What is DAB+ and is it different to DAB?

In the last few years dozens of new DAB+ radio stations have become available in the UK.

Nationally stations like Radio X Classic Rock have launched as a DAB+ station. As stations like Classic FM and Absolute 80s switch to DAB+ more capacity is created for other DAB+ stations to start.

Meanwhile the introduction of small scale DAB has enabled many local and specialist music services to commence broadcasting. This follows trials in ten areas of the UK with around 70 stations participating to see how smaller radio stations can broadcast digitally.

Small scale DAB is due to come to many more parts of the UK. Most of the existing small scale multiplexes also have capacity for more stations to launch and start broadcasting.

If you’ve bought a DAB digital radio in the last few years which carried the Digital Radio Tick Mark your radio already supports DAB, DAB+ and FM.

If your radio has a DAB+ logo it should also be fine.

Many digital radios have different DAB and Digital Radio logos, but these only indicate that DAB can be received.

If your radio has no logos you can try tuning into Capital XTRA. If you can hear Capital XTRA your radio is able to receive DAB+ stations.

DAB+ radios are ‘backwards compatible’ and receive DAB stations.

Some digital radios can be upgraded. Pure offers a website portal where owners can enter details of their radio to see if a free upgrade is available. The software update has to be performed at home by the owner, although some TV and radio retailers and repairers may be able to help for a fee.

Unfortunately for many radio owners their sets cannot be updated and it will be necessary to buy a new radio to receive DAB+ stations.

The newer DAB+ standard is more efficient than the original DAB. This means that a radio station broadcasting in DAB+ can take up less space on a multiplex and broadcasting becomes potentially more cost effective.

This efficiency also allows groups that own radio stations to broadcast more stations.

Radio stations often cite improved quality as a reason for the switch. Radio stations that were previously broadcast in mono are often available in stereo after moving to DAB+.

If all of the UK’s DAB digital radio stations switched from DAB to DAB+, and a particular radio didn’t also include another way of receiving stations, such as FM or Internet radio, it would become obsolete.

Most digital radios sold in recent years do receive DAB+ stations, and there are currently no known plans for stations like BBC Radio 6 Music or talkSPORT to switch over to DAB+.

This can be a surprise for users of older digital radios. We recently uploaded a video review of the Pure Evoke-1, one of the original DAB radios sold in the UK, which worked perfectly despite being over 15 years old.

Unlike the switch to digital terrestrial television with a coordinated campaign and help with switching to Freeview, many listeners will find that their DAB radio simply receives fewer stations over time as broadcasters switch to DAB+.