**UPDATE SEPTEMBER 2018**
Unfortunately the below no longer works due to an update to the BBC website. If I figure out a new way to do it I’ll update this post in due course…
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Every day on Facebook and Twitter I see people posting links to the iPlayer saying things like “listen to this – the bit you want is 1hr and 37mins in”. I’m not sure many people in the history of the world have bothered clicking the link and then scrolling through a three-hour show to find the right moment.
But you can easily amend an iPlayer link so that when someone clicks on it, they will be taken straight to the right bit.
How to do it
When you visit the episode page of the programme in question, the URL will look a bit like this.
That’s the link people usually share. All you have to do is add the below to the end of the URL, but change the zeroes to the appropriate hours, minutes and seconds:
#playt=00h00m00s
So if you wanted to link to something which was 32 minutes and 20 seconds into the episode the URL would look like this:
Simple! And if you stuck that above link on Facebook or Twitter it will embed and preview exactly the same, but when clicked it’ll take you straight to the right place in the audio.
Keep this code handy. Replace the zeroes with the right timings.
#playt=00h00m00s
Here’s an example. Click to hear a random fact about the link between CARP and LOVE: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07jys1r#playt=00h07m16s
Good to see this function come back Tim, the iPlayer Radio stopped providing this ability some time ago but clearly decided that it was actually bloody useful. Thanks.
“Well done that lad” as my woodwork teacher liked to say.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b093nqdf#playt=02h31m31s
Really useful tip there Tim, thanks for sharing.
Many thanks. Have wondered so often how to do this and so glad I found your simple instructions
cheers, Ruth
Hi Tim
is it possible to embed an audio link into my own web page that shows controls so that when a visitor clicks on the play icon, it starts playing a BBC archived program (rather than just sending the visitor to the BBC web page)? I tried looking for an embed code on the BBC site, but sadly found none. The programme I’d like to embed is https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p06fnf65
Many thanks
Paul
I’m afraid that’s not something I know about!
Hi Tim,
Thanks for sharing this, I’ve used it many times and its really useful — I’ve just noticed that radio iplayer has been updated and this trick no longer seems to work!
Do you know if there’s a new way of doing it or are the days of skipping straight to the juicy bit a thing of the past?
Cheers,
David
Oh no! Well spotted. That’s due to a recent update. I don’t know if there’s a way to do it now. But I’ll try to find out and update the blog if there is.
what about BBC sounds?
Almost exactly what I’m looking for… except for BBC Sounds. I want to share just one interview from this morning’s Today programme.
But it appears there is no way to do this?
Works fine now. Just go to BBC Sounds and download the programme then go to the start of the section you want to share and pause. Then go to share and send via email, whatsapp or whatever. When the recipient opens up it will play from there.
With BBC Sounds, when you forward the link it starts from where you left off. Not from where the original sender intended. I guess we are back to the time stamp?!
C’mon @bbcsounds Let’s sort this out: https://x.com/jtemplar/status/1719984240811462713?s=48
2024 calling. Tested it just now and it works.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0020phz#playt=00h09m09s
You do need to log into BBC Sounds so that spoils the ease of sharing somewhat.
Unfortunately this doesn’t work. What happens is that when you play a programme the website checks a cookie stored by your browser that remembers where you are in the particular programme. When I click on the link in your post it takes me to the start of the programme because I’ve not listened to it before.