Answers to the most frequently asked questions
Are you experiencing any of the problems listed below?
If any of the following problems occur, Android’s battery-saving settings may be preventing Audials from running properly in the background:
– playback of radios, podcasts or recordings always stops after a short time (e.g. always after 5 minutes)
– recordings do not continue in the background
– alarm clock, sleep timer or scheduled recordings do not start reliably
Try one of the methods described in this article.
Some broadcasters use geo-blocking to restrict stream access to specific countries.
This can not be detected automatically, because it depends on your personal location.
Tip: Consider to use the “Ban” command on such stations. Banned stations are hidden from Audials, and should at least not get in your way, anymore.
When you hear an audio announcement on a radio stream telling about an upcoming or recently occurred streaming URL change, please send us a request with the station name and the new streaming address.
We will update the streaming address in our database, with the next database update.
Hundreds of Internet radio stations change their streaming address and metadata, or even stop streaming entirely, every day.
Our worldwide station scanner scans for such changes, 24-7. We then provide regular station database updates, roughly every two to three weeks. Your app always loads the latest database on startup. No reinstall required.
Also and every day, countless stations experience temporary problems and are back to normal, hours or days later.
So in many cases, all you need to have is a little (sometimes a little more) patience.
It is likely that your favorite radio works again, soon.
Our Audials for Android and Audials for iPhone/iPad apps can show an “Ads” marker for radio stations.
The “Ads” marker indicates that a station is likely to play an ad service’s trailer when you connect to the station.
The exact algorithms used by advertising service providers are not publicly known. The marker only indicates a probability of advertising.
“Ads” marker default
Germany: On
Other countries: Off
By default, the “Ads” marker is only visible in countries where we are confident that we have reliable data as to whether and how often advertising service providers play advertising trailers.
Switching “Ads” marker on or off
Switch on the marker to try out if the display is sufficiently accurate and useful for your device and location.
Switch off the marker if you find it too unreliable for your device and location.
Audials Does Not Insert Ads
Audials does not add any advertising to radio streams.
Unlike some radio apps that insert their own ads to help finance development, Audials plays radio stations as they are provided. We believe that additional advertising interrupts the listening experience, so our apps do not add commercials, jingles, or audio ads of their own.
Why Am I Still Hearing Ads?
If you hear advertisements while listening to a station, they are usually being delivered by the station itself or by advertising services used by the station.
Common examples include:
– Commercial breaks between programs or before news broadcasts.
– Audio ads that play immediately after tuning in.
– Advertisements that interrupt the stream at regular intervals.
– Ads that are noticeably louder or quieter than the station’s normal audio.
Why Do Some People Hear Different Ads?
The advertisements you hear can vary depending on several factors:
– The radio station you are listening to
– Your geographic location, determined by your IP address
– Your Internet service provider
– The way you access the station (for example, through a web browser or a radio app)
This is also why you may hear advertisements in your own language, even when listening to a station from another country.
How Can I Avoid Stations with Frequent Ads?
Audials provides an Ads marker that can help you identify stations that typically play fewer advertisements—or none at all after tuning in.
If a station uses particularly intrusive advertising, such as very frequent interruptions or excessively loud ads, you may also consider contacting the station operator directly. Listener feedback can help stations improve the advertising experience for their audience.
