously stream.
I haven’t had a problem with Pandora dropping a stream.
Keep up the good work though, I really hope that 2.0 resolves these issues.
I spoke too soon. Further experimentation still gives lots of interruptions. I have an idea about it, though. iTunes does not seem to have such interruptions, but it buffers the stream, so little breaks don’t make any difference to the listener’s experience. If you could implement a similar process, I bet all these complaints would be handled.
Ditto on Neil Baylis’ comment, except I’m just a little bit south of him (Santa Ana to Lake Forest).
Pandora handles network switching and high-speed travel just fine, but not PRT. I’ve yet to suffer a dropout with Pandora, yet can’t go longer than a few minutes with PRT without the audio dying and the app needing interaction/a restart.
Frankly, all of the extra gee-whiz features you guys are adding are unimportant. If the app can’t reliably play streams for a mobile user with no interaction, it is useless.
In the interest of full disclosure: iPhone 3G, OS 2.2.1, listening to KCRW’s streams.
When the stream stalls, the station doesn’t begin playing again on it’s own. I have to press pause and then press play again and then it works. The app is great and I use it all of the time, It’s just frustrating to have to pull out your player each time it stalls, open the app and start it playing again.
Thanks
Doug, et al – We are working on a fix for the reconnect issue. When a stream buffers, the Tuner does not always reconnect. This, as you point out, can make for a frustrating user experience. This fix is a top priority right now and it will be pushed prior to the release of version 2.0. Thanks to all for contacting us and giving us the details. It has been a big help in tracking down the problem.
Something that would be helpful, in additio to the work you’re already doing on stream reliability, would be to give the user some feedback and control. Specifically, a “buffer fullness” ui component would make diagnosing easier and would reduce user frustration. And a bigger/configurable buffer size certainly would make it more reliable.
Wish it worked (for KCRW anyway) longer than 30 seconds . . .
(& thats with a great WiFi connection)
Hi
I am tuning in from Singapore and love the app! It would be great if you could add Singapore’s local stations to your list as well though!! Keep up the great work!
Is there a radio app for the blackberry?
It would be great if you could add the local public radio for Jacksonville, Florida!
Another vote here for Android! And a pony.
A pony FTW!
The newer version of the tuner drops more streams than the first version. Wha’t’s up with that!? I’m one of the thousands, I’m sure, who so want to back you guys up and help any way we can, but just can’t support this app as it stands. Why was such a faulty app released before being fully tested? Hopefully 2.0 will be the answer we’re all waiting for.
I agree with the comment above. This version is dropping more streams than the first one. Frankly, my experience so far is that it is literally unusable. Too bad.
I found a bug in your public radio software for the iPod/iPhone. KCUR is listed as a Kansas Station. KCUR is a product of the University of MISSOURI Kansas City. Hence it would not be in Kansas but in MISSOURI. I almost wrote a negative comment about your app since it didn’t have access to a major regional public radio station.
Could you fix it in your next update? Could you also verify that you have the rest of the stations in the right states?
Thanks,
Mark Fuller
Its far too buggy to consider using on a regular basis. Almost impossible to change stations. Hitting the “<- Stations” function freezes up the app and the whole iphone. Hitting an new station on the station list does the same thing, more often than not. The program won’t admit when the stream stops, but keeps saying “playing” when its not.
Great idea and hot stations, please keep working on it. Give priority to stability issues over bells-and-whistles.
Cannot access stations since I upgraded my app. on my Iphone.
I only recently saw the Public Radio Tuner, dwelling near the bottom of the top 100 free apps, and downloaded it immediately (version 1.2, which I downloaded on May 8). I have now installed it on my first-generation iPhone (running iPhone OS 2.2.1).
I am happy to report that – in contrast to many others commenting here – I’ve had only one instance of a dropped stream. It was accompanied by an error message (bandwidth too high, or something like that), and an abrupt exit from the program. It seemed to be associated with an abrupt end to a program. That leads me to suspect that there was a momentary glitch at the stream source.
I have now been listening for an hour or more with no further glitches.
