Questions and answers
Why listen here instead of on YouTube?
MoodKolkata is a free website. Bengali story channels and music labels put something new on YouTube almost every day, and we find, sort and put in order the stories and songs a Bengali listener comes for. The stories and songs belong to the people who made them: every one plays from its maker's own YouTube video, in YouTube's own player, so the view counts on their channel. What we add is the finding and the order. Ghost stories and detective stories each have their own page, and so do Feluda, Byomkesh and Taranath, with every channel's recordings together. Serials play from the first part to the last, and you carry on where you stopped. When a story ends, the next one is another Bengali story, not whatever YouTube's sidebar suggests.
Why listen to songs here?
The radio picks the right Bengali song for the moment: rain songs when it rains in Kolkata, Rabindrasangeet at dawn, Puja songs at Puja. Or choose a mood a Bengali recognises, such as adda, longing or the old songs. Songs from long compilation videos play one at a time, and you can keep only the languages you like. It is free, with no app to download.
Do the channels still get their views?
Yes. Every song and story plays from its maker's own YouTube upload, in YouTube's own player. Each play counts for them, and any ads YouTube shows are theirs. We host nothing.
How do I listen to a series in order?
Open the series and press Start from episode 1: the parts play one after another. If you open a later part, it opens on the list of parts, starting from the first, with the one just before it marked Previous part.
Can I find every story of one character, like Feluda or Byomkesh?
Yes. Feluda, Byomkesh and every other character and writer we list have a page with all their stories from every channel. Open Stories and choose a character or a writer, or simply search for the name.
I only have twenty minutes. What can I listen to?
Choose With tea: every story there runs under 20 minutes. The length choices sit above any list of stories. The others are One sitting (20 to 45 minutes), An evening (45 to 90) and Long journey (90 or more).
Can I fall asleep to a story?
Yes. Set the sleep timer from the menu for 15, 30, 45, 60 or 90 minutes. When the time is up it pauses the story, and nothing else plays after it. Keep Screen On switched on too, or the phone may lock and stop the story before the timer does.
I live far from Kolkata. Is MoodKolkata for me?
Very much. Wherever you are, the radio plays to Kolkata's time and weather. The blog gives festival times in your own city, and writes about the Pujas, the food and the stories of home. The site and the blog are in Bengali and English.
What is the blog about?
Bengal's festivals, food, places, books and stories, written for Bengalis everywhere, in Bengali and English. Every post plays the songs and stories it writes about, and names its sources.
Is MoodKolkata free?
Yes. There is no subscription and nothing to sign up for before you listen. Songs and stories play from YouTube, which may show its own ads; MoodKolkata runs none.
Where do the songs and stories come from?
From their makers' own YouTube uploads: record labels, artists' channels, and Bengali audio-story channels such as Mirchi Bangla, Mir Afsar Ali, 221B Harrison Road, Thriller Land and Akashvani Kolkata. Nothing is copied or hosted here. The Credits page names them.
Can I listen with my phone's screen off?
Not inside a website: YouTube's player pauses when a phone locks, and YouTube's rules do not allow sites to work around that. Two things help. Turn on Screen On, and the phone will not lock while something plays. Or, if you have YouTube Premium, tap Open in YouTube in the player: the YouTube app keeps playing with the screen off.
How do I install it on my phone?
On Android, open the menu and tap Install app, or use your browser's Add to Home screen. On an iPhone or iPad, open the site in Safari, tap Share, then Add to Home Screen. It opens in its own window, with no app store involved.
Why does it play a particular mood right now?
The radio looks at the time of day in Kolkata, the weather in the city and the festival calendar. Rain brings rain songs, early morning brings morning songs, and late night brings quieter songs and ghost stories. You can always pick a mood yourself.
Which languages are there?
Songs are in Bengali, Hindi, English, Korean and Punjabi, and the audio stories are in Bengali. You can switch any song language off under More, in Song languages.
Do I need an account?
No. Everything works without one. Signing in, with Google or an email link, keeps your starred tracks, playlists, listening history, resume points and settings on every device you use.
What happens if I use it on two devices?
Each device plays its own thing. Your library, history and settings follow your account, and when you open the site on the other device it offers to continue what you were listening to, from the same point.
How do I delete my history or my account?
Clear your listening history in Library; if you are signed in, it is cleared on all your devices and in your account. To delete the account itself, follow the steps on the Privacy page.
I found a song in the wrong mood, or a story that will not play.
Please tell us at [email protected]. If a video has been taken down on YouTube, we take it off here too.
Is there an app in the Play Store or App Store?
No. MoodKolkata is a web app: it installs from the browser in a few seconds and updates itself.