Waymo lastly has a music expertise worthy of its robotaxi | TechCrunch

I’m driving at the back of a Waymo that’s autonomously navigating the busy streets of San Francisco with relative ease due to 29 exterior cameras, six radar, and 5 lidar sensors all feeding into an AI mannequin. For simply 15 bucks, I get to expertise what looks like a miracle of recent expertise, and but, there’s a nagging thought I can’t shake.

The music sucks in right here.

Waymo’s music streaming characteristic has felt like an aged barnacle hooked up to a futuristic shell. Till this week, passengers have been restricted to a couple music stations that performed lo-fi beats, easy jazz, k-pop or different genres they might or might not take care of. For individuals who needed to hearken to one thing extra particular, that they had to make use of one other app from Waymo’s guardian firm Alphabet.

For iPhone customers, that meant downloading the Google Assistant app and configuring it to hook up with Spotify. At that time, you needed to ask Google Assistant by means of written or verbal instructions to stream sure songs, artists, or playlists on the Waymo. Even for those who get so far — at which you will be midway to your vacation spot and have listened to roughly three lo-fi beats — the service didn’t work reliably.

As I rode alongside in a robotaxi stuffed with innovative expertise, I used to be puzzled why Waymo had not found out a easy solution to stream music from my cellphone into the automotive’s audio system — a breakthrough that automakers and audio producers found out a few a long time in the past.

That’s why I used to be pleasantly shocked this week to see that Waymo launched a Spotify integration permitting customers to seamlessly hyperlink the music streaming and robotaxi hailing providers. I instantly related the providers and hailed a Waymo to see how it will work.

Waymo’s Spotify integration is nothing groundbreaking, nevertheless it provides to the person expertise. It really works seamlessly, which is roughly what I might count on when making an attempt to play music on my automotive’s audio system in 2025. However driving round in a Waymo, listening to my very own playlist or choosing up the place I left off on a podcast, the backseat of the robotaxi feels extra like my very own area — which is more and more the rationale I go for a Waymo.

To set it up, open the Waymo app and navigate to the “Music” part, the place you’ll discover a brand new providing that allow’s you connect with Spotify. From there, you possibly can press a button and authorize Spotify to hook up with Waymo, albeit, whereas giving the robotaxi supplier some entry to your listening data.

I’m positive Apple Music customers will quickly wish to stream their music and podcasts in Waymos as effectively. Waymo spokesperson Chris Bonelli advised TechCrunch the corporate is at all times exploring new personalization choices, however didn’t make clear when the corporate would possibly add an Apple Music integration.

As soon as my Waymo and Spotify accounts have been linked, I simply hailed a Waymo like I normally would, and acquired in. On the Waymo’s touchscreen within the backseat, there’s an possibility to pick out Spotify. I tapped it, and the podcast I used to be listening to on my headphones began enjoying from the precise spot I left off.

You’ll be able to flip “autoplay” on or off in Waymo’s Music settings, and upon entry, the robotaxi will routinely begin enjoying no matter music or podcast you have been listening to on Spotify. I preferred having it on, nevertheless it does really feel prefer it might get you into an odd scenario for those who’re listening to an intense true crime podcast after which get right into a Waymo with work colleagues.

You too can use the Waymo’s touchscreen to pick out from quite a lot of personalized playlists that Spotify customers will probably be aware of, equivalent to your “Daylist” or different mixes. Nonetheless, this choice doesn’t appear to incorporate albums, audiobooks, or podcasts that you just’ve just lately listened to.

Fortunately, your Spotify app now controls the music within the Waymo. You’ll be able to merely choose any music or playlist you need out of your smartphone, and stream it all through the car such as you would utilizing Apple CarPlay or a bluetooth speaker.

Ultimately, the Spotify integration made my robotaxi really feel extra customized; I used to be even capable of tweak the bass, subwoofer, and treble ranges within the automotive’s audio system. That personalization is probably not the primary attraction for first-time customers, nevertheless it might hold them coming again — and a loyal buyer base is precisely what Waymo wants.