After reading about the problems others have had when switching stations, I (somewhat reluctantly) switched away from a Vaughn Williams piece to another station, listened to a few words on that station, then switched back. No problems.
I gather that I am using the latest version, with enhanced handling of streams. It works! Great!
I should add that so far, I have given it an easy case: a good WiFi signal, and a stationary iPhone plugged in to my computer.
I have one request, which will seem idiosyncratic: Implement the handleOpenURL method, so that (for example) someone can start up the app using the Safari browser.
I should clarify the second and last paragraphs in my previous post:
The one instance of a dropped stream I saw seemed to happen at the end of a radio program. I got an error message about the stream’s bandwidth being too high to handle (or something like that), but before I could really read the message – let alone acknowledge it – the application terminated.
I should also say more about my request / suggestion: Implementing the handle OpenURL method would allow you to embed (and allow others to embed) calls which start up the app from a web page. Thus, on a support page for the app, you could have a button which would go to the description of the Public Radio Tuner in the App Store (if he were browsing from an iPhone), so the user could “purchase” and download the app. Then, later on the page, you could have a link which would launch the app.
You could also suggest to your member stations that they might want to use the same two links on their web sites. Even better, handleOpenURL could handle multiple URL formats, so that (for example) if the URL specified only the scheme (say, “org.publicradiotuner.iphoneapp:”), it would just launch the app, whereas, if the URL included call letters (such as “org.publicradiotuner.iphoneapp:WFYI”), the app would launch and begin playing the stream from WFYI. Then, you could use the plain URL on your web site, and member stations could use an appropriately customized URL on theirs.
Version 1.2 locks up in “loading” on WDET (Detroit) with no way to abort. Re-booting app returns to endless loop again.
When will the Public Radio Player app be available for BlackBerry? We listen to public radio too, and there are LOTS of us!! Thanks.
My friend is a member of NPR’s Los Angeles affiliate KPCC and was recently selected as a finalist in the Challenge.Create.Change contest for a video he created espousing the benefits of public radio membership. The contest, sponsored by Target and ConverseOneStar encourages people to challenge, create, or change something about their world. I thought this might be interesting to share with other affiliates as a means of encouraging people to contribute. You can watch the video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DviTjyyw8lo.
Please encourage others to view it and if they like it, to vote for his entry “first charitable act” at
http://www.youtube.com/converseonestar.
Would it be possible to make the station directory a directly accessible web service? I’d love to be able to add the equivalent functionality to some of the Linux Open Source media players to make it easier to find great stuff on public radio.
Many of us Public Radio junkies use BLACKBERRIES not iPhones! Please please please create an app for us, too. And not just the touch-screen Blackberry, thanks!
On Demand links in version 2.o are not playing on iPhone ver. 3.o…
[...] Give Feedback [...]
Can I get an earlier version of the tuner?
I deleted the latest version of the app when it started locking up my iphone, but I miss it dearly.
Your latest iphone app upgrade does not work for me at all. Both in the figurative, as well as the literal sense. It removed all the favorites I had selected from the earlier version. And now it is essentially uncontrollable as it regularly crashes or continually spins on some task that says “Loading… Please wait” all the while I am unable to do anything with the app other than listen to the last station I had selected.
I agree with the comment by Bryan, where can I get the earlier version of the app?
I don’t see why the current version was released since it doesn’t work and the prior version was working reasonably well.
iPhone 1st gen. running 2.1.1. On demand does not work at all for me. Any tricks/tips to getting it to work??
The Now Playing bar at the bottom provides insufficient room to display the entire info, especially when a station exposes song information. Would it be possible to make this bar a scrolling marquee?
I just downloaded the new Public Radio app but I’m having problems with the live search and the occasional start up. I’m looking for locals stations and everytime I search the load screen pops up and stalls. Is anyone else having probelms? Help?!
I solved the “freeze-up on opening” problem I had once I upgraded to V2.0 by trashing the first copy and repurchasing the application.
It now ‘works’ but am now reminded of another problem with this version. The bottom set of buttons is effectively gone. Less than 20% is still visible and the buttons do not work. I am unable to access favorites nor change out of the station streams section.
