Digital Radio Platform Bit Rates
In the Freeview and digital satellite (DSat) columns in the table below, the bit
rate is listed for all the stations available in the UK on those platforms.
There are also 200-300 European free radio stations that can be received on
satellite but only the UK stations are listed.
The rows in green and sky-blue at the top of the table are the
stations that are available on DAB on the national BBC and Digital One
multiplexes. Below this the DAB stations that have a bit rate listed are the
most commonly occurring DAB stations that are on regional and local DAB
multiplexes. However, the stations that are available in your area may vary
significantly from those listed in the DAB column in the Miscellaneous Other
Stations part of the table and you will need to check what stations are
available in your area by going to this
postcode checker (please bear in mind that that website is run by the
Digital Radio Development Bureau (DRDB) whose sole purpose is to promote DAB in the UK, so treat any claims
about good audio quality with skepticism).
The important thing to remember in the table below is that
the higher the bit rate used for a station, the higher the audio quality will be, and vice
versa. So for example, stations on digital satellite (DSat) usually use a higher
bit rate than on DAB, so their audio quality will be higher on DSat than on DAB.
Also note that bit rates below 128 kbps will virtually always be mono stations
so the bit rate required is approximately half that of a stereo station.

|
Stations available nationally |
DAB
kbps
|
Digital Satellite kbps |
Freeview
kbps |
Virgin Media
kbps |
Wight Cable
Digital
North |
| BBC Radio 1 |
128 |
192 |
192 |
192 |
y |
| BBC Radio 2 |
128 |
192 |
192 |
192 |
y |
| BBC Radio 3 |
192 or 160 |
192 |
192 |
192 |
y |
| BBC Radio 4 FM |
128 or 80 |
192 |
192 |
192 |
y |
| BBC Radio 4 LW |
64 |
96 |
|
|
y |
| BBC Radio 5 Live |
80 |
96 |
96 |
96 |
y |
| BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra |
64 |
96 |
96 |
96 |
|
| BBC 6 Music |
128 |
160 |
160 |
160 |
|
| BBC7 |
80 |
160 |
160 |
160 |
|
| BBC 1Xtra |
128 |
160 |
160 |
160 |
|
| BBC Asian Network |
64 |
128 |
128 |
128 |
y |
| BBC World Service |
64 |
96 |
64 |
96 |
y |
| BFBS |
112 |
128 |
|
|
|
| Classic FM |
160 |
192 |
|
192 |
|
| Capital Life |
80 |
|
|
|
|
| Planet Rock |
128 |
160 |
|
160 |
|
| TalkSport |
64 |
96 |
64 |
96 |
|
| theJazz |
128 |
128 |
|
128 |
|
| Virgin Radio |
160 |
192 |
|
192 |
y |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| Miscellaneous Other Stations |
DAB (only available on certain local multiplexes) (kbps) |
Digital Satellite (non-subscription) (kbps) |
Freeview (kbps) |
ntl
digital |
Wight
Cable Digital North |
| 2FM |
|
192 |
|
|
|
| Akash Radio |
|
64 |
|
|
|
| Amrit Bani |
|
64 |
|
|
|
| Apple FM |
|
128 |
|
|
|
| Asian Gold |
|
64 |
|
|
|
| BBC Radio Cymru |
128 |
128 |
128 |
128 |
|
| BBC Radio London |
|
128 |
|
|
|
| BBC Radio nan Gaidheal |
128 |
128 |
128 |
128 |
|
| BBC Radio Scotland |
128 |
128 |
128 |
128 |
y |
| BBC Radio Ulster |
|
128 |
128 |
128 |
y |
| BBC Radio Wales |
128 |
128 |
128 |
128 |
y |
| CNN Radio News |
|
64 |
|
|
|
| Calvary Radio |
|
64 |
|
|
|
| Capital Radio |
160 |
160 |
|
160 |
|
| Caroline |
|
64 |
|
|
|
| CC Radio |
|
64 |
|
|
|
| Chl Line-up |
|
192 |
|
|
|
| Choice FM |
|
160 |
|
160 |
|
| Club Asia |
|
64 |
|
|
|
| Colourful |
|
64 |
|
|
|
| Cross Rhythm |
|
96 |
|
|
|
| Desi Radio |
|
96 |
|
|
|
| DNN |
48 |
|
|
|
|
| Dream FM |
|
192 |
|
|
|
| DutchIntSv |
|
96 |
|
|
|
| Easy Radio |
80 |
192 |
|
|
|
| EWTN |
|
96 |
|
|
|
| Family Radio |
|
128 |
|
|
|
| FUN Radio |
|
128 |
|
128 |
|
| Galaxy |
