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

I’m driving behind 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 appears 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 function has felt like an aged barnacle hooked up to a futuristic shell. Till this week, passengers had been restricted to a couple music stations that performed lo-fi beats, easy jazz, Okay-pop, or different genres they could or could not look after. For individuals who needed to take heed to one thing extra particular, they’d to make use of one other app from Waymo’s mother or father 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 written or verbal instructions to stream sure songs, artists, or playlists on the Waymo. Even for those who get up to now — 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 cutting-edge expertise, I used to be puzzled why Waymo had not found out a easy technique to stream music from my telephone into the automobile’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 stunned 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 could work.

Waymo’s Spotify integration is nothing groundbreaking, but it surely provides to the person expertise. It really works seamlessly, which is roughly what I’d count on when attempting to play music on my automobile’s audio system in 2025. However driving round in a Waymo, listening to my very own playlist or selecting up the place I left off on a podcast, the again seat of the robotaxi feels extra like my very own area — which is more and more the explanation 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 allows you to connect with Spotify. From there, you’ll be able to press a button and authorize Spotify to hook up with Waymo, albeit, whereas giving the robotaxi supplier some entry to your listening info.

I’m certain Apple Music customers will quickly need to stream their music and podcasts in Waymos as properly. Waymo spokesperson Chris Bonelli informed TechCrunch the corporate is at all times exploring new personalization choices, however didn’t make clear when the corporate may add an Apple Music integration.

As soon as my Waymo and Spotify accounts had been linked, I simply hailed a Waymo like I normally would, and obtained 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 mechanically begin enjoying no matter track or podcast you had been listening to on Spotify. I favored having it on, but it surely does really feel prefer it might get you into an odd state of affairs for those who’re listening to an intense true crime podcast after which get right into a Waymo with work colleagues.

You can even use the Waymo’s touchscreen to pick out from a wide range of personalized playlists that Spotify customers will likely be conversant in, reminiscent of your “Daylist” or different mixes. Nevertheless, this choice doesn’t appear to incorporate albums, audiobooks, or podcasts that you just’ve lately listened to.

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

In the long run, the Spotify integration made my robotaxi really feel extra customized; I used to be even in a position to tweak the bass, subwoofer, and treble ranges within the automobile’s audio system. That personalization is probably not the principle attraction for first-time customers, but it surely might preserve them coming again — and a loyal buyer base is precisely what Waymo wants.