The Public Radio Player ver. 2.0 does Not stream .m3u or .pls URLs … not helpful for the many many stations use ….??!
Need a guide, with all the new features. Exploring more (on the iPhone) often leads to “no return” (no way to page back to where we started).
Always says “loading.” Can never go to menu to change station. Old version was more stable. HELP!!
I may be confused, because there are two public radio apps, but I think I’m talking about yours. When it launches, I’m told to update to version 2, but when I click updates in the app store, I’m told I have all updates. More important, I use Voice Over, a screen reader for the blind built in to the iPhone 3GS. I wish, like other radio apps, yours installed settings so I could disable auto-reload of streams on startup. I tried a stream the other day and the app told me it is too high quality for my 3G connection. Now the app tries to run the stream whenever I start it, and speech does not work well under this circumstance. I cannot identify the button to stop the stream. I love the concept of the app.
Hello Dean,
The Public Radio Player app is now at http://www.tinyurl.com/publicradioplayer
I’m looking into the Voice Over compatibility. Can you email publicradioplayer at prx dot org so I can get back to you on that?
Rob,
An update that should appear in the next week or two will fix the initial loading problem. In the meantime, just close the app and relaunch.
Loading… Please wait. This is usually all I get. Makes it impossible to do do anything other that listen to the last station selected.
Despite relaunching, and even cycling the power, this error has existed since app version 2.0.
It doesn’t work, can’t play any of the on demand stations, this is a HUGE problem, should be a priority to fix ASAP. By the way, your bug reporting page is broken too. When you click “add more details” half of the menu gets pushed down past the bottom of the box that the form is in. Someone needs to whip your programmers into shape or you’re going to loose all of your users very soon.
Since the last major update my streaming cuts out so much I can no longer use this app. Maybe just my area in Alabama but have tried in various parts of state with same results. Great idea, just unusable in my area.
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I want to love this app, but it won’t even load (and I have update 2.0.1) on my 3GS. I get two seconds of the startup logo screen, then it crashes and I’m back to the iPhone desktop. This happens every time I try to load it, even after several deletions and re-downloads. I have this problem with NO other apps …
Too slow! Not worth the hassle of getting to my favorites page to get to my local channels. Can you make it an option to set the favorite tab to be the default open page?
It’s not worth it to use a free app that is so bogged down with unnecessary bells and whistles. I just want to be able to listen to my local channel reliably. The rest should be simplified. Please! Simplify, simplify, simplify. Maybe that can make it faster.
One can read only the first part of “now playing” info; insufficient characters displayed. I suggest it would be better to fully display that info than the generic “programming schedule” info that is displayed prominently on the new version. (I use and enoy this app…thanks.)
Suggestion to make version 2 faster and more desirable than v1.1.2:
Upon startup, check to see if a station was already selected from the last start/usage. If so, immediately play that station, and do your other loading and overhead tasks in the background. I find it annoying to have to click several more buttons to get this public radio player to start playing a selected station. Thanks.
On multiple occasions, I’ve finished listening to something in the “On Demand” / “Featured” section and want to listen to something else, but the player won’t let me switch to a different section (like Live or even the Categories section of “On Demand”). I keep touching those other areas, but nothing seems to happen. The only thing I can do is exit out of the program and start it again. And yes, I have the latest version.
Sometimes I’ll be in the middle of listening to a long piece of on demand audio, and I’ll get a phone call. This seems to force the player to close, so when I finish my call, I need to start the program again, and I’ve lost my place. Is there any way to fix this, or is this an unavoidable limitation of the iPhone since it can only run one program at a time?
Very disappointed that the “new and improved” version no longer shows the title and artist on my favorite station – The Current (in Minnesota)
I LOVE this app but I have suggestions.
1.allow a program to continue from episode to episode-Newshour or World Story of the day programs are annoying because you have to start these up every 5 minutes when a story ends.
2. On the Media does not play
3. Allow downloads so I can prepare for when my internet dies (got an ipod touch)-I’m an addict. I don’t want to not have news when it’s shut down. RSSplayer (another app which may not be available) allowed us to subscribe to the newest episode of all our favorites and deleted them when a new one came along. This way, you always get the episodes.
