Ford Motor Co. and Spotify have inked a deal to bring the streaming music service to Sync AppLink-compatible vehicles.
This integration with Ford marks Spotify's first direct collaboration with an automotive manufacturer; the hands-free experience will initially reach the Ford EcoSport.
Vehicle owners toting a Sync-connected iPhone can access Spotify's 20 million-plus library of songs, without taking their hands off the wheel. With a simple voice command — "Now playing," "Add track to playlist," "Similar music," "Shuffle on" — users can dictate their personalized in-car radio station.
"Spotify brings you the right music for every moment: on your computer, your mobile phone, your tablet, your home entertainment system and soon also your Ford vehicle," Pascal de Mul, global head of hardware partnerships for Spotify, said in a statement.
Drivers can also use the car's audio controls to skip tracks, play/pause, and program the preset stations to work like a regular radio and save the currently playing album, artist, or playlist for easy access.
Forget to send your friend that perfect road trip playlist before they left for vacation? Just send it to their Spotify inbox, and the car will announce it: "You have been sent a new playlist. Would you like to play it?"
"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," Ford CTO Paul Mascarenas said during an announcement at Mobile World Congress.
An updated Spotify app will be available soon in the Apple App Store.
The car manufacturer is well versed in Internet radio integration, already working with Pandora in the U.S. to bring curated radio Sync AppLink users in the Expedition, Super Duty, F-150, Mustang, Fusion, Fiesta, and C-MAX.
During January's CES in Las Vegas, Ford officially opened the doors to third-party developers who want to get their hands on the Sync AppLink ecosystem.
Apps that have been customized or built for Ford AppLink include listening programs from the Wall Street Journal and USA Today; Amazon's Cloud Player, Aha Radio, and Rhapsody; and a hands-free location and ETA updating tool from Glympse.
For more, see PCMag's review of Spotify and the slideshow above. Also check out a review of Ford Sync (With MyFord Touch).