[Ed999]

Here are some recent examples of the ffmpeg command line which downloads the audio stream (in these examples, downloading an .mp2 file from a HLS stream).

These are just examples of the correct syntax to use.

Obviously, none of these examples will actually download anything now, as the https url is only valid for a couple of hours, and all of these have expired. To use these examples again (within the 30 days that a show is available on the iplayer site), that url must be replaced with a current one.

ffmpeg -v 16 -stats -i "https://aod-hls-uk-live.akamaized.net/usp/auth/vod/piff_abr_full_audio/3be86f-b08w933f/vf_b08w933f_036923dd-b21a-4507-bc02-6715dcf0c2ef.ism/mobile_wifi_main_sd_abr_v2_uk_hls_master.m3u8?__gda__=1498354121_b90a8c9bcae3a8263772a5fb16def086" -ss 0.7 -aframes 148900 Episode_1_The_Lost_Stories_Point_of_Entry_Doctor_Who_BBC_Radio_4_Extra[148900].mp2

ffmpeg -v 16 -stats -i "https://aod-hls-uk-live.akamaized.net/usp/auth/vod/piff_abr_full_audio/fef031-b005fsvh/vf_b005fsvh_30bf17f0-dec0-4cc0-a149-638bb8bbf663.ism/mobile_wifi_main_sd_abr_v2_uk_hls_master.m3u8?__gda__=1498845579_d972a3d872dc2d2bfa0d07f083f7e1f5" -ss 0 -aframes 73191 Confrontation_in_Paris_John_Creasey_The_Toff_and_the_Runaway_Bride_BBC_Radio_4_Extra[73191].mp2

ffmpeg -v 16 -stats -i "https://aod-hls-uk-live.akamaized.net/usp/auth/vod/piff_abr_full_audio/8d0ec4-b00scvd8/vf_b00scvd8_bb0f16de-1089-49e5-a2cd-64dcb05a28f4.ism/mobile_wifi_main_sd_abr_v2_uk_hls_master.m3u8?__gda__=1498845729_0367660370a382568169ecb0ceb6517e" -ss 0.615 -aframes 74024 Episode_9_Series_3_I_m_Sorry_I_ll_Read_That_Again_BBC_Radio_4_Extra[74024].mp2

ffmpeg -v 16 -stats -i "https://aod-hls-uk-live.akamaized.net/usp/auth/vod/piff_abr_full_audio/d9fb9a-b009xxqs/vf_b009xxqs_14c0eef4-6261-4539-a1ac-6c1bc07026d9.ism/mobile_wifi_main_sd_abr_v2_uk_hls_master.m3u8?__gda__=1498845897_1e8f2b3ededb62e93ba1cb722b1c4886" -ss 0.015 -aframes 73924 In_General_Practice_Doctor_at_Large_BBC_Radio_4_Extra[73924].mp2

ffmpeg -v 16 -stats -i "https://aod-hls-uk-live.akamaized.net/usp/auth/vod/piff_abr_full_audio/dc7feb-b006bm2h/vf_b006bm2h_8c83614a-8af7-4054-a60c-13241d62d475.ism/mobile_wifi_main_sd_abr_v2_uk_hls_master.m3u8?__gda__=1498930981_04653b10d6ee167d8190829f569201ca" RL_Stevenson_Treasure_Island_BBC_Radio_4_Extra.mp2

ffmpeg -v 16 -stats -i "https://aod-hls-uk-live.akamaized.net/usp/auth/vod/piff_abr_full_audio/c6a440-b08wx026/vf_b08wx026_c8727fcc-f6a1-44bd-adcf-f5766667bf28.ism/mobile_wifi_main_sd_abr_v2_uk_hls_master.m3u8?__gda__=1498955654_1b3e124b9c3ca301769fb056cc05d51b" -ss 1.115 -aframes 149045 Episode_2_The_Lost_Stories_Point_of_Entry_Doctor_Who_BBC_Radio_4_Extra[149045].mp2

ffmpeg -v 16 -stats -i "https://aod-hls-uk-live.akamaized.net/usp/auth/vod/piff_abr_full_audio/457513-b00g9h4n/vf_b00g9h4n_9da5503c-03e5-4d10-9dc9-35cb511d9c22.ism/mobile_wifi_main_sd_abr_v2_uk_hls_master.m3u8?__gda__=1499044128_7d491eede9b7d87b6e24d60a3e663f28" -ss 1.315 -aframes 72347 From_30_01_1957_Educating_Archie_BBC_Radio_4_Extra[72347].mp2

ffmpeg -v 16 -stats -i "https://aod-hls-uk-live.akamaized.net/usp/auth/vod/piff_abr_full_audio/f4b59b-b063j9bz/vf_b063j9bz_4e2e241c-f8f1-4a18-8f40-251febd05484.ism/mobile_wifi_main_sd_abr_v2_uk_hls_master.m3u8?__gda__=1499045074_b5999663dfd57847fcac2f0bc058bc2b" -ss 0.515 -aframes 68141 From_18_07_1961_Whack_O_BBC_Radio_4_Extra[68141].mp2

ffmpeg -v 16 -stats -i "https://aod-hls-uk-live.akamaized.net/usp/auth/vod/piff_abr_full_audio/a87a96-b00279s7/vf_b00279s7_bbd0cc49-3bf3-4385-be98-1d165cb92414.ism/mobile_wifi_main_sd_abr_v2_uk_hls_master.m3u8?__gda__=1499101315_147c080b0c35b3d29cb9a64fd858b517" -ss 1.015 -aframes 68821 Mum_s_Army_Series_2_Dad_s_Army_BBC_Radio_4_Extra[68821].mp2

