The commercial radio industry has launched a new marketing campaign to encourage Australians to upgrade their old radio sets to a new DAB+ digital radio.

The campaign likens the switch to DAB+ to the transition of TV from analogue to digital, and focuses on the benefits of upgrading, which include better sound quality and up to 30 extra stations.

Commercial Radio Australia (CRA) chief executive Joan Warner said recent price drops and the introduction of a range of innovative new products this year made it a great time for consumers to upgrade their radios.

“Many people wake up to the same radio they have used for years, but like all technology, there are benefits to upgrading to a new digital model,” she said.

“Consumers spend about 16 hours per week listening to radio, so it’s a worthwhile investment for the extra station choice and better sound quality.”

Ms Warner said that according to GfK’s Digital Radio Report 3, which was released today, DAB+ is now reaching a significant audience, with 27 per cent of Australians (3.6 million) in the five mainland state capitals switching on to digital radio stations each week – up from the last report’s figure of 26.3 per cent (3.5 million).

Ms Warner said there were 2.73 million DAB+ devices in market at June 2016, including 652,000 in new cars, according to GfK’s Point of Sale DAB+ Fusion Report. The figures include sales of the LG Stylus DAB+ smartphone which went on sale in Australia in May through Optus, Virgin Mobile and key retailers.

“We’re pleased that consumers have reacted positively to the LG Stylus DAB+, making it LG’s number one selling smartphone in Australia in 2016,” she said.

CRA noted that a range of new DAB+ products have come to market recently or are in the pipeline.

Bush Australia and Sangean have both introduced digital radios with a 3.2-inch colour display screen, while Bush is also set to launch a new smart audio adaptor this month which enables users to upgrade their existing stereo system or sound bar.

Meanwhile, Kogan has introduced a plug-and-play DAB+ car radio converter, which allows users to turn their existing car radio into a digital radio.