Spotify and Audi announced a native in-car app on Wednesday, bringing streaming directly to select vehicles’ infotainment systems. Built using Google’s Android Automotive operating system, it requires no Bluetooth connection, phone tethering or cables.
In-car listening accounts for part of Spotify’s audience activity: 34% of its monthly active users and 77% of Premium subscribers stream music, podcasts and audiobooks in their vehicles.
Launch models and interface
The app is available at launch in the following Audi models:
- Electric A6 e-tron and Q6 e-tron
- Gas-powered A5, Q5 and A6
The native app provides an alternative to phone projection through Apple CarPlay and Android systems.
Jonathan Tarlton, Spotify’s Automotive Business Development Lead, said Spotify can render its own user interface directly on the infotainment screens.
This lets the company control the experience without the templates required for standard Android Automotive integration or Apple CarPlay.
“We want to give users choice,” said Tarlton. “We want to be wherever they are, and we want to make sure that they’re accessing Spotify in the way they want to access it, whether they’re locked into the iOS ecosystem […] or Android on the phone as well.”
Shared queues and passenger displays
Passengers can scan an on-screen QR (quick response) code to join a wireless Spotify Jam session, then add songs to the queue from their phones.
In vehicles with a dedicated secondary passenger display, front-seat passengers can browse content, read lyrics and watch videos without disturbing the driver.
When the vehicle is parked, video podcasts, lyrics and other motion graphics move to the central display for everyone in the car to view.
The rollout prioritizes vehicles with Android-based operating systems. A standard Android application package (APK) can be distributed through multiple app stores, avoiding separate app development for each automaker.
