FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Find some solutions to the most common questions from lyric listeners and web users.

How do I listen to RTÉ lyric fm on FM, DAB Radio, or Satellite?

FM: 96-99FM For tuning information, visit www.rte.ie/radio/tuning where you can find out about frequencies for specific regions of the country.

DAB Radio: Digital Audio Broadcast (DAB) Radio offers listeners an improved listening experience versus the standard analogue radio (AM/FM). It's easier to tune than a conventional AM/FM radio - there are no frequencies to remember as you can tune by station name. DAB eliminates the hiss and crackle noise often associated with analogue radio. Another feature is that programme details can be viewed on the digital display available on many DAB radios. For some programmes, music details will be displayed on your DAB radio.

If you are in Ireland and have a DAB radio/receiver, you can tune into RTÉ lyric fm by simply finding the station name.

For full details, visit the RTÉ Digital Radio webpage: www.rte.ie/digitalradio

Satellite: Available 24 hours daily on the Astra 2D satellite on EPG/Sky Channel for RTE lyric fm is 0165.

How can I listen to RTÉ lyric fm online?
You have TWO options

(1) You can listen to the live stream (what is going out on air now)
Click HERE to listen live with the RTÉ.ie Media Player

(2) You can listen back to programmes that have been already broadcast.

To listen back to programmes that have already been broadcast, you will find listen back links at that programme's webpage. You can find individual programme pages by going to the lyric home page www.rte.ie/lyricfm and then browsing through the drop down menu 'Find your show here'. For example, to listen back to the latest edition of Artszone, go to the Artszone webpage, www.rte.ie/lyricfm/arts and click on the link 'Listen to the latest show' on the right hand side below the production credits.

* Some programmes have a more extensive audio archive, which is available on individual programme webpages.

Do I need any special software?
To listen to lyric online you will need to have either RealPlayer or Windows Media Player installed on your computer.

For listen back/audio on demand, you will need to have Realplayer installed on your computer.

How do I download and install RealPlayer?
RealPlayer is not made by RTÉ, so you will need to download it from another website. To download and use a free version of Realplayer, click this link.

During the download and installation, you may be asked to agree to some terms and conditions. RTÉ is not involved in that agreement and is not responsible for external websites.

How do I download and install Windows Media Player?
Windows Media Player is not made by RTÉ, so you will need to download it from another website. To download and use a free version of Windows Media Player, click this link.

During the download and installation process, you may be asked to agree to some terms and conditions. RTÉ is not involved in that agreement and is not responsible for external websites.

How long after a programme airs can I listen back to it online?
In general, weekly and bi-weekly programmes are available for listen back online up to one week following the date it aired. Programmes that air daily, Monday to Friday, are usually available for listen back up to 24 hours after they air (in other words, until the programme airs again the next day). Each edition of In Tempo and the Lyric Concert is available for 7 days after its broadcast. You will find links for each day of the week on the relevant programme webpage.

Some of our specialist programmes including Artszone, Gloria, Lyric Feature, Nova, and Sunday Sequence have a more extensive audio and playlist archive which you will find on their programme webpages.

Where can I find a list of programmes?
Go to the lyric home page www.rte.ie/lyricfm. You will see a drop down menu labelled 'Find your show here'. A complete list of lyric programmes can be found by scrolling down that menu.
Alternatively, you will see a list of categories in the left hand column of the lyric home page. You can click on a category to find lyric programmes which fit into that category. Example: By clicking on the link for the 'Trad & World' category, the following lyric programmes will be listed 'Reels to Ragas', 'Grace Notes'.

Where can I find a playlist?
You will find playlists for many programmes on their individual programme pages by going to the lyric home page www.rte.ie/lyricfm and then browsing through the drop down menu 'Find your show here'. Once you have found your programme page, look for links such as 'Played on.', 'Playlist Archive' or 'Daily Playlists'. In cases where playlists are not provided on a programme's webpage, you are welcome to contact the programme directly with your query. You will find programme email addresses on the right side of the programme webpage.

How do I contact a lyric programme?
Click HERE for lyric contact details.

Email: To email a programme, visit the programme webpage and you will find the email address in the column the right hand side.

Text: Text 51554 and the keyword appropriate for the programme of your choice. To find the keyword for your show, visit the programme webpage. The keyword will be in the column on the right hand side. (If no keyword is indicated, then that programme does not currently receive texts.)

Phone: +353 (61) 207 300

Post: 'Programme Name' followed by RTÉ lyric fm, Cornmarket Square, Limerick, Ireland.

