Radio once ruled the car. Now, digital dashboards, smartphone interfaces, and new “infotainment” systems are disrupting the car-listening experience … for broadcasters and car-buyers.
A new Ipsos In-Car Audio Study, sponsored by iHeartMedia, reveals that most repondents listen to AM/FM radio in the car, and overwhelmingly like push-button radios in the dashboard. This column notes that the average American car is 11.4 years old, and that technology change is always resisted by a preference for the familiar. Continue Reading
In the frothing realm of connected cars, we know what the tech companies and automakers are doing. But what do car-buyers want? Nielsen’s new report on consumer preferences in connected cars points toward answers. Continue Reading
Consulting and analytics firm Gartner released a prediction today, projecting that a quarter-billion connected cars will be on the road in 2020. The company notes that on-board Internet connectivity is starting to trickle down from premium models to mid-market cars. Continue Reading
TagStation, the industry-facing part of the NextRadio consumer mobile app, shared its wrap-up from this year’s CES, and the focus for the company this year was cars. It kicked off the event by announcing the launch of a car listening platform that showcases the interactive features of NextRadio. This joint project by TagStation and iBiquity looks to straddle several approaches to the connected car by blending online offerings with HD radio and the more traditional analog radio. Continue Reading
Automaker Hyundai is planning its 2016 digital dashboards, and issued a press release with some details. The system is called Display Audio, and comes in Google and Apple flavors. It is plug-and-play, where the driver connects a smartphone to the dashboard with a USB cable. The CD player has been eliminated. Continue Reading
AT&T has thrown its hat into the auto technology ring with the announcement of its own connected car platform. AT&T Drive is designed to be a modular solution where car manufacturers can pick and choose the features they want. HQ’d in a 5,000-square-foot research center, AT&T Drive joins Google, Apple. Microsoft, and QNX in a crowded space. Continue Reading
The digital dashboard is a gold-rush scramble for territory. But what if there were no dashboard at all? Autonomous (self-driving) cars are rolling toward us, and will be on the road sooner or later. How will audio competition be shaped when the car is a WiFi-connected living room? Continue Reading
Roger Lanctot is Associate Director of Strategy Analytics, and a thought leader in the connected-car space. In this guest article, he discusses the value of AM/FM radio on the dashboard. “Cars may be losing their CD players, but cars will definitely have radios in 2015. The only problem is that you may not be able to find the radio…” Continue Reading
Radio Disney has taken another step in the digitization of its programming, integrating Ford’s AppLink code in its mobile app. The result is integration with Ford’s SYNC dashboard, which gives drivers easy control of the app without touching the mobile device. As with other SYNC-enabled apps, Radio Disney’s product will be automatically located by the Ford system when the driver plugs the smartphone into the dashboard. Continue Reading
RAIN is pleased to present 43 predictions from 21 thought-leading guest futurists: Continue Reading
Joyride is a service designed to improve the business options available for podcasts, particularly for in-car listening. The platform, which was initially a voice-activated service for navigating mobile apps in a car, now aims to help listeners find more shows that they will enjoy while helping the show creators to make money. Continue Reading
In an interview with “Mad Money” host Jim Cramer, Neil Young revealed that Pono Music will have an automotive angle. He said the company is working with Harman to give Pono access within the 2016 Lincoln Continental. Tesla is also expected to bring Pono into its digital dashboard once the music store is ready. Continue Reading