Listen Live FAQs

1. Why isn’t the Heart Radio Player loading?
2. Why can't I hear anything?
3. What programmes do I need?
4. Why does the stream buffer?
5. Are you trying to listen from overseas?
6. Are you an AOL User?
7. Do you see a message about plug-ins?
8. How much bandwidth does the player use?
9. Do you offer any other streaming formats?
10. The player has disappeared. How do I find it again?
11. Can I download a programme to listen to later?
12. What is the Direct URL of your stream?
13. Why haven't I heard back from you?
14. Contact Us

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Why isn't the Heart Radio Player loading?

The Heart Radio Player pops up in a new window to allow you to continue browsing the Heart website (make sure you check out the latest news in the showbiz section!). If you are running a Pop-up Blocker or ad-removal software this might prevent the Heart Radio Player loading.

You don't have to uninstall the Pop-up Blocker to use the Heart Radio Player, just add us to the list of sites that you trust. We're worth it. To do this go to Tools>Pop-up Blocker settings and add the following URL to the trusted list: http://listen.heart1062.co.uk

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Why can't I hear anything?

It might sound daft but the first thing you need to do is check that your speakers or headphones are plugged in!

If the Heart Radio Player connects, buffers and starts playing, but you hear no audio, you should check that the volume on your media player is turned up and your speakers are connected and turned on. If this doesn't resolve the problem, go to your Control Panel>Sounds and Audio Devices to check that your sound playback device is set to the correct sound card. You should also check the sound volume options and make sure your sound card is faded up and not muted.

If you are having with our stream, there is likely to be a simple solution to the problem. The most common problem is that your computer does not have the correct software installed. All the software that you need to listen to Heart online is completely free.

If you are at work, your company may have a 'firewall' enabled to securely protect its internal data. Sometimes your company's 'proxy' settings may be set in such a way that they prevent external streaming sources from occurring. If this is the case, you'll need to ask your IT department for a solution. We've found that bribing them with biscuits usually helps!

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What do I need?

To use the Heart Radio Player you need to have a program called Windows Media Player installed on your computer. You need to be running Windows Media Player 9. Most computers usually have this installed already, but to check that you've got the latest version installed, click here.

We recommend the following as a minimum specification for you to listen online:
Speakers or headphones
166MHz processor or higher
16-bit soundcard
28.8kbps modem or better. (We suggest 56.6 kbps or hi-bandwidth connection for best results).

You need to be accessing the site on one of the following browsers:
Internet Explorer - version 6 or 7 (PC)
Firefox - version 2.0 (PC, Mac, Ubuntu Linux)

If you are a MAC user then you need to make sure that you have Windows Media Player (WMP) and/or Flip4Mac installed.

The version of WMP is determined by the OS of the Mac user. The links for each version of WMP needed for each Mac OS are below: Windows Media Player 7.1 for Mac OS 8.1 and higher
Windows Media Player 9 for Mac OS X

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Why does the stream keep buffering and not start playing?

If you are on 56K dial up (not Broadband!) you may find the stream keeps stopping, buffering or is very slow to load in the first place. Please check your internet connection speed, as slow connections and older dial up modems can cause the audio "never" play or constantly buffer. If you are using a dial-up connection (modem), you will usually get varying connection speeds. Often, the speed is much faster than your 56k modem is capable of producing.

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I don't live in the UK, why can't I listen online anymore?

Due to restrictions in our music licences, overseas listeners are not able to access the live stream. To adhere to the conditions of our licence we have to automatically check that the network you're connected to is in the UK, before allowing you to listen live.

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I'm an AOL user, why won't the stream play?

AOL users might also have difficulties as AOL's IP address is registered as being in another country, in this case the United States. AOL users should contact AOL to ask if there a work-around to this problem.

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I see a message about plug-ins - what does this mean?

Some browsers require certain additional files in order to stream online radio via the Heart Radio Player. When attempting to listen via Mozilla Firefox, you may encountering a message about missing plug-ins. The same message may occur if you have recently updated your browser to a new version. In most cases, re-installing Windows Media Player will also install the necessary the plug-ins. For more information about Windows Media Plug Ins, click here.

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How much bandwidth does the player use?

Our lowest Windows Media streams are around 34k - so, if you listen non-stop for 24 hours, you might easily reach a limit of 1 gig. However most people listen to us for a few hours a week, which isn't going to eat that heavily into your monthly allowance, but if you are worried you might want to think about moving to an internet service provider that doesn't set a monthly bandwidth download limit.

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Do you offer any other streaming formats?

UK users can now listen live to Heart in Windows Media format. We have no immediate plans to use any other streaming formats.

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Why does the player sometimes disappear and how can find it again?

The Heart Radio Player operates within its own pop-up browser window, enabling you to navigate elsewhere on the Internet whilst continuing to listen to Heart. This means that from time to time the player may become hidden behind another window. If the player is not visible and you wish to restore it, you must maximise it by clicking on the 'Heart Radio Player' tab in the taskbar (this runs along the bottom of the screen)

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Can I download a programme to listen later?

We currently offer some podcasts for you to download and listen later. Check out the On Air section to see what's on offer.

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Can you give me the direct URL of your audio streams?

We can only offer support for streaming via the Heart Radio Player, but if you need the URL for your DAB Radio or SONOS System, save this link: http://meta.as34763.net/content/2.asx

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I've emailed you a question and haven't heard back from you! Why not?

We wish we could respond to everyone immediately, but we do not have 24/7 customer support. Please know that we do appreciate all feedback and do try to get back to everyone eventually.

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Got more questions? Want To Contact Us?

If you are still having problems listening online and none of our suggestions have helped you, please fill in the following form and we'll try and work out what's going on for you and hopefully get you listening online as soon as possible.

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