Title: Simple Radio Forty Two Author: Thomas Lloancy Published: October 6, 2024 Last modified: August 29, 2026 --- Search plugins ![](https://ps.w.org/simple-radio-forty-two/assets/banner-772x250.png?rev=3166820) ![](https://s.w.org/plugins/geopattern-icon/simple-radio-forty-two_ffffff.svg) # Simple Radio Forty Two By [Thomas Lloancy](https://profiles.wordpress.org/tlloancy/) [Download](https://downloads.wordpress.org/plugin/simple-radio-forty-two.2.2.0.zip) * [Details](https://en-au.wordpress.org/plugins/simple-radio-forty-two/#description) * [Reviews](https://en-au.wordpress.org/plugins/simple-radio-forty-two/#reviews) * [Installation](https://en-au.wordpress.org/plugins/simple-radio-forty-two/#installation) * [Development](https://en-au.wordpress.org/plugins/simple-radio-forty-two/#developers) [Support](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/simple-radio-forty-two/) ## Description Simple Radio Forty Two is a small radio player for WordPress, inspired by Radio 42. It is written in vanilla JavaScript (no jQuery). You configure stations once, then drop the player on any page with `[sr42_radio]` or the **Simple Radio Forty Two** block. **What it does** * Plays Icecast / MPC, SomaFM, and Radio Paradise streams from a dropdown. * Shows now-playing metadata (artist, title, next track when the source provides it) via the REST route `/wp-json/sr42/v1/meta`. * On supporting mobile browsers, uses the **Media Session API**: lock-screen title, artwork, play/pause, and previous/next station. * Remembers the last station and volume in `localStorage`. If you navigate to another page that also contains the player, it tries to resume playback. See the FAQ: browsers often block that autoplay. * Optional custom title and button/background images under **Simple Radio Styling**. * Optional **Find stations** on Settings: the public [Radio Browser](https://www.radio-browser.info/) directory fetches real streams. If WordPress AI is enabled, it assembles a 3– 6 station lineup **only from those results** (no invented URLs). Without AI, the first six hits fill the form. Nothing is saved until you click Save Changes. This plugin does **not** keep audio playing across a full page load by itself (no background Service Worker). Media Session controls work while the tab that started playback stays open, including with the phone locked. ### Configuration 1. **Simple Radio** — copy the shortcode. 2. **Settings** — station name, stream URL, and server type (Icecast / SomaFM / Radio Paradise). 3. **Styling** — title and image URLs, with a live preview. Save to apply on the public player. ### Usage * Shortcode: `[sr42_radio]` * Block: **Simple Radio Forty Two** (Media category). Dynamic render: the same HTML as the shortcode. Stations always come from Settings (no per-block station list). There is no separate classic widget. On a classic widget screen you can put the shortcode in a Shortcode or Custom HTML widget. ### License Simple Radio Forty Two is licensed under the GPLv2 or later. See LICENSE.txt for details. ### Acknowledgments Thanks to the WordPress community and the Radio 42 developers for the inspiration. ## Screenshots [[ [[ [[ ## Blocks This plugin provides 1 block. * Simple Radio Forty Two Embed the radio player. Stations are configured under Simple Radio → Settings. ## Installation 1. Install from Plugins Add New, or upload the plugin folder to `/wp-content/plugins/`. 2. Activate **Simple Radio Forty Two**. 3. Open **Simple Radio Settings** and add or edit stations. 4. Insert `[sr42_radio]` in a page, or add the **Simple Radio Forty Two** block in the editor. ## FAQ ### Why is there a “Please wait” message at startup? On the default Radio 42 Icecast stream, the player briefly buffers (about five seconds) so the first play is less likely to stutter. Other stations skip that wait. ### Does it remember my station after a refresh? Yes. The last stream URL is stored in `localStorage`. Volume is stored the same way. ### Will music keep playing when I open another page? Only if that other page also embeds the player **and** the browser allows autoplay. After a full navigation, Chrome and Safari usually require a tap on Play. That is a browser rule, not a missing feature. ### What about the lock screen? While the player page stays in memory and audio is playing, supporting phones show title, artwork, and play/pause (and station skip) via Media Session. Closing the tab or killing the browser stops the stream. ### Does it support mobile devices? Yes. Play/pause are real buttons (keyboard and screen-reader accessible). Volume and station selects have labels. ### Can I add the player in the block editor? Yes. The block is registered with `block.json` and rendered in PHP. It does not replace the shortcode. ### Do I need AI to use this plugin? No. Add stations by hand, or use **Find stations** (Radio Browser). AI is optional: it only helps split a sentence into name / genre / country. ### Does Find stations save my settings? No. It fills the form. Review the URLs, then Save Changes. ### Where do the streams come from? The public Radio Browser directory (radio-browser.info). The search text is sent to their API. The plugin does not invent stream URLs. ## Reviews ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/4fa4a7371c039d73316afec130608f72e9434c29fa7338bca3c6d3b1e5b74c2b? s=60&d=retro&r=g) ### 󠀁[Simple but it’s work](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/simple-but-its-work/)󠁿 [harlay](https://profiles.wordpress.org/harlay/) October 9, 2026 1 reply -The expression "Keep It Simple" shows that clarity always beats complexity. I put this plug on mine website and it's perfectly working_ ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/c4c69c0a9e0098d951460c12fd1d8ecbd8ecf9588215dc76a29116ea2a329b60? s=60&d=retro&r=g) ### 󠀁[Go and downloadt it](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/go-and-downloadt-it/)󠁿 [Thomas Lloancy](https://profiles.wordpress.org/tlloancy/) December 1, 2024 Basicly an awesome podcast listener. As simple as that. That's my plugin and i like it [ Read all 1 review ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/simple-radio-forty-two/reviews/) ## Contributors & Developers “Simple Radio Forty Two” is open source software. The following people have contributed to this plugin. Contributors * [ Thomas Lloancy ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/tlloancy/) [Translate “Simple Radio Forty Two” into your language.](https://translate.wordpress.org/projects/wp-plugins/simple-radio-forty-two) ### Interested in development? [Browse the code](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/simple-radio-forty-two/), check out the [SVN repository](https://plugins.svn.wordpress.org/simple-radio-forty-two/), or subscribe to the [development log](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/log/simple-radio-forty-two/) by [RSS](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/log/simple-radio-forty-two/?limit=100&mode=stop_on_copy&format=rss). ## Changelog #### 2.2.0 * **Added:** Find stations on Simple Radio Settings. Queries the Radio Browser directory and fills up to 6 working streams. Does not save until Save Changes. * **Added:** Optional AI assembly (Connectors): plan searches, then pick 3–6 URLs from the fetched pool only. Without AI, first six hits. * **Added:** Abilities list-stations and propose-stations (manage_options). * **Design:** Native admin search box on Settings. * **Docs:** Directory search, privacy (radio-browser.info), EN + FR guides. * **Privacy:** Find stations sends your search text to radio-browser.info mirrors. #### 2.1.0 * **Compat:** Tested up to WordPress 7.1. * **Added:** Media Session API — now-playing title/artist, artwork, play/pause, previous/next station on supporting lock screens. * **Added:** After in-site navigation, the player tries to resume if `sessionStorage` says it was playing. Autoplay is often blocked; the FAQ explains why. * **Added:** Gutenberg block `sr42/radio` is registered from `blocks/radio/block. json` with a dynamic PHP render (same output as the shortcode). The 2.0.0 JS- only registration is replaced, not duplicated. * **Design:** Player and admin screens drop gold “laser” glow. Native admin layout(`. wrap`, `.form-table`, `.button`). Play/pause are `