Digital Radio Day supported by German Minister Heike Raab

Digitisation Report 2018 confirms growth for German DAB+ in key markets, access, reach, sales plus market increase against other platforms

At IFA 2018 there was very strong interest in digital radio from the German radio community as well as a very high level of participation at the Digital Radio Day (Digitalradiotag). The significance of digital radio was underlined by the active participation of a German Government Minister. Heike Raab, the Secretary of State for Digital & Media, gave the keynote and took part in the first of two panel discussions at Digitalradiotag. A fellow panel member, Stefan Raue, director of Deutschlandradio declared “The future of radio is digital”.

German Minister Heike Raab at Digital Radio Day 2018 at IFA Berlin

The optimism expressed at IFA is supported by very positive statistics – based on studies of listening and ownership in Germany – announced in The Digitisation Report 2018. The report is a joint study by German media companies (die medienanstalten) and we have drawn out some of the key findings below.

The report confirms growth for German DAB+ in key markets, access, reach, sales plus market increase against other platforms.

• DAB+ growth for the 5^th consecutive year – and with largely double-digit growth rates
• DAB+ strongest increase when compared to all transmission paths

DAB+ shows an increase of 15 percent, even ahead of Internet radio, compared to the previous year, while cable and satellite lose 22 and 11 percent.

• DAB+ ahead of internet radio

DAB+ was also shown to experience the strongest growth as the preferred reception route ahead of internet radio, increasing by 15.2%

• Record Sales of DAB+

While sales of FM radios have been declining for years, record growth was also reported for sales of DAB+ devices. The total numbers are close to 12 million, an absolute increase of 2 million year-on-year (an increase of 19 per cent from last year).

• Record volume of in-car systems

Additionally, almost every second new car (40 percent) rolls off the line with DAB+ radio

• DAB+ access higher than ever before

12.72 million Germans to have access to DAB+, which is 1.8 million more than in 2017.

Household: If we look at the figures in more depth for each home, there is now at least one DAB+ device in almost 7 million German households – nearly 1 million units more than the year before. The proportion of people in households with access to at least one DAB+ device will increase from 15.7 in 2017 to 18.1 percent in 2018. In this segment, DAB+ will increase 15.2 percent, putting it at the forefront of growth over other reception routes. Household penetration of DAB+ radios will increase from 15.1 percent in 2017 to 17 percent in 2018, an increase of 13 percent. This means that DAB+ is growing faster than IP radio in this segment as well.

Automobile: Away from the household and on the road, every tenth registered car has a DAB+ radio installed, and the number continues to rise with the (40%) of new cars line-fitted with DAB+. The number of car radios with DAB+ reception grew by about 700,000 from 3.7 last year to 4.41 million in 2018. One third of all DAB+ radios are now installed in the car.

Consumer behavior: Meanwhile, the report found that penetration of DAB+ was increasing across Germany, there were regional differences. Take-up was highest where a wider range of programmes available to listeners – as well as good network coverage and supported by a good political framework. States like Bavaria or Saxony, with a wide array or regional programming, showed 22.3% and 22% of homes owning a DAB+ capable device, around 5 percent more than the average across Germany.

The joint study included the participation of ARD, Deutschlandradio and Media Broadcast.