Want to access BBC 6 Music – the dedicated alternative music station from the Beeb – from outside the UK? You can use one VPN – NordVPN works best – to unblock 6 Music via BBC Sounds and listen as usual, despite the international ban on the latter.
There is also a good reason why you would like to. 6 Music is the UK’s largest digital-only radio station and has built a dedicated following over the years. It even survived a proposed closure in 2010 and now boasts 2.7 million monthly listeners.
Although guitars feature prominently, there’s no genre out there that 6 Music won’t touch – from folk, to jazz, dance, grime and more, they play anything alternative that gets the creative juices flowing from established acts or emerging artists.
How to listen to BBC 6 Music
To access BBC 6 Music’s eclectic output, you have a number of different options. A digital radio is of course one option, but if you don’t have one, the BBC Sounds website, the BBC Sounds app (iOS/Android) and the BBC 6 Music website are also available.
To listen you need a BBC account – sign up here.
And if you miss your favorite show, don’t worry. You can listen again via BBC Sounds, with most programs available as podcasts. There are also specially curated BBC 6 Music playlists available on the BBC Sound website and app.
However, remember that back in July 2025, international access to BBC Sounds was shut down. While the decision was met with disbelief, there are still ways to access the platform if you’re overseas. Read on to find out how.
Can I access BBC 6 Music on BBC Sounds from abroad or on holiday?
Yes. UK residents who want to listen to BBC 6 Music while traveling abroad can still access the BBC Sounds app via a VPN. We recommend NordVPN, which comes with 75% off and 3 extra months free this Black Friday…
How to unblock BBC 6 Music on BBC Sounds with a VPN
If you’re currently outside the UK and blocked from using BBC Sounds, you can still access the app thanks to the wonders of a VPN (Virtual Private Network).
The software allows your devices to look like they are back in your home country, no matter where you are in the world. So ideal for listeners away at work or on holiday who want a taste of home.
NordVPN is our favorite:
BBC Sound Troubleshooting Tips
If you still can’t access BBC 6 Music via BBC Sounds, even using a VPN, there are a few more things you can try.
Make sure your BBC account is associated with a valid UK postcode, such as W1A 1AA.
The BBC Sounds app (iOS / Android) doesn’t appear on the Play Store or App Store outside the UK, but you may be able to get around that by changing your phone’s region in the settings menu.
The BBC, like most broadcasters and networks, is engaged in a never-ending cat-and-mouse battle with VPN providers.
Although we have ranked the best iPlayer VPNs, something we have compiled through thorough testing, there is no guarantee that the same will be the case tomorrow if one of them works today, in which case you can raise the issue with your VPN provider’s customer support team and ask them to recommend the best server to connect to.
Can I listen to BBC 6 Music outside the UK without BBC Sounds?
You absolutely can. Listeners based outside the UK can now access one limited selection of BBC audio programming via the BBC.com website and the BBC app (iOS / Android). And the good news is BBC 6 music is one of them!
Although you can listen via BBC.com and the BBC app without an account, you need to log in to download, follow and save programmes.
Visit the site linked above directly through a web browser and it will work. It’s a rough solution and doesn’t include key features available on BBC Sounds, but you can listen to BBC 6 Music.
In addition, only selected radio content will be made available on-demand via the BBC 6 Music website.
What are the top rated shows on BBC 6 Music?
As the UK’s biggest digital radio station with 2.7 million listeners, BBC 6 Music has never been more popular thanks to its fantastic line-up of shows.
Nick Grimshaw’s breakfast show has a weekly audience of 1.3 million and is the perfect way to get ready for a new day.
Grimshaw’s long-standing weekend counterparts Radcliffe and Maconie – Northern duo host Mark Radcliffe and writer/broadcaster Stuart Maconie – are also among the station’s most listened to shows. It offers intelligent music and lots of special guests from the world of music and entertainment.
Craig Charles presents the afternoon show weekdays, but his Funk & Soul Show cannot be avoided either. If it’s electric music, from blues to beats, you’re after that time Cerys Matthews‘ Weekly show is for you. The former lead singer of Welsh alternative band Catatonia has also been known to have poetry and ponder how music affects our daily lives.
Another Welshie, Hi Stephens presents his show Tuesday to Friday live from Cardiff with a combination of guests and top music. On Fridays it’s ‘Music Sounds Better with Huw’ and the request show.
Mary Anne Hobbs‘ Sunday show offers musical journeys with slightly more left-leaning artists, plus some of the actual art. Fellow 6 Music presenter royalty Steve Lamacq has a show that’s out every Monday and features the veteran’s usual mix of new music and classics from established artists.
What will be featured on BBC 6 Music’s Albums of the Year 2025?
Each BBC 6 Music DJ has chosen what they think is the album of the year, and from Friday 21 November, Matt Everitt’s weekly New Album Fix show (broadcast on BBC Sounds every Friday morning) will explore each of the shortlisted in detail.
Five will be selected each week, with the latest from CMAT, Sam Fender’s Mercury-winning effort and the epic Perfume Genius all in contention.
One track from each album will be added to the 6 Music playlist for a week between Monday 17th November to Sunday 21st December.
New Music Fix: Album of the Year – Episode 1
On BBC Sounds from Friday 21 November
• EURO-COUNTRY by CMAT (chosen by Chris Hawkins)
• Glory by Perfume Genius (chosen by Huw Stephens)
• Lifetime by Erika de Casier (chosen by SHERELLE)
• LSD from Cardiacs (chosen by Marc Riley)
• Warsaw 480 km by pôt-pot (chosen by Deb Grant)
New Music Fix: Album of the Year – Episode 2
On BBC Sounds from Friday 28 November
• Canticle Hardposte by Proc Fiskal (chosen by AFRODEUTSCHE)
• Devotion & The Black Divine by anaiis (selected by Zakia)
• In Limerence by Jacob Alon (selected by Guy Garvey)
• Private music by Deftones (chosen by Huey Morgan)
• viagr aboys by Viagra Boys (chosen by Nathan Shepherd)
New Music Fix: Album of the Year – Episode 3
On BBC Sounds from Friday 5 December
• Last Night I Heard The Dog Star Bark by Gwenifer Raymond (selected by Gideon Coe)
• Joseph, what have you done? by Rainy Miller (selected by Mary Anne Hobbs)
• People Watching by Sam Fender (selected by Stuart Maconie)
• Teeth of Time by Joshua Burnside (selected by Emily Pilbeam)
• The Bad Fire by Mogwai (chosen by Iggy Pop)
New Music Fix: Album of the Year – Episode 4
On BBC Sounds from Friday 12 December:
• Crooked Wing by These New Puritans (chosen by Mark Radcliffe)
• LUX by Rosalía (chosen by Nick Grimshaw)
• Map of a Blue City by Marc Ribot (selected by Cerys Matthews)
• Tether by Annahstasia (chosen by Jamz Supernova)
• we’re having a barn dance with lavender (selected by Don Letts)
New Music Fix: Album of the Year – Episode 5
On BBC Sounds from Friday 19 December
• A Complicated Woman by Self Esteem (selected by Steve Lamacq)
• AOEIU by Florence Adooni (selected by Gilles Peterson)
• Being Killed by Geese (Chosen by Lauren Laverne)
• Sad and Beautiful World by Mavis Staples (selected by Beth Ditto)
• Teal Dreams by Yazmin Lacey (selected by Craig Charles)
• Who Let the Dogs Out by Lambrini Girls (chosen by Amy Lamé)
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