MAKING WAVES TO OPTIMISE THE IN-CAR LISTENING EXPERIENCE

In an effort to continue to prioritise radio in cars, Radioplayer is working with automobile manufacturers and broadcast companies to keep the in-car radio on the dashboard for maximum functionality; ease and overall better user experience.
 

Managing Director at Radioplayer, Michael Hill takes us through what is currently being done to make the connected car, the norm through what is called, Reference Radio.
 

Radio Reference is the result of years of research and development with industry such as; WorldDAB, Digital Radio UK, RadioDNS, and Audi.  

This prototype is an example of how broadcasters like the BBC,Global and Bauer want their stations to appear in the car radios of the future.”
 

The Reference Radio “hybrid” prototype is multiplatform, as it is DAB enabled; allows for internet radio streams; FM and digital radio options. “ It's been said that 'a prototype is worth a thousand meetings'. So, instead of describing a next-generation car radio in words, we decided to actually build one”, says Hill.
 

The objective is to create the best listening experience holistically, including in the car. The way in which this is done is through not having to manually choose different sources, such as internet ,DAB or FM.
 
Instead, all that is required, while in the car, is clicking on a station logo and the system automatically does the rest. “ We call it the 'Reference Radio' because we don’t expect car companies to copy the interface exactly - but they can 'refer' to it when they're thinking about building their own”, adds Hill.
 

So far, Radioplayer has partnered with Audi and DTS. Audi has built a hybrid radio interface, which is powered by data from all of the Radioplayer stations in the 9 countries that RadioPlayer is used in. “The latest model to benefit from this next-generation thinking is the Audi e-Tron, their new all-electric vehicle. We're in conversation with several other car companies too, but we can't reveal anything yet”, adds Hill.
 

Years of research, development and tests have been invested into the Reference Radio prototype however the implementation phase does not occur immediately.

Most car companies take 3 or 4 years to design and produce their new models, and those cars are usually on the road for around 10-12 years.
 

The relationship between car companies and the radio industry is a long - term one. “It’s about protecting the future of that 25-60% of all radio listening that takes place behind the wheel”.
 

Hill stresses that the benefits of hybrid radio experience, as demonstrated with the Radio Reference, means safer driving; as you don’t have to search through menus for stations - they're available at the tap of a button or a simple voice command.

He adds that seeing the station logos on the screen is an added improvement as it gives the interface a modern design.
 

RadioPlayer, which was launched in 2011 is the UK, is used in 9 countries around the world. In 2018, RadioPlayer hit an all-time record of 7.6 million unique listeners per month in the UK alone, across both web and mobile.  
 

Watch the Audi e-Tron video, showcasing the DAB capabilities, here :
 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAivK3DvKyY