Vermont Public Radio provides high, mid, and low- bandwidth streams of VPR and VPR Classical and low-bandwidth streams for the BBC and the Vermont Legislature: High bandwidth (64k or greater) is recommended for people with cables/dsl; Low bandwidth (24k) is recommended for dial-up users.

1 :: The VPR Audio Player

The easiest way to listen to VPR and VPR Classical is to listen via the VPR Audio Player. However, if you prefer to listen via iTunes, Windows Media, other MP3 streaming players, or an Internet Radio, read on for additional streaming instructions.

» Click here to Listen Live with the VPR Audio Player «

Satellite listeners: If you connect to the internet using Satellite internet service, or if you are behind a Firewall (e.g. at work), the Audio Player may not work and you'll have to listen with iTunes, Windows Media, or another MP3 player.  Continue reading for those instructions.

2 :: iTunes/MP3 and Windows Media Player Playlists

If you listen online using iTunes or another MP3 player, select from the "iTunes|MP3" playlists below. If you listen on a PC using Windows Media Player, select from the "Windows" list.

24k? 64k? 96k? What does this mean? The 'k' refers to kilobits per second (kbps), a measurement of data transfer rate: in other words, how much data is one streaming from VPR. At a lower the rate you're streaming less data and, therefore, the audio quality is lower. At a higher rate you're streaming more data and the audio quality is higher.

Which should you choose? It depends on your internet connection and your streaming device. Try the various options and use what works best for you.

iTunes|MP3: Use these streams to listen on any MP3 stream player, such as iTunes or RealPlayer. These playlists are in the .pls format.

Windows: Use these streams to listen on your Windows PC, especially Windows Media Player. These playlists are in the .asx format.

The House and Senate streams from the VT Legislature are only active when they are in session. More on VPR's coverage of the Vermont Legislature here.

Having trouble?
If you have VPR or VPR Classical in your iTunes or WMP "Library" already, but they aren't working, do the following:

1. Open iTunes or Windows Media (or other MP3 player).
2. Find VPR or VPR Classical in your Library or "Music" list.
3. Delete it from the list.
4. Come back to this page and relaunch the stream using the playlist links above. We recommend you first try the Low-bandwidth option for your player: if that works, try the High-bandwidth option.

If you still can't connect with the links above, try to connect directly to the stream using the instructions below

3 :: Connect Directly to the Stream

If the links above don't work, you can connect directly to the stream using the stream URLs (below). The instructions vary across media players - iTunes, Real Player, Windows Media - but they are largely the same.

1. Choose your stream from the list of URLs below. Highlight and copy the stream URL: for example, the stream URL for VPR Classical High Bandwidth is http://vprclassical.streamguys.net/vprclassical128.mp3
2. Open your media player, such as iTunes or Real Player.
3. This is where it varies by player.  On Real choose File > Open.  For iTunes go to Advanced > Open Audio Stream.  For Windows Media Player it's File > Open URL.
4. Paste in the Stream URL.  Click OK.
5. The stream should open and begin to play.
6. The Player should also automatically add this to your playlists.  The next time you want to listen, you should be able to open iTunes or Real and click on VPR in your music/playlists.

As always, if you have any questions, please let us know.

URLs for Vermont Public Radio's MP3 streams

VPR High  ::  http://vpr.streamguys.net/vpr96.mp3
VPR Mid  ::  http://vpr.streamguys.net/vpr64.mp3
VPR Low ::  http://vpr.streamguys.net/vpr24.mp3
Classical High  ::  http://vprclassical.streamguys.net/vprclassical128.mp3
Classical Mid  ::  http://vprclassical.streamguys.net/vprclassical64.mp3
Classical Low  ::  http://vprclassical.streamguys.net/vprclassical24.mp3
BBC  ::  http://vprbbc.streamguys.net/vprbbc24.mp3
House*  ::  http://vprstate.streamguys.net/vprhouse24.mp3
Senate*  ::  http://vprstate.streamguys.net/vprsenate24.mp3 

Options: Choose what works for you

There are 3 options for listening to VPR live online. Which options is best for you? It depends on your computer, your internet connection, and your listening preferences:

1. The VPR Audio Player: This is the easiest way to listen online. No other software is needed, just launch the player in your browser and click the stream of choice. If you're looking for the fastest, easiest, 'click-and-play' option, choose the VPR Audio Player
2. iTunes/MP3 and Windows Playlists: For listeners who prefer to use iTunes, Windows Media Player, or some other MP3 player (e.g. Real Player, Winamp, etc.), use these playlists to launch VPR's streams on your computer.
3. Connect Directly to the Stream: If you'd like to listen in a player such as iTunes or Windows Media, but it's just not working, try these instructions to connect directly. This has the same result as option #2 above, but it allows you to bypass the playlists if those aren't working for you

Click here to learn more about VPR Online Streams.

If you have any problems with our Online Streams, please let us know.