Radio still dominates in-car listening, for now at least

While in-car listening surely plays its part in keeping CD sales higher than you might otherwise have expected in 2016, it’s even more important when it comes to radio sustaining its audience. Radio seemingly remains a popular listening option for those on the move, with new research published by Radioplayer last week reckoning that 75% of all in-car listening involves tuning into a conventional radio station.

Of course, Radioplayer has a vested interest here, but the organisation was keen to stress that its stats were based on a survey of 1500 drivers in three countries – UK, France and Germany – who had bought a top brand car in the last three years, meaning plenty of its sample group would have access to new-fangled in-car entertainment systems.

The arrival of the internet in the car presents a big opportunity for online audio services, of course, and most streaming platforms have deals in place with one or another car manufacturer to get their system onto the interactive digital dashboard of the future. And if and when such net-connected in-car entertainment systems become mainstream, that’s when streaming services could become a big head-on competitor for traditional radio.

However, says the Radioplayer research, for now at least drivers like traditional radio. 69% of those surveyed said that if they could only have one entertainment source in their car it would be radio (73% in the UK), while 84% said that they listen to radio programmes on most journeys, and 82% added that they’d never buy a car which didn’t have a radio inbuilt. …

… read on at completemusicupdate.com

Originally posted by Chris Cooke at CMU
16th February 2016