3FM Player

• Listen using Windows Media Player Standard with Microsoft Windows
• Listen using Flash Player Standard on most browsers

We hope to answer any problems you may have with our player here. If you don't find an answer here, feel free to contact us.

I can't hear anything!

We have tested and found our Live player to work on Internet Explorer, Firefox & Opera for Windows, and Safari, Firefox & Opera for Mac OS X Leopard.
Check you have the latest Windows Media Player installed on your computer.
Windows users: Download it for free here.
Mac users: Download it for free here.

If you have difficulties getting Windows Media Player to work, you may wish to try our Flash player or Quicktime and the free plug-in Flip4Mac.
Then go to Settings at the top of the player, and select the appropriate option.

If it appears to be playing, but you still can't hear anything, try this check list:

• Speakers plugged in, and turned on at the wall and on the speakers themselves
• Headphones aren't plugged in by accident
• Windows volume control is not set to mute, and Master and Wave are turned up
• The small volume control on the player itself is turned up

The player keeps saying "buffering" / The audio keeps cutting out!

This is common if you are a dial-up modem user, as your connection may be too slow to process the streaming audio.
If your internet is generally performing slower than expected, you should contact your service provider.
If you are simultaneously using your connection to download other things, try pausing them and see if that makes a difference.

My ISP caps my internet usage, is it wise to listen to internet radio?

It depends on the cap amount, and how much you listen. If you are a regular listener, using the player for several hours a day, with a relatively small cap, it could quickly consume your download allocation. In this scenario you should consider switching to an internet account without a download cap.

Can I listen if I use Linux?

Try the MPlaying plug-in for Firefox here.

Why do I hear different programming / commercials to what you're playing on my FM radio?

Occasionally we may be prohibited from streaming segments of our FM broadcast online, due to legal restrictions. In this scenario, we will usually substitute the affected material with an alternative broadcast.

Howcome what I hear on the online player, is behind what I'm hearing on my FM radio?

Our online stream goes via many locations and through various technical processes before it reaches your computer, meaning it may be several seconds behind our FM broadcast.
The player also creates a "buffer", which is used to bridge any disruptions to the stream, resulting in a consistent stream of audio.

Can I participate in competitions I hear on the live stream?

Only listeners that reside in the station's FM broadcast area may participate in our on air competitions.

Can I download your shows, for listening to later?

Unfortunately not. As our programmes contain music, the authorities would require us to pay fees, making it not a viable option. You can however download our Podcasts, which offer edited highlights of some of our programming.

I think I might need to update my software, where can I download updates?

Follow these download links to download the latest free software updates:

• Windows Media Player
• Windows Updates
• Internet Explorer
• Firefox
• Safari
• Adobe Flash Player

Sometimes the player won't even open!

If you have a "Pop-up blocker" installed, it may be preventing our player from opening. Each pop-up blocker program will have its own way of handling this issue.
You could try temporarily disabling it, or adding our website to the "safe sites", or try holding the CTRL key down while clicking the link to open the player.
If you still have problems, check the help file that came with your pop-up blocker software.

The audio sounds too slow or too fast!

Your sound card may require new drivers. Check the documentation that came with it, and see if there are new drivers available to download.

My question isn't answered here!

Feel free to contact us, and we'll do our best to respond to your query.
We welcome all feedback and will do our best to respond to your query as quickly as possible.