Radioplayer said it gave the first public demonstration of a three-way or “tri-platform” hybrid radio app in the Android Automotive Operating System.
The app combines DAB+ and FM over-the-air radio with online streams. The organization said the demo was for an online audience of major carmakers using automotive-grade tuner hardware.
Managing Director Michael Hill said, “Our aim is to make hybrid radio the standard experience in Android Automotive; this is the first step towards that.”
Radioplayer is a not-for-profit that started in 2011 in the U.K. as a partnership of the BBC and commercial radio. It now operates in numerous European countries and Canada, with France and Sweden pending.
[Read: “Radioplayer Expands in Europe”]
The three-way app was developed in partnership with Tier 1 technology supplier Panasonic Automotive Systems Europe, or PASEU.
“The hybrid app has a single, multi-platform station list that hides the platform from the user and allows them to select a radio station from the strongest available signal, prioritizing DAB+, then FM, followed by streaming, and automatically switching between platforms if the car moves out of coverage,” Radioplayer stated.
“The unique Radioplayer User Interface is powered by official broadcaster metadata from the Worldwide Radioplayer API and is fully compliant with Google’s Android Automotive Design Guidelines and the WorldDAB User Experience Design Guidelines.”
Radioplayer said its hybrid app is now available to car manufacturers to use in Android Automotive cars and that the UI can be customized.
“Radioplayer is also seeking to partner with Google to ensure hybrid capability for all radio apps and help improve the current standard radio experience in Android Automotive,” it stated.
“Further development of the app will see on-demand and podcast content, enhanced now-playing visuals such as artist images, as well as station recommendations, added early next year.”