128 |
160 |
|
160 |
|
| Gaydar |
|
128 |
|
|
|
| Gold |
128 |
128 |
|
128 |
y |
| Groove |
|
256 |
|
|
|
| Heart |
128 |
160 |
|
160 |
y |
| Heat |
64 |
128 |
128 |
|
|
| Hot Digital |
|
128 |
|
|
|
| Insight Radio |
|
128 |
|
|
|
| InTune |
|
96 |
|
|
|
| Jazz FM |
128 |
128 |
128 |
y |
|
| Kerrang |
64 |
128 |
128 |
128 |
|
| Kismat |
|
192 |
|
|
|
| Kiss 100 |
128 |
128 |
128 |
128 |
|
| LBC 97.3 |
64 |
192 |
|
192 |
|
| Liberty Radio |
|
192 |
|
|
|
| Magic |
128 |
128 |
128 |
128 |
|
| Mojo |
|
128 |
128 |
|
|
| Moto Radio |
|
96 |
|
|
|
| Newstalk |
|
128 |
|
|
|
| Oneword |
|
64 |
|
64 |
|
| Panjab Radio |
|
128 |
|
|
|
| Passion |
128 |
|
|
|
|
| Premier |
|
192 |
64 |
96 |
|
| Pulse Unsigned |
|
64 |
|
|
|
| Pure Rated |
|
128 |
|
|
|
| Q |
|
128 |
128 |
128 |
|
| Raaj Radio |
|
64 |
|
|
|
| Radio |
|
128 |
|
|
|
| Rainbow |
|
64 |
|
|
|
| Real Radio |
128 |
160 |
|
|
|
| Recordbrazil |
|
128 |
|
|
|
| RTE 2FM |
|
192 |
|
|
|
| RTE Lyric FM |
|
192 |
|
|
|
| RTE R na G |
|
192 |
|
|
|
| RTE R1 Extra |
|
96 |
|
|
|
| RTE Radio 1 |
|
192 |
|
|
|
| RTI Radio |
|
128 |
|
|
|
| Saga |
128 |
|
|
|
|
| Smash Hits |
128 |
128 |
128 |
128 |
|
| Smooth |
128 |
160 |
|
128 |
|
| snr3 |
|
192 |
|
|
|
| Solar |
|
128 |
|
|
|
| Spectrum 1 |
|
64 |
|
|
|
| Sukh Sagar |
|
64 |
|
|
|
| Sunrise |
64 |
128 |
|
|
y |
| Teds FM |
|
96 |
|
|
|
| The Arrow |
128 |
160 |
|
160 |
|
| The Dream |
|
192 |
|
|
|
| The Hits |
96 |
128 |
128 |
128 |
|
| The Mix |
|
160 |
|
|
|
| Topps FM |
|
96 |
|
|
|
| TWR |
|
96 |
|
|
y |
| Urban Choice |
128 |
192 |
|
|
|
| Utd Christian Broadcasting |
|
128 |
|
128 |
|
| UCB Bible |
|
96 |
|
|
|
| UCB Insp |
|
192 |
|
|
|
| UCB Talk |
|
96 |
|
|
|
| UDB UK |
|
128 |
|
|
|
| VIP Radio |
|
128 |
|
|
|
| Virgin 105.8 |
|
128 |
|
|
|
| Virgin Classic Rock |
|
128 |
|
128 |
|
| Virgin Radio Groove |
|
128 |
|
128 |
|
| Virgin Radio Xtreme |
|
192 |
|
192 |
|
| World Music |
|
128 |
|
|
|
| WRN Europe |
|
96 |
|
|
|
| XFM |
128 |
160 |
|
160 |
y |
| Yarr Radio |
64 |
96 |
|
|
|
| Yorkshire R |
|
128 |
|
|
|
| 3C Cool Country |
128 |
|
64 |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| Subscription-only stations on Sky
Digital |
|
|
|
|
|
| All Day Party |
|
128 |
|
|
|
| Arabic |
|
128 |
|
|
|
| Bass, Breaks &... |
|
128 |
|
|
|
| Blues |
|
128 |
|
|
|
| Bollywood Hits |
|
128 |
|
|
|
| Chansons |
|
128 |
|
|
|
| Chillout |
|
128 |
|
|
|
| Classic R'n'B |
|
128 |
|
|
|
| Classic Rock |
|
128 |
|
|
|
| Classical Calm |
|
128 |
|
|
|
| Classical Greats |
|
128 |
|
|
|
| Classical Orch... |
|
128 |
|
|
|
| Cocktail Lounge |
|
128 |
|
|
|
| Cool Jazz |
|
128 |
|
|
|
| Country |
|
128 |
|
|
|
| DanceFloor Fil.. |
|
128 |
|
|
|
| Drive |
|
128 |
|
|
|
| Freedom |
|
128 |
|
|
|
| GROOVE |
|
256 |
|
|
|
| Groove (Disco ... |
|
128 |
|
|
|
| Harder Than Hell |
|
128 |
|
|
|
| HINRG LOWNRG |
|
256 |
|
|
|
| Hip Hop |
|
128 |
|
|
|
| Indie Classics |
|
128 |
|
|
|
| Jazz Classics |
|
128 |
|
|
|
| Kids |
|
128 |
|
|
|
| New Age |
|
128 |
|
|
|
| Reggae |
|
128 |
|
|
|
| Revival (60s-7... |
|
128 |
|
|
|
| Rewind (80s-90s) |
|
128 |
|
|
|
| Rock 'n' Roll |
|
128 |
|
|
|
| Rock Anthems |
|
128 |
|
|
|
| Schlager |
|
128 |
|
|
|
| Silk (Love Son... |
|
128 |
|
|
|
| The Alternativ... |
|
128 |
|
|
|
| The Word |
|
128 |
|
|
|
| Total Hits - F... |
|
128 |
|
|
|
| Total Hits - G... |
|
128 |
|
|
|
| Total Hits - I... |
|
128 |
|
|
|
| Total Hits - I... |
|
128 |
|
|
|
| Total Hits - NL |
|
128 |
|
|
|
| Total Hits - S... |
|
128 |
|
|
|
| Total Hits - UK |
|
128 |
|
|
|
| Urban |
|
128 |
|
|
|
| WELL CLASS |
|
256 |
|
|
|
| 60s |
|
128 |
|
|
|
| 70s |
|
128 |
|
|
|
| 80s |
|
128 |
|
|
|
| 90s |
|
128 |
|
|
|
|