Vehicle audio

Vehicle audio, also known as car multimedia, is equipment installed in a car (automobile) or other vehicle to provide in-car entertainment and information for the occupants. Such systems are popularly known as car stereos. Until the 1950s, it consisted of a simple AM radio. Additions since then have included FM radio (1952), 8-track tape players, Cassette decks, record players, CD players, DVD players, Blu-ray players, navigation systems, Bluetooth telephone integration and audio streaming, and smartphone controllers like CarPlay and Android Auto. Once controlled only from the dashboard using a few buttons, today they can be controlled by steering wheel controls and voice commands.

It was initially implemented for listening to music and radio but vehicle audio is now part of car telematics, telecommunications, in-vehicle security, handsfree calling, navigation, and remote diagnostics systems. The same loudspeakers may also be used to minimize road and engine noise with active noise control, or they can also be used to augment engine sounds, for example, making a small engine sound bigger. Vehicle audio systems have begun to move to digital platforms using bus networks and optical cables for signal transfer rather than traditional analog cables.