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STOCKHOLM — What do people listen to while driving — and more importantly, why? Sveriges Radio wanted to find out by directly asking them meaningfully. The broadcaster organized a series of listener panels, representative of their audience. The goal was to understand what listeners look for in the car: What is important, when it matters and why. Further, is there a difference between drivers in newer cars and those in older ones, as well as between solo drivers and those with passengers?
“We saw very clearly that in the morning, radio is by far what people search for the most,” said Tomas Granryd, head of digital partnerships at Sveriges Radio, “because people are looking to reconnect with society. They want all the stuff that can frame the day.”
Morning rituals
at Sveriges Radio
Traffic information emerged as a top priority: Listeners want to know if an accident has occurred, what happened and when the accident will be cleared. Local, national and international news ranked second, helping listeners feel connected to society. Third was the conversation starters at work that people are talking about. Granryd believes listeners are establishing a mental and emotional link to the world around them. “That shows the power of radio, which is live and immediate,” he remarks. “And the person in the car next to you is probably listening to the same thing you are. That gives a sense of community.”
People with longer commutes often follow a sequence — radio at the start, maybe a podcast later — but their morning leg always begins with live radio and with the same priority. This reinforces the idea that the opening moments of a drive are critical. They set the tone for the whole audio experience, regardless of length.
In the afternoon, however, things change. Probably because people feel more tired, so they’re less interested in detail-heavy content and more inclined to listen to music or lighter entertainment, with some news and traffic updates. In the evening, on-demand music tends to prevail over broadcast radio. The music chosen depends on each listener’s mood, shaping the soundtrack for the evening ride.
This priority shift suggests an opportunity to tailor programming by genre, energy level and cognitive load at different times of day.
Sveriges Radio’s findings prove that the car remains a place of focused, intentional listening,
and radio still plays a central role.
Connected cars, human choices
A key distinction emerged around how people listen when alone versus with passengers. Interestingly, radio and music maintained their role in both scenarios. Podcasts and audiobooks, by contrast, were more commonly associated with solo listening.
Bluetooth connectivity is not an issue. Participants across the board used their phones effortlessly to connect to their cars, even without modern systems like Android Auto or Apple CarPlay. “Almost no one complained about how complicated it is to connect your phone,” Granryd said.
Still, there is a timing issue. The panels revealed that, on weekdays, the average car commute time in Sweden is 20 minutes. While connecting via Bluetooth takes a few seconds, especially in older cars, given the short, expected ride time, even a small hurdle can be enough for people to choose something super easy, and that option is radio.
Sveriges Radio is using the data to adjust its programming. “The commuting time is shorter than we thought,” Granryd explained, “so it was key to rearrange channel schedules so that if people flip across them, they find a different topic on each one.” He added that more actions will follow.
Granryd hopes other broadcasters will consider similar research in their own markets and share results within the community. In an age where audio content is expanding in every direction, knowing what listeners actually do, and why, is more valuable than ever.
Sveriges Radio’s findings prove that radio still plays a central role and people are becoming truly connected during their car rides, while mobile app interfaces are becoming easier to navigate. “It would be paramount to keep this trend monitored,” said Granryd, “It could drive a change in listening habits in the future.”
After receiving a Master of Science in Engineering, the author worked for Telecom Italia and Italian public broadcaster, Rai. Based in Bergamo, Italy, he now spends his time as a broadcast consultant for radio stations and equipment manufacturers, specializing in project management, network design and field measurement.
This story originally appeared in the July/August 2025 edition of RedTech Magazine.
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