Struggling to stream music in an old car? Our experts have rounded up a range of cheap and easy solutions

Written by Richard Kilpatrick Published: 20 February 2024 Updated: 20 February 2024

Listening to music in the car has shaped the memories of generations. The inclusion of a radio was arguably the first technological innovation not directly related to making a car better after early automobiles gained solid roofs and body shells. From the 1950s-on, having some form of entertainment for passengers became an expectation, rather than a novelty. But how do you stream music in an old car?

Radio still exists, thrives even, because it’s so simple and it provides a reliable means for communication. But times have changed and, where drivers would once pile stacks of CDs or gloveboxes full of mixtapes to get variety and control over their in-car entertainment, the default source of music is now the smartphone. It can provide stored MP3s like an iPod, or access countless streaming services, often with safe, legal hands-free control as well.

If you prefer distraction via Radio 4’s plays and comedy, or think the diversity of stations on DAB makes carrying your own collection irrelevant, there are still many benefits to streaming. Many commercial stations such as Absolute Radio offer ad-free player, or a wider variety of genres, via apps. You can also pause, rewind or listen again – or bring that compelling drama into the house, instead of sitting on the drive as a gripping story reaches its conclusion.

How can I play music through a car radio?

Most cars produced since 2010 have some form of bluetooth connection or an aux input, but what if your car is older? And how can you make use of those connections? Keep reading to find the best solution for your car’s existing technology.

To get started, you’ll need to assess the equipment already installed in your car, as this will determine what you should buy. Many cars can be upgraded using aftermarket car audio systems if the factory fitted head unit is not up to the task.

Available sources for your current in-car stereo will vary, depending on the age or specification of the car when built. Even if you don’t have bluetooth, there may be an auxiliary input, CD changer port or a cassette player in addition to radio. Nearly all can be converted into a modern setup. Once you’ve assessed the situation, you’ll want to pick from a handful of gadgets.

FM Transmitters – suitable for almost any car

What’s the best way to stream to a radio receiver? Radio! These gadgets work by converting the audio output into analogue radio signals. Once converted to FM, your car’s radio can be tuned to the same frequency as the transmitter, allowing for wired or wireless Bluetooth streaming from your phone, over the vehicle’s radio. Some Android phones come with this feature already.

Pros: Cheap, widely compatible for modern and classic cars alike, very simple, non-destructive to fit.

Cons: Lower audio quality, can suffer interference, nearby radios may also pick up signals (don’t use it for calls).

FM transmitters are widely popular by virtue of their cheap price tag, usability and efficacy in streaming music through tech-deficient stereo systems. Simply plug the device into the car’s cigarette lighter and pair via Bluetooth on your phone. Once tuned, you won’t get the cleanest audio, and at times interference can impede the signal through some unwanted static, but they’re a great place to start on a budget.  

Example in-car FM transmitters for streaming music to radio

Bluetooth Receivers – for cars with aux inputs (1992-onwards)

Some cars of the ’80s have the ubiquitous 3.5mm jack input, but the aux-in became popular in the ’90s allowing cheaper cars to have cassette players and accept a CD-walkman output for the ‘new’ format. Fitment boomed with the introduction of iPod and MP3 players and, by 2001, you’ll find many factory-fit radios feature one.

You can add a 3.5mm aux input to many cars via the CD changer port, and it’s often cheap to do so but does involve removing the radio. While the purpose of the aux-in was for wired listening, a lot of smartphones are losing their headphone jacks. Besides, it’s another wire to plug in. If your car is fitted with a 3.5mm auxiliary input, you may want to consider a Bluetooth receiver.

Pros: good sound quality, easy to use, no interference, often provide hands-free calling

Cons: need charging, or 12V socket cables, won’t be compatible with factory controls such as track skip

These devices are usually smaller and sleeker than FM transmitters while freeing up the cigarette lighter for other functions such as phone charging or satellite navigation. Simply pair your mobile device to the receiver via Bluetooth, plug into the auxiliary-in jack and you’re good to go. Note, however, Bluetooth receivers need auxiliary electrical power to work and will require a battery to be charged if USB charging is unavailable.

Cassette Adapters – perfect for modern classics

If you’re of the retro inclination when it comes to car aesthetics, or just own a car old enough to have a tape deck installed, there is a solution for you. Cassette tape Bluetooth adapters contain Bluetooth receivers but are shaped like cassettes to be compatible with the corresponding receptacle. Once inserted, the device will automatically begin receiving Bluetooth signals, allowing for the music to be streamed across this medium and played through the audio system of the car.

Pros: No modifications needed at all, some can detect fast-forward/rewind as track skip, reasonable sound quality

Cons: Need to be charged up, don’t always line up well with the tape head, not suitable for all mechanisms

You can get adaptors with a cable to the headphone socket, but these are often prone to picking up cellphone chirps and clicks via interference.

Bluetooth Speakers – suitable for any car, camper, van or lorry

Bluetooth Speakers are small external speakers which can be fastened to your sun visor or rest in your glovebox and then wirelessly paired with your mobile device for hands-free calls and music playing – great if you want to stream music in an old car. If your car does not have any audio set up at all, purchasing a full wired-in audio system will be expensive. External speakers are a cheap and easy way to get music playing through your car.

The compromise is that even the highest-quality models will struggle to compete with road and engine noise, as the sound from a single speaker fastened to your dashboard will not carry the same range or nuance as a full audio system. It’s also worth noting that speakers should be removed or hidden when exiting the vehicle to reduce the risk of theft.

Pros: portable and often well made with good sound away from the car, cheap, fit anywhere to any age of vehicle.

Cons: small, localised speakers hard to hear throughout car, may struggle in noisier spaces, need a secure location.

It’s worth remembering though, that early cars often had a single speaker in the dashboard. These are great for classics, and because they are usually battery powered you avoid problems of voltage or polarity incompatibility.

Are there any other benefits to streaming music or radio?

Top of the list is legality. Whether you use something like an Echo Auto or your smartphone, be it Android, Apple or Microsoft, they all support hands-free voice controls. I wouldn’t want to argue the point in court if a traffic camera saw me changing tracks on an iPod Touch, for example.