Guidelines for creating great in-vehicle radio experiences.

Comprehensive guidance and examples for manufacturers and broadcasters of how to implement broadcast radio functionality

Manufacturers Broadcasters

Choose your pathway to get started.

Whether you’re designing a screen layout, authoring broadcast visuals, or developing metadata, this system will guide you through creating a clear, accessible, and user-focused experience that feels natural for drivers.

Learn how to present radio functionality in a way that feels familiar to drivers and fits your brand’s HMI design. You’ll find guidance on layouts, typography, accessibility, interaction and event handling — all designed to ensure radio feels intuitive and cohesive across every vehicle.

Discover how to author and deliver broadcast content that enhances the in-vehicle experience. Guidance on creating station logos, text and visual information, and how to trigger events, you’ll learn how to make sure your station looks and performs beautifully in any vehicle interface.

Radio is prominent on the dashboard

Radio remains one of the most trusted and accessible media formats — but as car dashboards evolve, so must the experience.

A coordinated approach ensures:

Familiarity

Drivers know how to use it immediately.

Clarity

All information is readable at a glance.

Consistency

Radio looks and works reliably across systems.

Safety

Interfaces support attention on the road, not the screen.

FAQs - Frequently Asked Questions

How often are these guidelines updated?

These guidelines are live and subject to change as and when feedback is received from stakeholders and partners.

Who should be using these guidelines at Radio Stations?

Product Managers, Visual Designers and Broadcast Technology. These guidelines explain how to author content for vehicle radios, and how to activate functionality and signalling to enhance the user experience. Drivers should get an enhanced experience of radio, beyond basic 'audio + frequency'

Who should be using these guidelines at Vehicle Manufacturers?

Product Managers, UX Designers and Radio Engineering. The guidelines explain how to present radio functionality to drivers, allowing for adaptation to the house design scheme, and functionality supported by the hardware. Drivers should find the presentation familiar and easy to use.

Who's producing these guidelines?

These guidelines are produced by the WorldDAB In-Car User Experience Group - a collaboration between broadcasters, leading car manufacturers and in-car technology providers. This work is supported by consumer research. The guidelines are intended to assist broadcasters and manufacturers to design an in-vehicle experience of radio that is, consistent in functionality and behaviour, easy and enjoyable for the driver to use and integrates radio seamlessly into a modern in-vehicle media environment.

Who are WorldDAB and RadioDNS?

WorldDAB is the not-for-profit membership organisation that delivers tailored solutions and advice on all aspects of the switch from analogue to digital radio including regulation, licensing, technical trials, network build out, marketing and production of new digital radio content. RadioDNS is the not-for-profit membership organisation that publishes technical standards to seamlessly combine broadcast and IP in the connected vehicle to make a better experience of radio for the driver

WorldDAB

RadioDNS