Looking to access BBC 6 Music – the dedicated alternative music station from the Beeb – from outside the UK? You can use a VPN – NordVPN works best – to unblock 6 Music via BBC Sounds and listen as normal, despite the international ban on the latter.
There’s good reason you’d want to, as well. 6 Music is the UK’s biggest digital-only radio station and has built up a dedicated following over the years. It even survived a proposed closure in 2010 and now boasts 2.7 million monthly listeners.
Though guitars feature prominently, there’s no genre too out there that 6 Music won’t touch – from folk, to jazz, dance, grime and beyond, they play anything alternative that gets the creative juices flowing from established acts or new artists.
How to listen to BBC 6 Music
To access BBC 6 Music’s eclectic output, you have a range of different options. A digital radio is, of course, one possibility, but if you don’t have one, BBC Sounds website, the BBC Sounds app (iOS/Android) and the BBC 6 Music website are also available.
To listen, you will need a BBC account — register here.
And if you miss your favorite show, don’t worry. You can listen again via BBC Sounds, with the majority of shows available as podcasts. There are also specially curated BBC 6 Music playlists available on the BBC Sounds website and app.
Remember, though, that back in July 2025, international access to BBC Sounds was shut down. Though the decision was met with disbelief, there are still ways to access the platform if you’re abroad. Read on to find out how.
Can I access BBC 6 Music on BBC Sounds from abroad or on holiday?
Yes. UK residents looking 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 months extra free this Black Friday…
How to unblock BBC 6 Music on BBC Sounds with a VPN
If you’re outside the UK at the moment 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 appear as if they’re back in your home country regardless of where in the world you are. So ideal for listeners away for work or on vacation wanting a taste of home.
NordVPN is our favorite:
BBC Sounds Troubleshooting Tips
If you still can’t access BBC 6 Music via BBC Sounds, even with the aid of a VPN, there are a few more things you can try.
Make sure your BBC account is associated with a valid UK post code, such as W1A 1AA.
The BBC Sounds app (iOS / Android) won’t appear in the Play Store or the 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’ve ranked the best iPlayer VPNs, something we’ve worked out through thorough testing, if one of them works today there’s no guarantee the same will be true tomorrow, 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 from outside the UK without BBC Sounds?
You absolutely can. Listeners based outside the UK can now access a 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 have to sign in if you want to download, follow and save shows.
Visit the website linked above directly through a web browser and it works. It’s a crude workaround, and doesn’t include key features available on BBC Sounds, but you can listen the BBC 6 Music.
Furthermore, only select radio content will be made available on-demand through the BBC 6 Music website.
What are the top-rated shows on BBC 6 Music?
As the UK’s biggest digital-only radio station, with 2.7 million listeners, BBC 6 Music has never been more popular and that’s thanks to its stellar lineup of shows.
Nick Grimshaw’s breakfast show has a weekly audience 1.3 million and is the perfect way to get yourself ready for a new day.
Grimshaw’s long-running weekend counterparts Radcliffe & Maconie – northern duo presenter Mark Radcliffe and writer/broadcaster Stuart Maconie – are also among the station’s most-listened to shows. It features intelligent music and plenty of special guests from the world of music and entertainment.
Craig Charles presents the afternoon show weekdays, but his Funk & Soul Show is also not to be missed. If it’s electric music, from blues to beats, you’re after then Cerys Matthews‘ weekly show is one for you. The former lead singer of Welsh alternative band Catatonia has also been known to feature poetry and consider how music affects our daily lives.
Another Welshie, Huw 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 features musical journeys with slightly more left-field artists, plus the odd bit of actual art. Fellow 6 Music presenter royalty Steve Lamacq has a show that’s out every Monday and features the veteran’s usual blend of new music and classics from established artists.
What will be featured on BBC 6 Music’s Albums of the Year 2025?
Every BBC 6 Music DJ has selected what they believe is the album of the year and from Friday, November 21, Matt Everitt’s weekly New Album Fix show (released on BBC Sounds every Friday morning) will explore each of those selected in detail.
There will be five 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 one week between Monday 17 November to Sunday 21 December.
New Music Fix: Albums of the Year – Episode 1
On BBC Sounds from Friday 21 November
• EURO-COUNTRY by CMAT (selected by Chris Hawkins)
• Glory by Perfume Genius (selected by Huw Stephens)
• Lifetime by Erika de Casier (selected by SHERELLE)
• LSD by Cardiacs (selected by Marc Riley)
• Warsaw 480km by pôt-pot (selected by Deb Grant)
New Music Fix: Albums of the Year – Episode 2
On BBC Sounds from Friday 28 November
• Canticle Hardposte by Proc Fiskal (selected by AFRODEUTSCHE)
• Devotion & The Black Divine by anaiis (selected by Zakia)
• In Limerence by Jacob Alon (selected by Guy Garvey)
• Private Music by Deftones (selected by Huey Morgan)
• viagr aboys by Viagra Boys (selected by Nathan Shepherd)
New Music Fix: Albums 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 (selected by Iggy Pop)
New Music Fix: Albums of the Year – Episode 4
On BBC Sounds from Friday 12 December:
• Crooked Wing by These New Puritans (selected by Mark Radcliffe)
• LUX by Rosalía (selected by Nick Grimshaw)
• Map of a Blue City by Marc Ribot (selected by Cerys Matthews)
• Tether by Annahstasia (selected by Jamz Supernova)
• we’re having a barn dance by lavender (selected by Don Letts)
New Music Fix: Albums of the Year – Episode 5
On BBC Sounds from Friday 19 December
• A Complicated Woman by Self Esteem (selected by Steve Lamacq)
• A.O.E.I.U. by Florence Adooni (selected by Gilles Peterson)
• Getting Killed by Geese (selected 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 (selected by Amy Lamé)
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