DAB+ How to listen to the radio in your car in the new year

From January 1, you will no longer be able to receive SRF stations with an older car radio. How to make the switch with or without a DAB device.

On 1 January 2025, an era will end in Switzerland: SRG will cease broadcasting its radio stations on FM and will only transmit its programs digitally - via DAB+ or the internet. Other private stations will also cease broadcasting by the end of 2026 at the latest.

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Drivers whose vehicles are not equipped with a DAB+ receiver are primarily affected by this changeover. Retrofitting is not that easy. DAB receivers are currently difficult to obtain from many dealers. If you still manage to get hold of one, this video shows you how to install it yourself.

If you are looking for a new complete solution from your garage, you will usually have to dig deep into your pockets. Prices of around CHF 1,000 are generally to be expected.

A comparison of digital solutions

Fortunately, there are also digital solutions, which are generally much cheaper and easy to set up. The basis for this is your cell phone. You connect it to the car radio via Bluetooth, USB or a jack plug. If this is not possible, use a portable speaker (boombox). This must be stowed in a suitable place so that it does not fly through the air in the event of a collision and injure the occupants.

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Once connected, you only need the right application to access the radio stations. You have these options for the SRF programs.

TuneIn is one of the most popular internet radio apps and provides access to thousands of radio stations worldwide. TuneIn also offers podcasts, news and various sports broadcasts. TuneIn is an attractive option for Swiss users, as local and national stations such as SRF or private radio stations are also available. The app is available in both a free basic version and an ad-free premium version with additional features. When registering for the first time, you must ensure that you do not take out a subscription directly.

Internet Radio Switzerland is available both as an app and directly via the website. Here you will find the most important Swiss radio stations and podcasts, as well as international stations. You can also choose to have individual songs from the charts displayed directly and listen to them on YouTube. Internet Radio Switzerland is free of charge, but for a one-off payment of CHF 14, which is currently discounted, you can hide advertisements and also get an equalizer for better audio quality.

The advertising on radiosonline.ch is less intrusive. However, the service is only available in the web version and has fewer radio stations than the other services. On the other hand, the function to save certain stations as favorites is helpful.

If you are primarily interested in SRF stations, the SRF app or website is probably the most elegant and simplest solution. Here you will find all the channels clearly arranged and don't have to worry about any possible additional costs. What's more, you can also listen to your favorite programs that you missed at the touch of a button.