- Ford drivers with vehicles equipped with SYNC® AppLink™ can soon access Spotify’s industry-leading catalog of more than 20 million tracks on the go
- Playlists, the music library, similar music, starred songs, recently played music genres and radio stations are all accessible using simple voice commands
- Features first dynamic social sharing of playlists as drivers can simply accept an incoming suggestion to immediately switch to a friend’s music stream
DEARBORN, Mich., Feb. 25, 2013 – Spotify,
the leading on-demand music streaming service providing access to a
catalog of more than 20 million songs globally is now compatible with
Ford SYNC® AppLink™ for simple hands-free, voice-activated entertainment while driving.
Spotify is the largest and most successful music streaming service
of its kind globally, available in 20 countries including the United
States, and with more than 20 million active users and 5 million paying
subscribers. AppLink will enable Ford drivers to enjoy Spotify songs and
playlists while keeping their hands on the steering wheel and their
eyes focused on the road.
The integration with Spotify to offer the streaming music service
in Ford SYNC AppLink-equipped vehicles is the company’s first direct
collaboration with an automotive manufacturer.
“Spotify brings you the right music for every moment: on your
computer, your mobile phone, your tablet, your home entertainment system
and soon also in your Ford vehicle,” said Pascal de Mul, global head of
hardware partnerships, Spotify. “Our collaboration with Ford SYNC
AppLink will enable music-loving drivers to enjoy access to Spotify’s
huge catalog of more than 20 million tracks while on the road.”
More than 1 million Ford vehicles in North America are now equipped
with SYNC AppLink, enabling drivers to voice-control smartphone apps
from the driver’s seat.
“Spotify is a terrific addition to the SYNC AppLink ecosystem
helping add even more value to the experience of driving a Ford for both
new and existing customers,” said Paul Mascarenas, chief technical
officer and vice president, Ford Motor Company, during the announcement
of the collaboration at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain.
Hands-free control of your music
When drivers with a Spotify Premium subscription have the app
running on their SYNC-connected iPhone, they will have access to a wide
array of functionality using voice commands such as:
- Now playing (the car will speak details of what’s playing)
- Star/unstar track
- Add track to your “Road Trip” playlist
- Choose playlist (the car will ask which playlist to play)
- Play starred (the starred playlist will play)
- Play music (the car will start playing your library)
- Similar music (the car will present more albums by the current artist)
- Recently played (the car will allow you to choose from the 10 most recently played artists, albums or playlists)
- Start album/artist/track radio
- Shuffle on/off
- Repeat on/off
Drivers can also use the audio controls to:
- Skip track forward/back
- Play/pause
- Program the preset number keys so they work like a radio and save the currently playing album, artist or playlist to that number for easy access
Even Spotify’s built-in social sharing capabilities work on the
road. When the Spotify app is connected and running, if a friend sends a
track, album, artist or playlist to your inbox, the car will read it
aloud – for example, “You have been sent a new playlist. Would you like
to play it?” Answering “yes” will start playback of the sent item, which
is great for when friends aren’t with you and want you to hear an album
they like.
Spotify is also confirmed as the first music service provider for
the upcoming launch of SYNC AppLink in Europe. The updated Spotify app
will be available soon in the Apple App Store.
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