The car CD player that was riding high in the 90s, has sunk to a new low in usage.
Those using their car CD players on a daily basis has fallen below 10 percent in the US, according to a new report by Strategy Analytics.
Since 2013, CD listening hovered around 17 to 19 percent, but it tumbled to 9 percent this year.
By comparison, drivers still listen to the radio in the car just under half the time on a daily basis, and they link to a portable music player in the car 21 percent of the time. Internet radio is used 13 percent of the time.
Satellite radio usage is at about 22 percent and HD radio usage is at 7 percent on a daily basis.
For a long time, consumer interest in using apps and portable players in the car, shored up head unit usage.
But “after many years of growth, appetite for in-car Internet Radio and connections for portable music players has leveled off from 2015,” said the report. It then asks. ‘What technology will replace the CD player?’
If you ask consumers which features are “must-haves” for the car, 43 percent still say a CD player is still a requirement. Seventy-seven percent say AM/FM is a must-have feature, 38 percent apps, 25 percent satellite radio, 17 percent Internet Radio and 11 percent HD Radio.
Unfortunately, Strategy Analytic concludes that no current feature is receiving high enough usage to replace the CD player.
The study did not address CarPlay or Android Auto specifically.
Photo of vintage Alpine 7904.
Photo Credit: eBay
Looks like the 7903 in my dash I still have today. Haven’t played it in years. When I did I used a 7618 and a changer. so much for one disk at a time.
So much for taking just a handful of disk’s its a lot better to take your whole collection ecpt MP3’s are not always quality.
Then HD radio isn’t that great either . Stations bleed and go in and out.
Sat radio is great if you don’t drive into a tunnel.
But all formats have a failing point finding what works for you is best.
If your collection is on a hard drive in Flac lossless it sounds the best or as good as a cd.
But then I’d listen to Tape if I got it off Lp’s and recorded it and not some mass produced junk.
but who listens to tape anymore?
LP’s are making a come back, are we going to see record players in cars now?
4 track and 8 track forget it, garbage format. always was always will be.
A computer with Solid state drives installed in the trunk and a touch screen on the dash works pretty darn good you can do anything with it you can with a desk top.
Now all we need is Sirius/XM Video/radio to have cost to coast common stations.
A computer would boot on starting the car as fast as 15 seconds and run Windows OS you can then install your favorite program to view or watch or listen to music be it Plex or Kodi.
With some cable TV you can get 4g mobile connection service like a hot spot in your car and watch anything on TV in your area. Yes CD’s days are numbered as was 4 track and 8 track ,cassette tapes and even Lp’s.
With automatic driving cars in the near future you have more time to work on the way to work hell you might not even own a car in some cities, just ride them to work and home for a monthly fee the shuttle will drive to its next pickup or drop of all on its own. They could even form a train on the hwy to save on energy and be safer your car will add to or split off at speed’s. You’ll just be a passenger on the way to where your going.
You can place an order online and have it delivered that same day food and everything.
No more traffic tickets or DUI’s, traffic lights will adjust to traffic flow ahead of time so you do not stop.
That is if you even go into the office you could just work from home. in that case don’t trip on the dog on the way to your desk in the morning. ( no more baby sitter)
No more broken tapes Lost or broken skipping or dirty CD’s and scratched Lp’s to deal with.
What will the next 50 years bring us and or what will the next 100 years be like?
Sure I’d like to keep my 1964 SS impala but I think it could burn a lot less fossil fuel and make a lot less pollution.