Mumbai: A new automotive report by Gracenote, the content data business unit of Nielsen, highlights how consumer preferences for in-car entertainment are reshaping the automotive landscape. The study reveals that 60% of consumers consider infotainment systems a critical factor when purchasing or leasing a vehicle—signaling a growing demand for high-quality, native in-dash entertainment experiences.
The report underscores a significant opportunity for automakers to integrate diverse media and entertainment options natively into vehicles. By enhancing infotainment systems to seamlessly aggregate content from multiple sources, car brands can influence consumer decisions, increase differentiation, and unlock new monetization streams through advertising, referrals, and analytics.
According to the report, 94% of consumers across the U.S., Germany, Japan, and South Korea said they would switch from using their smartphones to native infotainment systems—provided these systems offered improved experiences. Additionally, 82% of drivers expressed interest in curated entertainment packages, and only 45% reported knowing exactly what they wanted to listen to when starting a drive—indicating a strong demand for personalized discovery and recommendations.
Other notable findings include:
- 67% of drivers want their in-car systems to organize content across all sources (radio, podcasts, streaming).
- 63% want personalized content recommendations based on listening behavior.
- 51% seek access to summaries and alerts for news, live sports, and stats.
- 28% desire more news and talk content in their vehicles.
“Consumers want to easily navigate the wealth of available audio, video and sports content from various sources in their cars – and automakers are responding,” said Trent Wheeler, Head of Product Innovation at Gracenote. “By delivering personalized entertainment experiences through their native infotainment systems, car brands can build new relationships with their customers and ultimately, jumpstart recurring revenue streams.”
The report, based on a survey of over 4,000 consumers across four major automotive markets, reflects how next-generation infotainment experiences are evolving from add-ons to decision drivers. Gracenote’s extensive metadata and delivery capabilities—covering 150,000+ radio stations, 100 million+ music tracks, 575+ news podcasts, and data for 70 global sports—enable automakers to personalize, localize, and monetize their in-car entertainment ecosystems.
