Audi Concert, Symphony and MMI: What Is the Difference?

When you start researching a CarPlay upgrade, you will see the names Concert, Symphony and MMI used as if they are interchangeable. They are not — they are different factory audio systems, and which one your Audi has directly affects whether a plug-and-play CarPlay kit is the right fit. Here is the difference, explained plainly.

The quick distinction

MMI is Audi's full infotainment system — a central screen plus a rotary controller in the console, running navigation, media, vehicle settings and more. Concert and Symphony are simpler factory radios: single or double-DIN head units without the full MMI screen and controller. They play radio and media, but they do not run the MMI infotainment interface.

Our CarPlay kit is designed to integrate with the MMI system, because CarPlay needs the MMI display and data bus to show on screen. If your car has a Concert or Symphony radio instead of MMI, the connection point the kit uses is not present.

Concert

Concert is Audi's entry-level radio head unit. It is a single-DIN or double-DIN unit in the dash with a smaller display — enough for radio station info and basic CD/media playback, but no full infotainment interface and no rotary console controller. Concert was fitted to lower-spec or earlier cars where MMI was not part of the options list.

Symphony

Symphony is a step up from Concert — typically a double-DIN unit with a slightly larger display and a CD changer, sometimes with a small monochrome screen. Like Concert, it is a self-contained radio rather than the MMI infotainment platform. It does not have the central MMI screen or the console rotary controller that the CarPlay kit integrates with.

MMI

MMI (Multi Media Interface) is the full infotainment system — a central screen (colour, larger), a rotary dial with surrounding function buttons in the console, and a control unit behind the dash that runs navigation, media, vehicle settings and more. The CarPlay kit connects to the MMI control unit using keyed harness connectors and displays CarPlay on the MMI screen. Every model on our compatibility list is MMI-equipped — see the full list on the order page.

How to tell which you have

• A central screen plus a rotary dial in the console: you have MMI.
• A radio face in the dash with a small display and no console rotary controller: you likely have Concert or Symphony.

If you are unsure, upload a photo of your dashboard on the order page or use the compatibility checker and we will identify it before anything ships.

What if my car has Concert or Symphony?

Because the kit integrates with the MMI control unit, a car fitted with a Concert or Symphony radio is not on our standard plug-and-play compatibility list. Do not order blindly. Send us a dashboard photo and your model and year, and we will confirm whether your car has MMI before you commit to anything. If it does not, we will tell you honestly rather than ship a kit that will not fit.