Gracenote survey shows 60% see infotainment as key buying factor

Gracenote released findings from a comprehensive automotive infotainment survey on October 15, 2025, revealing substantial consumer demand for enhanced in-vehicle entertainment systems. The report, based on responses from 4,001 vehicle owners across Germany, Japan, South Korea and the United States, demonstrates that 60% of consumers consider infotainment systems a critical factor in purchasing or leasing decisions.

The data shows 67% of vehicle owners want their in-car entertainment systems to organize all available content regardless of source. This finding highlights a significant gap between current capabilities and consumer expectations. McKinsey & Co. forecasts that 90% of cars will have built-in connectivity by 2030, suggesting automakers face pressure to address these preferences before the market reaches saturation.

Gracenote conducted the survey online between July 28 and August 19, 2025. Respondents needed to be 18 or older, own vehicles less than 10 years old, and have internet access for entertainment either through in-car systems or phone mirroring. The study collected 1,000 responses per country.

According to the survey, 42% of vehicle owners spend four hours or more in their vehicles each week. Despite this substantial time investment, traditional AM/FM radio dominates in-car audio usage. The data indicates 56% of respondents listen to AM/FM radio often or always, with Germany showing higher engagement at 64%.

The report reveals challenges with content discovery in vehicles. Survey participants reported difficulty finding something to listen to, with 44% of U.S. respondents unable to find content up to 25% of the time. This friction leads 21% of vehicle owners to turn off media entirely when they cannot locate desired content.

Phone usage patterns demonstrate an interesting dynamic. On average, only 25% of respondents use their phones more than in-dash systems for entertainment, though this percentage reaches 31% in the United States. However, phone mirroring capabilities factor more heavily in purchase decisions than in-car systems in most markets, except Japan.

Safety concerns affect content exploration. The survey found 71% of drivers agree that safety is a concern when navigating between phone content and in-car systems. Despite these concerns, 66% of drivers say they would explore new content if a safe and easy method existed.

Market research company Grand View Research estimates the in-car infotainment market had a value of $22.5 billion in 2024, with projected growth at a combined annual growth rate of 11.5% through 2030. Yet consumer sentiment has not kept pace with investment. The 2025 J.D. Power APEAL and American Consumer Satisfaction surveys cite lackluster grades for in-car tech and infotainment, particularly for new models with complex setups and challenging digital interfaces.

The Gracenote survey shows 94% of consumers would consider switching from smartphones to in-dash systems if offerings improved. Breaking this down by country, 57% of German respondents would definitely switch, 28% in Japan, 56% in South Korea, and 54% in the United States. This represents opportunities for manufacturers to increase monetization through in-car advertising, referral revenue, and analytics data licensing.

Content preferences extend beyond audio. The data indicates 47% of vehicle owners consider video for passengers important, while 42% prioritize rear-seat children's entertainment. These figures suggest growing expectations for comprehensive entertainment experiences rather than audio-only systems.

Streaming adoption in vehicles has increased. According to the survey, 40% of vehicle owners report streaming more content in their cars than a year ago. This shift occurs despite persistent challenges with fragmented media sources and complicated navigation interfaces.

Interest exists for curated entertainment packages. The survey found 82% of drivers show interest in exploring curated radio and video subscription packages, with responses ranging from 38% in Germany to 33% in the United States. This finding aligns with broader consumer behavior where adults spend more than 17 hours each week on smartphones, up from nearly 13 hours three years ago.

The report highlights specific content desires. Survey participants want access to more music (63%), AM/FM radio (29%), news and talk (28%), podcasts (22%), subscription audio services (19%), sports and sports talk (18%), and weather (18%). These preferences suggest demand for diverse content types within unified interfaces.

Regarding content organization, 63% of respondents want personalized content recommendations based on listening behavior, and 51% want access to summaries and alerts for news, live sports scores and statistics. The data shows 38% of drivers face challenges accessing sports content, with awareness of available sports programming but uncertainty about how to reach it in vehicles.

According to Trent Wheeler, Head of Product Innovation at Gracenote, "Consumers want to easily navigate the wealth of available audio, video and sports content from various sources in their cars – and automakers are responding." Wheeler added that delivering personalized entertainment experiences through native infotainment systems allows car brands to build relationships with customers and establish recurring revenue streams.

The automotive advertising market in the United States is projected to surpass $31 billion in 2025, indicating substantial opportunity for automakers to integrate advertising capabilities within enhanced infotainment systems.

