Gracenote survey shows 60% see infotainment as key buying factor

Gracenote released findings from a complete automotive infotainment survey on October 15, 2025, revealing substantial shopper demand for enhanced in-vehicle leisure programs. The report, based mostly on responses from 4,001 car house owners throughout Germany, Japan, South Korea and the USA, demonstrates that 60% of shoppers think about infotainment programs a important think about buying or leasing choices.

The information exhibits 67% of auto house owners need their in-car leisure programs to prepare all obtainable content material no matter supply. This discovering highlights a big hole between present capabilities and shopper expectations. McKinsey & Co. forecasts that 90% of automobiles may have built-in connectivity by 2030, suggesting automakers face strain to deal with these preferences earlier than the market reaches saturation.

Gracenote performed the survey on-line between July 28 and August 19, 2025. Respondents wanted to be 18 or older, personal automobiles lower than 10 years previous, and have web entry for leisure both via in-car programs or cellphone mirroring. The research collected 1,000 responses per nation.

In keeping with the survey, 42% of auto house owners spend 4 hours or extra of their automobiles every week. Regardless of this substantial time funding, conventional AM/FM radio dominates in-car audio utilization. The information signifies 56% of respondents take heed to AM/FM radio typically or at all times, with Germany exhibiting increased engagement at 64%.

The report reveals challenges with content material discovery in automobiles. Survey individuals reported issue discovering one thing to take heed to, with 44% of U.S. respondents unable to seek out content material as much as 25% of the time. This friction leads 21% of auto house owners to show off media solely once they can’t find desired content material.

Cellphone utilization patterns show an attention-grabbing dynamic. On common, solely 25% of respondents use their telephones greater than in-dash programs for leisure, although this proportion reaches 31% in the USA. Nevertheless, cellphone mirroring capabilities issue extra closely in buy choices than in-car programs in most markets, besides Japan.

Security issues have an effect on content material exploration. The survey discovered 71% of drivers agree that security is a priority when navigating between cellphone content material and in-car programs. Regardless of these issues, 66% of drivers say they’d discover new content material if a protected and straightforward technique existed.

Market analysis firm Grand View Analysis estimates the in-car infotainment market had a worth of $22.5 billion in 2024, with projected development at a mixed annual development charge of 11.5% via 2030. But shopper sentiment has not stored tempo with funding. The 2025 J.D. Energy APEAL and American Shopper Satisfaction surveys cite lackluster grades for in-car tech and infotainment, notably for brand spanking new fashions with complicated setups and difficult digital interfaces.

The Gracenote survey exhibits 94% of shoppers would think about switching from smartphones to in-dash programs if choices improved. Breaking this down by nation, 57% of German respondents would undoubtedly swap, 28% in Japan, 56% in South Korea, and 54% in the USA. This represents alternatives for producers to extend monetization via in-car promoting, referral income, and analytics information licensing.

Content material preferences prolong past audio. The information signifies 47% of auto house owners think about video for passengers essential, whereas 42% prioritize rear-seat youngsters’s leisure. These figures counsel rising expectations for complete leisure experiences slightly than audio-only programs.

Streaming adoption in automobiles has elevated. In keeping with the survey, 40% of auto house owners report streaming extra content material of their automobiles than a 12 months in the past. This shift happens regardless of persistent challenges with fragmented media sources and complex navigation interfaces.

Curiosity exists for curated leisure packages. The survey discovered 82% of drivers present curiosity in exploring curated radio and video subscription packages, with responses starting from 38% in Germany to 33% in the USA. This discovering aligns with broader shopper conduct the place adults spend greater than 17 hours every week on smartphones, up from almost 13 hours three years in the past.

The report highlights particular content material needs. Survey individuals need entry to extra music (63%), AM/FM radio (29%), information and speak (28%), podcasts (22%), subscription audio providers (19%), sports activities and sports activities speak (18%), and climate (18%). These preferences counsel demand for various content material sorts inside unified interfaces.

Relating to content material group, 63% of respondents need personalised content material suggestions based mostly on listening conduct, and 51% need entry to summaries and alerts for information, dwell sports activities scores and statistics. The information exhibits 38% of drivers face challenges accessing sports activities content material, with consciousness of accessible sports activities programming however uncertainty about the best way to attain it in automobiles.

In keeping with Trent Wheeler, Head of Product Innovation at Gracenote, “Shoppers wish to simply navigate the wealth of accessible audio, video and sports activities content material from numerous sources of their automobiles – and automakers are responding.” Wheeler added that delivering personalised leisure experiences via native infotainment programs permits automotive manufacturers to construct relationships with clients and set up recurring income streams.

The automotive promoting market in the USA is projected to surpass $31 billion in 2025, indicating substantial alternative for automakers to integrate advertising capabilities inside enhanced infotainment programs.

