On Demand
Audio Help
WNYC.org offers live streams and podcasts of almost all of our programs. Here's how you can listen to WNYC anytime and anywhere you'd like.
I'm New to Audio on the Web. What is It?
You can listen to almost all of your favorite WNYC shows on your computer through your Internet connection.
You can also save audio files, called podcasts, to your hard drive to listen to them on your computer or on an MP3 player, like an iPod. Once saved, you can listen to the podcasts any time -- even if your computer is not connected to the Internet.
If you have questions about listening to audio online, click on the questions below to find the answers.
General Audio Questions
- What audio is available on WNYC.org?
- What is an MP3 file? How do listen to MP3 streams?
- What do I need to listen to live streams?
- What do I need to listen to On Demand archived audio?
- Why does the link for the 128k FM MP3 stream only appear some of the time?
- How can I bookmark streams?
- What software should I use to listen to online audio?
- How do I search online audio?
- Can I embed WNYC audio onto my own website?
- Can I listen to WNYC's audio streams on my iPhone?
Podcast Questions
- What is a podcast? Visit our podcasts page.
- How do I listen to a podcast? Download and install iTunes.
Live Stream Troubleshooting
- Why does the sound cut out?
- Why does the audio skip?
- Why does the browser ask me if I want to download the Windows stream?
- Why do the voices sound robot-like or tinny?
- How do I listen to a live stream?
Still Having Difficulty? Want to Report a Problem?
What audio is available on WNYC.org?
WNYC.org offers Internet streams of our AM and FM live broadcasts; programming from WNYC2, our 24/7 high-definition (HD) classical music channel; and On Demand archives of our broadcast programming.
Occasionally we do not have Internet broadcast rights to a program and must stop the stream temporarily or present alternative programming.
Our On Demand archives offer selected recordings of WNYC programs aired since January 2003. Archives of programs not produced by WNYC are available on our shows page. National Public Radio news programs are archived on NPR.org.
What is an MP3 file? What do I need to listen to WNYC.org's live streams?
WNYC.org offers live streams in two formats: MP3 and Windows Media. To learn more about MP3 files, click here.
In addition to a computer with a sound card and speakers or headphones, you need an Internet connection (dial-up modem, DSL, cable modem or local area network) and audio player software.
To listen to MP3 streams, WNYC.org recommends the latest free version of Apple's iTunes for both Windows and Macintosh users.
Please note: The 128k FM MP3 and WNYC2 streams require a high-speed Internet connection.
To listen to Windows Media streams we recommend the latest version of the free Windows Media Player, available for download here.
If you need assistance installing or using Windows Media Player, please visit Microsoft's Windows Media Knowledge Center.
There are a few, older archived audio files that end in the letters ".py". These require Real Player or WinAmp to hear them.
What do I need to listen to WNYC's On Demand archived audio?
Most WNYC.org On Demand audio plays without any external player software. You need Flash version 7 or newer installed; the program comes standard on most computers. If you need Flash, you can download it here. To find out more about the WNYC audio player, click here.
Since 2005, most of our archives have been encoded in MP3 format. When copyright allows, the files can be downloaded and saved on your computer. Once downloaded, you can transfer the files to a portable MP3 player, burn a CD or play the file in the audio player software of your choice.
Some of our older On Demand audio files require Real Player. If you need the free Real Player application, download the latest version here. If you need assistance installing or using Real Player, please visit the RealPlayer Customer Support page.
A small number of archived news audio files are in Windows Media format, which is installed on most computers. If you need the free Windows Media Player download the latest version here.
Why does the link for the 128k MP3 stream only appear some of the time?
A high-quality 128k stereo MP3 stream is available for WNYC-FM broadcasts weekdays from 7pm to 5am ET, when our music programming is scheduled. At present, we cannot afford to offer a broadband FM Web stream during the day due to the volume of Internet traffic we receive.
I have the WNYC.org stream bookmarked on my desktop. Why doesn't the live stream launch anymore?
If changes are made to our stream, you may need to update your bookmark by going to the WNYC.org homepage and resaving the audio stream as a desktop shortcut.
When I listen to a live stream, the sound cuts out. Why?
There are a few explanations for why this may occur.
- Your Internet connection may be too slow for the stream you are trying to listen to, especially if you try to listen while doing something else on the Internet at the same time. Our streams require at least a 33.8-56K baud modem.
- There may be temporary problems on the Internet somewhere between our audio servers and your computer.
- There may be a problem with your computer hardware or software. If the problem persists, e-mail Listener Services.
When attempting to listen to an audio stream with Windows Media Player, the audio continuously skips (like a CD player), stops momentarily or gives me the following error message: "A network firewall may be preventing the Player from opening the file by using the UDP transport protocol. To play this file, try opening the file without specifying UDP."
Try the following:
UDP: Disable the UDP protocol (a type of streaming audio protocol)
in the Windows Media Player by unchecking the UDP check box found under the Network tab on the Options palette under the Tools menu in Windows Media Player.
Click here to see where to find the check box.
Buffer: Users with dial-up (telephone) Internet connections can try increasing the "Buffer" setting on Windows Media Player.
Under the "Tools" menu, select "Options" and then click the "Performance" tab. Change the "Network Buffering" setting from "Default" to 10 seconds or more. This will permit Windows Media Player to temporarily store more audio on your computer so the stream can continue playing if your Internet connection is briefly interrupted. Note the longer the buffer time, the longer it takes for streams to begin playing.
Click here to see where to find the buffer box.
When I click on the Windows "Listen Live" link, the browser asks me if I want to download WNYC.asx. What should I do?
The ".asx" file is a link that tells Windows Media Player how to connect to our stream, you should not need to download it. Make sure you have the latest version of Windows Media Player. Check your version by opening your Windows Media Player and selecting "About Windows Media Player" under the Help menu. Sometimes, especially after you install new Internet browser software, it is necessary to reinstall Windows Media Player.
Why do voices in the audio streams sound robot-like or tinny?
In order to broadcast audio over the Internet, sound must be compressed so it can be efficiently transmitted to the greatest number of users. Also, the speakers or headphones you use to listen to our Internet broadcasts affect sound quality. We have made improvements to the quality of our audio streams and will continue to do so in the future as the technology continues to improve. For a higher quality listening experience, try our broadband MP3 stream.
Can I embed WNYC audio onto my own website?
WNYC offers an embeddable audio player for you to use on your website or blog, allowing your visitors to listen to WNYC audio segments without leaving your site. Click here to learn more about adding the WNYC embeddable player to your website.
Can I listen to WNYC's audio streams on my iPhone?
Yes, you can. Our streams are available in both the Public Radio Tuner and the Nullriver Tuner.
How do I search online audio?
WNYC.org now offers the ability to search recent broadcasts by keyword in addition to the standard site search found at the top of every page.
The tool uses speech-to-text technology that enables search of audio content by words spoken during the broadcasts, offering results that are relevant to your specific search. The accompanying text-based search results include snippets from the audio to help you quickly determine the relevancy of each result. You can even click your search terms as they appear in the results to begin playing the audio from that exact point.
Audio from current and archival broadcasts dating back two years is available through this search feature.
What software should I use to listen to online audio or a podcast?
For the most trouble-free listening experience, WNYC recommends iTunes.
- Don't have iTunes? Download it for free here.
I have another question or a comment.
Talk to us! If you have questions or comments, please contact WNYC Listener Services.
If you have difficulty with WNYC’s live or archived audio streams or podcasts, and cannot find an answer to your problem on our Audio Help or Podcast Help pages, please fill out our online audio help form so we may try to help you.