Where can I find RTÉ lyric fm podcasts and downloads?
All RTÉ lyric fm podcasts can be found at lyric's podcasting page: www.rte.ie/radio/podcast/lyric.html or by visiting your chosen programme's webpages where you will be directed to that programme's podcasts.

Once I find the podcast page on the lyric website, what do I do?
Once you are at a podcast page, you have three options to access the audio:

- Audio Streaming
Click on the link for the desired podcast to listen right away, using your default media player.

- Download the file
Right Click on the link for the desired podcast and select "Save Target As..." and save the file to your computer. It will take some time to download the file (length of time will vary depending on the speed of your internet connection). You can then access and listen to that file on your computer any time, or transfer it to an mp3 player.

- Sign up/Subscibe to the podcast
Follow the instructions near the bottom of the podcast page to sign up, or subscribe, to the podcast, or click HERE for the instructions. Once you subscribe, audio files will automatically be downloaded to your computer and you will be able to access those audio files at your convenience.

What do I need in order to sign up for a podcast?
You need an internet connection and a piece of podcast software which is usually available free of charge. This software can check RTÉ for new episodes and automatically download them for you. (For best results, the internet connection should be high-speed/broadband. However, a dial-up connection may be sufficient in some cases.)

Where do I find podcast software and what do I do with it?
There are a number of freely downloadable programmes that allow you to access podcasts. Some of the most popular applications are iTunes, Juice and Doppler, for a list of more options go to www.podcastingnews.com. (RTÉ is not responsible for the content of external websites or applications.)
Click HERE for full instructions on setting up podcast software and listening to your podcst.

Do I need an mp3 player to subscribe to podcasts or to download?
No. A personal computer can be used to receive podcast files or to download. When you have downloaded podcasts, it is possible to transfer them to a more portable mp3 player.

Can I burn podcast episodes to CD?
Yes, but the podcasts are for your personal non-commercial use only.

All rights to RTÉ lyric fm podcasts remain the property of RTÉ. You may not edit, alter, adapt or add to an RTÉ podcast in any way.

In which file formats are podcasts available?
All podcasts are offered as mp3 files.

Why aren't there more lyric programmes available as podcasts?
You have probably found that much of what is available by download/podcast through the lyric website is speech-based programmes, as in those cases, we are often not restricted by copyright issues. This is because the rights for most speech programming belong to RTÉ. Due to copyright constraints regarding music, we are unable to offer many of our music-based programmes as downloads/podcasts.

Once I've subscribed to a podcast, can I unsubscribe / stop receiving podcasts?
It is possible to unsubscribe. How to do this depends on the podcast software that you are using. Here are some general guidelines:

Select the undesired podcast, in the software that you are using.

Sometimes simply selecting the feed and hitting the delete key may do the trick.

Another approach: while the undesired podcast is selected, look for a button indicating "unsubscribe", "delete", "remove", "remove selected feed" or something similar and select/click on this option.

If you have unsubscribed to a podcast, you may find that previously downloaded episodes remain on your computer/mp3 player. If you don't wish to keep those episodes, you may have to delete those files even after unsubscribing.

What if I have a question about lyric podcasts?
If you have any comments, queries or opinions please let us know. Email us at lyricfmwebteam[at]rte.ie.

I've found a broken link. Who do I report it to so it can be fixed?
Please contact us if a link is not working and we will try and correct it for you.

Have a comment about our website?
Click here to let us know what you think.

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What is a podcast?
Podcasting allows you to automatically receive the latest episode of your chosen programme/feature as soon as it's available and you are online. You need to "subscribe" to receive a podcast, much like you might subscribe to a magazine and have it delivered on a regular basis. When you subscribe you can expect to receive new sound files on your computer as additional content in that series is made available. You can listen podcasts on your computer or transfer them to your mp3 player. For example, the 'Quiet Quarter' which airs on Lyric Notes, is a regular speech-based feature that airs every weekday and therefore we are able to offer that to listeners as a podcast. Lyric podcasts are free - there is no charge for accessing them.

What is a download?
There is a slight difference between the terms, podcast and a download. The term podcast implies that a collection or a series of media files are distributed via the internet through syndication. A download implies a once-off situation; only a single media file being distributed.

What is an mp3?
MP3 is a popular digital music format for sound files that are small in size but still reasonably high in quality. Many sound files found on the internet available for download or as podcasts will be in the form of mp3s. If you subscribe to a lyric podcast, the sound files that will be received on a regular basis will be mp3s.