McKinsey information from 2024 exhibits many shoppers would swap manufacturers for higher in-car tech experiences, with 55% in China, 39% in Germany, and 38% in the USA keen to alter producers based mostly on know-how choices. This brand-switching potential underscores why improved infotainment programs matter for car producers.

The survey reveals engagement preferences that prioritize content material high quality over industrial interruptions. Car house owners place increased worth on attention-grabbing and personalised content material (61% and 60% respectively) than on listening to fewer commercials (59%). This discovering suggests content material curation and personalization capabilities may differentiate infotainment choices extra successfully than ad-free experiences.

Content material discovery patterns present 14% of respondents do not know what content material they need and easily go away no matter is enjoying on, with Japan exhibiting the best charge at 20%. This passive consumption conduct signifies missed engagement alternatives when programs fail to supply efficient advice engines.

For the marketing community focused on automotive advertising, these findings current a number of implications. Enhanced infotainment programs with higher content material group and advice capabilities may create new promoting stock and focusing on alternatives. The will for curated content material packages and personalised suggestions suggests potential for subscription income fashions that incorporate promoting parts.

The connection between infotainment high quality and buy choices issues notably because the business faces shifting economic conditions. With automotive promoting spend beneath strain from tariff issues and macroeconomic elements, producers that efficiently differentiate via infotainment experiences might acquire aggressive benefits in attracting consumers.

Technical implementation challenges stay substantial. Gracenote’s international leisure metadata protection consists of information for 150,000 stations in 195 nations, 575 information podcasts, music information for 100 million tracks globally, and information for 70 of the world’s hottest sports activities, plus TV present and film information for 260 streaming video catalogs. Organizing this content material quantity into coherent, user-friendly interfaces requires vital technical capabilities past what cellphone mirroring can present.

The survey methodology specified that respondents wanted automobiles with web connectivity capabilities, both via built-in programs or cellphone mirroring choices. This criterion means findings signify shoppers already acquainted with linked leisure choices slightly than the total market of all car house owners.

Gracenote operates because the content material information enterprise unit of Nielsen, offering leisure metadata and content material identifiers to creators, distributors and platforms. The corporate has aggregated and normalized program metadata protecting 40 million titles in 260 streaming catalogs throughout 70 languages and 80 nations.

Timeline

• July 28 – August 19, 2025: Gracenote performed on-line survey of 4,001 car house owners throughout Germany, Japan, South Korea and United States
• October 15, 2025: Gracenote launched automotive infotainment report findings
• 2024: In-car infotainment market valued at $22.5 billion by Grand View Analysis
• 2025: J.D. Energy APEAL and ACSI surveys cite lackluster grades for in-car tech
• 2030: McKinsey forecasts 90% of automobiles may have built-in connectivity
• Associated: Automotive advertisers gained deeper measurement insights via Effectv and Clarivoy partnership introduced January 22, 2025
• Associated: Gracenote published separate CTV advertising research on October 1, 2025, revealing contextual focusing on gaps
• Associated: OpenX integrated automotive transaction data for focusing on the $31 billion U.S. automotive advert market

Abstract

Who: Gracenote, Nielsen’s content material information enterprise unit, surveyed 4,001 car house owners aged 18 and older throughout Germany (1,000 respondents), Japan (1,000), South Korea (1,000) and United States (1,000) with automobiles lower than 10 years previous and web leisure entry.

What: The survey discovered 60% of auto house owners think about infotainment programs important to buying or leasing choices, whereas 94% would think about switching from smartphones to improved in-dash programs. Key findings embrace 67% wanting unified content material group, 63% wanting personalised suggestions, and 56% of respondents listening to AM/FM radio typically or at all times regardless of expanded digital choices.

When: Gracenote performed the web survey between July 28 and August 19, 2025, releasing the findings on October 15, 2025. The report addresses present market situations the place 42% of homeowners spend 4 or extra hours weekly in automobiles and 40% report elevated streaming in comparison with one 12 months prior.

The place: The analysis coated 4 main automotive markets: Germany, Japan, South Korea and the USA. The findings apply to the worldwide in-car infotainment market valued at $22.5 billion in 2024, projected to develop at 11.5% yearly via 2030, with McKinsey forecasting 90% of automobiles may have built-in connectivity by 2030.

Why: The analysis issues as a result of it quantifies the hole between shopper expectations and present infotainment capabilities, revealing alternatives for automakers to distinguish merchandise, affect buy choices, and set up new income streams via promoting, referrals and information licensing. The findings point out cellphone mirroring can’t fulfill demand for unified content material group and personalization, creating strain on producers to develop superior native options as car connectivity approaches common adoption by 2030.