4. allow backup to mac of favorites list. Sometimes these programs are corrupted and we need to download again and we lose our favorites list. Major bummer since it takes time to recreate.
LOVE this app
Hello Geoff,
First of all, the app has changed my life. No more mediocre jazz or crappy classical music (if they played Ellington or Beethoven and Mozart all the time, it would be fine). I use the app any day I am driving or away from home.
I do have an idea, though, that you probably have heard before, but here goes. When I am searching for live streaming programs I only get the current time choice. If it is two minutes before the hour, I can’t see what is coming on next (unless I am looking at a specific station). Then, sometimes the new time schedule won’t even load until well past the hour. I know it may be complicated, but it would sure be nice to search an hour or two into the future, so I wouldn’t have to miss the beginning of my favorite programs.
And, of course, as soon as Apple allows, I would love to see it run in the background. (You can tell them I said so, if it’ll help.)
Anyway, I use your app more than any other.
Thanks, Tom
I listen more to NPR programming these days and more religiously; thanks to the awesome sweet “on demand” feature of the iPhone app I loaded! However, I anticipate the addition of the program “On Your Health” as one of the on-demand programs -as I am sure that I am among hundreds (thousands?) that wish to listen to this informative and entertaining program. It’s like “Car Talk” but about health matters. Whad’ya programmers of this app? Please add it in your future program updates. Thanks.
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As regards your great PR iPhone app, a timer would be a great addition so one could listen before going to bed, for example, and have the app quit some time later.
Thanks!
I know this has been asked before, is there an app for the android platform in the works? Also I see no reason why android wouldn’t let your app run in the background when and if you port it over.
First, this is my #1 favorite app on my iphone and I have pages of them.
My problem may be with my set up, but when I use the “on demand” streaming, I would like it to just play down through the list of topics. For instance with The News Hour, they cut the show into segments. Is there any way to just let it play through the list from top to bottom or bottom to top? Now it jumps back to the first thing I played when it’s done with a segment.
Thanks much. I’m a supporter of KQED and KXJZ.
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I have an iTouch but am considering getting an iPhone. I’d love to use the Public Radio Player when I’m driving, to bring in stations that don’t come in clearly through my car radio. If I get an Internet connection via an iPHone, will I still be able to make and receive calls while listening to the Public Radio Player?
Lois,
You can receive calls while the Player is running, but answering will exit the app. However, when you’re done with your call, the Player will relaunch automatically and restart the stream you were listening to. You also need to exit the app in order to place a call. Hope that helps.
Sorry, couldn’t get the Idea Post to work (from the page top Let us know what you’re thinking area), so I’m posting it here:
It would be nice if the iPhone screen could be set to stay on while on a charging source.
Great app overall…very impressive with great access to public radio.
When will you have an android application? The Android OS is slated to ship on 25 different handsets this year alone. While today it is difficult to imagine anything as popular as the iPhone, we will be having a very different conversation at the end of the year. A very effective free OS given to multiple phone manufacturers on multiple carriers is not something to be ignored.
I use the droid (android 2.1) and would be very interested in a Public Radio Player, as I am also a public radio enthusiast.
Any plans to fix the “freezing” problem? About once every 3-5 minutes, your application freezes and stops producing sound, then returns in 5-30 sec. Sometimes it crashes completely. Pandora, by contrast, plays for hours at a time without ever freezing or crashing. I see several comments to this effect, so presumably it’s not just my problem.
I’d love to see a timer on the program to turn it off.
Thanks for this great app! I’ve got a suggestion: it would be nice to be able to see currently playing program info listed in some additional directories/screens. For example: it would be nice to be able to see at glance, what program is currently playing on each station in my Favorites list. It would be nice to have this info along with any station listings actually. Another thing I’ve always wanted in a radio app would be to have the ability to play a randomly chosen station from all available, or from favorites only.
It would be cool to be able to have a “Program” favorites list as well as “Station” favorites. So if you hear a particular program you want to hear again you can mark/save that station, day, and time. Thanks!