ffmpeg -v 16 -stats -i "https://aod-hls-uk-live.akamaized.net/usp/auth/vod/piff_abr_full_audio/ecb1f6-b01f9t29/vf_b01f9t29_f603006f-9416-42bf-ba13-c10b202aa076.ism/mobile_wifi_main_sd_abr_v2_uk_hls_master.m3u8?__gda__=1499102617_5950d087f40a0ccab3ac9b83c98e2678" -ss 1.015 -aframes 71458 Episode_1_North_East_of_Eden_BBC_Radio_4_Extra[71458].mp2

ffmpeg -v 16 -stats -i "https://aod-hls-uk-live.akamaized.net/usp/auth/vod/piff_abr_full_audio/6009b8-b0027l55/vf_b0027l55_a4340db0-f8de-46d2-8c7e-340a17176bc7.ism/mobile_wifi_main_sd_abr_v2_uk_hls_master.m3u8?__gda__=1499221714_851a7329436c04ca263c82e16ebb623f" -ss 0 -aframes 69073 Upstairs_Downstairs_Upstairs_Downstairs_Series_6_Steptoe_and_Son_BBC_Radio_4_Extra[69073].mp2

ffmpeg -v 16 -stats -i "https://aod-hls-uk-live.akamaized.net/usp/auth/vod/piff_abr_full_audio/ad967a-b00zmxmc/vf_b00zmxmc_04a4eee4-bb3b-4b43-a953-4c99c567c072.ism/mobile_wifi_main_sd_abr_v2_uk_hls_master.m3u8?__gda__=1499222502_d723e08c7e5b71817dee68cfc4fae1b5" -ss 0.2 -aframes 67524 Storm_in_a_Tea_Urn_The_Men_From_the_Ministry_BBC_Radio_4_Extra[67524].mp2

ffmpeg -v 16 -stats -i "https://aod-hls-uk-live.akamaized.net/usp/auth/vod/piff_abr_full_audio/fdce3a-b005hc91/vf_b005hc91_9b4bd9b1-4f6a-4049-a447-772d3a71c223.ism/mobile_wifi_main_sd_abr_v2_uk_hls_master.m3u8?__gda__=1499275466_6bd299693cfcec6e4a617a3c88117642" -ss 0.015 -aframes 74451 Operation_Fag_End_Series_1_The_Navy_Lark_BBC_Radio_4_Extra[74451].mp2

ffmpeg -v 16 -stats -i "https://aod-hls-uk-live.akamaized.net/usp/auth/vod/piff_abr_full_audio/b16b8d-b005jy99/vf_b005jy99_6a28ecef-584b-4380-9856-fa7abf5786c7.ism/mobile_wifi_main_sd_abr_v2_uk_hls_master.m3u8?__gda__=1499276437_3c5953396fbb94a876a61b121c3106f8" -ss 1.615 -aframes 74333 Sunday_Afternoon_at_Home_Series_5_Hancock_s_Half_Hour_BBC_Radio_4_Extra[74333].mp2

The easiest source of a replacement url for these is probably -

http://www.iPlayerConverter.co.uk/convert.aspx

Looking at the first part of one of these example urls -

https://aod-hls-uk-live.akamaized.net/usp/auth/vod/piff_abr_full_audio/3be86f-b08w933f/ ...

the section highlighted in red is the vpid which the iPlayerConverter.co.uk page requires.


For instance, this form of url (from iPlayerConverter.co.uk which they call the Playlist URL) works fine as a substitute for the original https url shown in my above examples -

http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/redir/version/2.0/vpid/b08w933f/mediaset/audio-syndication/proto/http

You can in fact simply take this url and put the substitute vpid in yourself (i.e. replacing b08w933f), and that url is then useable, without bothering to go to the iPlayerConverter.co.uk site.

One thing you need to know, though. This is a "HLS MP3 (UK only)" url, so it will probably only work if the download is using the mp3 format (i.e. the filename has either the .mp3 or .mp2 or .mpeg or .ts extension). And if you are in the UK.

For non-UK listeners, try the Firefox add-on anonymoX 2.5.3.1 (compatible with Firefox 39). I can't test it, because I'm in the UK.




Slightly off-topic, for listeners outside the UK here (briefly) is a comparison of a UK stream with a non-UK stream, showing the differences between them. The differences which I think are significant I've highlighted in blue.

Example of Akamai HLS url (UK stream) (a UK Stream for mobile phones) -

http ://aod-hls-uk-live.akamaized.net/usp/auth/vod/piff_abr_full_audio/
dc7feb-b006bm2h/vf_b006bm2h_8c83614a-8af7-4054-a60c-13241d62d475.ism/
mobile_wifi_main_sd_abr_v2_uk_hls_master.m3u8?__gda__=
1499036530_28808d5a86fb76d13d26039fc83f8cc5

Example of Akamai DASH url (a nonUK stream) -

http ://aod-dash-ww-live.akamaized.net/usp/auth/vod/piff_abr_full_audio/
03316c-b08vxtx4/vf_b08vxtx4_417a1117-ab79-43bb-bd4a-56d511bce726.ism/
pc_hd_abr_v2_nonuk_dash_master.mpd?__gda__=
1499120071_1e7c85c8b3a4d6fc439d8b41a92171a1

.