McKinsey data from 2024 shows many consumers would switch brands for better in-car tech experiences, with 55% in China, 39% in Germany, and 38% in the United States willing to change manufacturers based on technology offerings. This brand-switching potential underscores why improved infotainment systems matter for vehicle manufacturers.

The survey reveals engagement preferences that prioritize content quality over commercial interruptions. Vehicle owners place higher value on interesting and personalized content (61% and 60% respectively) than on hearing fewer commercials (59%). This finding suggests content curation and personalization capabilities could differentiate infotainment offerings more effectively than ad-free experiences.

Content discovery patterns show 14% of respondents don't know what content they want and simply leave whatever is playing on, with Japan showing the highest rate at 20%. This passive consumption behavior indicates missed engagement opportunities when systems fail to provide effective recommendation engines.

For the marketing community focused on automotive advertising, these findings present multiple implications. Enhanced infotainment systems with better content organization and recommendation capabilities could create new advertising inventory and targeting opportunities. The desire for curated content packages and personalized recommendations suggests potential for subscription revenue models that incorporate advertising components.

The relationship between infotainment quality and purchase decisions matters particularly as the industry faces shifting economic conditions. With automotive advertising spend under pressure from tariff concerns and macroeconomic factors, manufacturers that successfully differentiate through infotainment experiences may gain competitive advantages in attracting buyers.

Technical implementation challenges remain substantial. Gracenote's global entertainment metadata coverage includes data for 150,000 stations in 195 countries, 575 news podcasts, music data for 100 million tracks globally, and data for 70 of the world's most popular sports, plus TV show and movie data for 260 streaming video catalogs. Organizing this content volume into coherent, user-friendly interfaces requires significant technical capabilities beyond what phone mirroring can provide.

The survey methodology specified that respondents needed vehicles with internet connectivity capabilities, either through built-in systems or phone mirroring options. This criterion means findings represent consumers already familiar with connected entertainment options rather than the full market of all vehicle owners.

Gracenote operates as the content data business unit of Nielsen, providing entertainment metadata and content identifiers to creators, distributors and platforms. The company has aggregated and normalized program metadata covering 40 million titles in 260 streaming catalogs across 70 languages and 80 countries.

Timeline

• July 28 - August 19, 2025: Gracenote conducted online survey of 4,001 vehicle owners across Germany, Japan, South Korea and United States
• October 15, 2025: Gracenote released automotive infotainment report findings
• 2024: In-car infotainment market valued at $22.5 billion by Grand View Research
• 2025: J.D. Power APEAL and ACSI surveys cite lackluster grades for in-car tech
• 2030: McKinsey forecasts 90% of cars will have built-in connectivity
• Related: Automotive advertisers gained deeper measurement insights through Effectv and Clarivoy partnership announced January 22, 2025
• Related: Gracenote published separate CTV advertising research on October 1, 2025, revealing contextual targeting gaps
• Related: OpenX integrated automotive transaction data for targeting the $31 billion U.S. automotive ad market

Summary

Who: Gracenote, Nielsen's content data business unit, surveyed 4,001 vehicle owners aged 18 and older across Germany (1,000 respondents), Japan (1,000), South Korea (1,000) and United States (1,000) with vehicles less than 10 years old and internet entertainment access.

What: The survey found 60% of vehicle owners consider infotainment systems critical to purchasing or leasing decisions, while 94% would consider switching from smartphones to improved in-dash systems. Key findings include 67% wanting unified content organization, 63% desiring personalized recommendations, and 56% of respondents listening to AM/FM radio often or always despite expanded digital options.

When: Gracenote conducted the online survey between July 28 and August 19, 2025, releasing the findings on October 15, 2025. The report addresses current market conditions where 42% of owners spend four or more hours weekly in vehicles and 40% report increased streaming compared to one year prior.

Where: The research covered four major automotive markets: Germany, Japan, South Korea and the United States. The findings apply to the global in-car infotainment market valued at $22.5 billion in 2024, projected to grow at 11.5% annually through 2030, with McKinsey forecasting 90% of cars will have built-in connectivity by 2030.

Why: The research matters because it quantifies the gap between consumer expectations and current infotainment capabilities, revealing opportunities for automakers to differentiate products, influence purchase decisions, and establish new revenue streams through advertising, referrals and data licensing. The findings indicate phone mirroring cannot satisfy demand for unified content organization and personalization, creating pressure on manufacturers to develop superior native solutions as vehicle connectivity approaches universal adoption by 2030.