Car Audio Entertainment Systems: A Journey to Perfection

The world of car audio entertainment systems has undergone significant transformations in recent years, but there is still room for improvement. Steve Ahern, CEO of AMT Pty Ltd and Publisher of this trade journal, recently visited the main players in car dashboard systems at the NABShow in America to explore the current state of the industry and the future of car entertainment.

The Problem

Cars have a standard radio receiver, but they are also tethered to our phones to bring in more entertainment and connectivity options. The issue is that there are too many clicks to move between the various audio offerings, including live to air broadcast radio, podcasts, online radio, and music streaming. Additionally, there are other necessary screen options, such as maps.

Too many clicks to move between audio offerings
Too many screen options
Need for a user-friendly interface
Need for accurate voice control

The Solutions

There are three main providers proposing solutions in the car entertainment space: Xperi, RadioPlayer, and Gracenote.

Xperi and RadioPlayer are radio industry-related companies that interface with car manufacturers.
Gracenote is an agnostic data provider that works with TV companies, streamers, and car companies, as well as radio.

I visited each of them at NAB, and also earlier at RadioDays Europe, to learn more about their solutions and key points.

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Xperi

Xperi is an American company listed on the New York stock exchange with a market capitalization of $364 million. It provides consumer and entertainment technology assets, including DTS Autostage as its car dash product. Xperi charges car makers a fee to license the software but does not charge radio stations to be on its platform.

“We are committed to providing a seamless listening experience for our customers,” said Jeff Jury, General Manager of HD Radio and Audio at Xperi.

RadioPlayer

RadioPlayer is a non-profit partnership between the BBC and commercial radio groups Bauer and Global. It licenses to other radio companies around the world and is integrated into 4 million cars. RadioPlayer charges radio companies a fee to be part of its platform.

I caught up with Radioplayer CEO Yaan Legarson at NAB, where we spoke about Radioplayer’s presence in the USA and also earlier at RadioDays Europe.

Gracenote

Gracenote is a content data business owned by Nielsen. Its global datasets cover TV programs, movies, sports, music, and podcasts in 80 countries and 35 languages. Gracenote’s entertainment metadata and connected IDs deliver advanced content navigation and discovery to connect consumers.

“We are excited to partner with car manufacturers to bring our content to their customers,” said Trent Wheeler, Head of Product Innovation at Gracenote.