Waymo Finally Has A Music Experience Worthy Of Its Robotaxi

I’m riding successful nan backmost of a Waymo that’s autonomously navigating nan engaged streets of San Francisco pinch comparative easiness acknowledgment to 29 outer cameras, six radar, and 5 lidar sensors each feeding into an AI model. For conscionable 15 bucks, I get to acquisition what feels for illustration a occurrence of modern technology, and yet, there’s a nagging thought I can’t shake.

The euphony sucks successful here.

Waymo’s euphony streaming characteristic has felt for illustration an aged barnacle attached to a futuristic shell. Until this week, passengers were constricted to a fewer euphony stations that played lo-fi beats, soft jazz, k-pop aliases different genres they whitethorn aliases whitethorn not attraction for. For those who wanted to perceive to thing much specific, they had to usage different app from Waymo’s genitor institution Alphabet.

For iPhone users, that meant downloading nan Google Assistant app and configuring it to link to Spotify. At that point, you had to inquire Google Assistant done written aliases verbal commands to watercourse definite songs, artists, aliases playlists connected nan Waymo. Even if you get to this constituent — astatine which you whitethorn beryllium halfway to your destination and person listened to astir 3 lo-fi thumps — nan work didn’t activity reliably.

As I rode on successful a robotaxi afloat of cutting separator technology, I was puzzled why Waymo had not figured retired a elemental measurement to watercourse euphony from my telephone into nan car’s speakers — a breakthrough that automakers and audio manufacturers figured retired a mates of decades ago.

That’s why I was pleasantly amazed this week to spot that Waymo launched a Spotify integration allowing users to seamlessly nexus nan euphony streaming and robotaxi hailing services. I instantly connected nan services and hailed a Waymo to spot really it would work.

Listening to Spotify successful a Waymo (Credit: Maxwell Zeff)

Waymo’s Spotify integration is thing groundbreaking, but it adds to nan personification experience. It useful seamlessly, which is astir what I would expect erstwhile trying to play euphony connected my car’s speakers successful 2025. But riding astir successful a Waymo, listening to my ain playlist aliases picking up wherever I near disconnected connected a podcast, nan backseat of nan robotaxi feels much for illustration my ain abstraction — which is progressively nan logic I opt for a Waymo.

To group it up, unfastened nan Waymo app and navigate to nan “Music” section, wherever you will announcement a caller offering that let’s you link to Spotify. From there, you tin property a fastener and authorize Spotify to link to Waymo, albeit, while giving nan robotaxi supplier immoderate entree to your listening information.

I’m judge Apple Music users will soon want to watercourse their euphony and podcasts successful Waymos arsenic well. Waymo spokesperson Chris Bonelli told TechCrunch nan institution is ever exploring caller personalization options, but did not explain erstwhile nan institution mightiness adhd an Apple Music integration.

Once my Waymo and Spotify accounts were linked, I conscionable hailed a Waymo for illustration I usually would, and sewage in. On nan Waymo’s touchscreen successful nan backseat, there’s an action to prime Spotify. I tapped it, and nan podcast I was listening to connected my headphones started playing from nan nonstop spot I near off.

Listening to TechCrunch’s flagship podcast successful a waymo (Credit: Maxwell Zeff)Image Credits:Maxwell Zeff

You tin move “autoplay” connected aliases disconnected successful Waymo’s Music settings, and upon entry, nan robotaxi will automatically commencement playing immoderate opus aliases podcast you were listening to connected Spotify. I liked having it on, but it does consciousness for illustration it could get you into an overseas business if you’re listening to an aggravated existent crime podcast and past get into a Waymo pinch activity colleagues.

You tin besides usage nan Waymo’s touchscreen to prime from a assortment of customized playlists that Spotify users will beryllium acquainted with, specified arsenic your “Daylist” aliases different mixes. However, this action doesn’t look to see albums, audiobooks, aliases podcasts that you’ve precocious listened to.

Choosing from different Spotify mixes (Credit; Maxwell Zeff)

Luckily, your Spotify app now controls nan euphony successful nan Waymo. You tin simply prime immoderate opus aliases playlist you want from your smartphone, and watercourse it passim nan conveyance for illustration you would utilizing Apple CarPlay aliases a bluetooth speaker.

Controlling nan Waymo’s tunes pinch your telephone (Credit: Maxwell Zeff)

In nan end, nan Spotify integration made my robotaxi consciousness much personalized; I was moreover capable to tweak nan bass, subwoofer, and treble levels successful nan car’s speakers. That personalization whitethorn not beryllium nan main attraction for first-time users, but it could support them coming backmost — and a loyal customer guidelines is precisely what Waymo needs.