Spotify has become the music company to venture into in-car entertainment after it announced a partnership with Ford, its first deal with a car manufacturer, to integrate its streaming service with Ford’s SYNC AppLink technology.
The Swedish company isn’t the first music firm to partner with Ford — Rhapsody, Pandora, MOG and Amazon have all launched services for Ford car owners in the US — but Spotify’s plans are wider than a presence in North America alone. The link-up will be ready for owners of the new Ford EcoSport, which is set to arrive in Europe later this year, while more than one million AppLink-enabled cars in the US will receive an update to add Spotify in the coming weeks.
If you’re not aware of Ford’s SYNC AppLink technology, it operates as a voice-activated assistant that is capable of connecting to a range of different services, making it easier for Ford car owners to remain focused on the road.
In Spotify’s case, AppLink will enable voice commands like “shuffle”, “star”, “play music” and many other requests to keep users in control of their music.
Ford hopes that by bringing Spotify on board, it can achieve its goal of integrating its AppLink system into 3.5 million vehicles in Europe by the end of next year.
The 💜 of EU tech
The latest rumblings from the EU tech scene, a story from our wise ol' founder Boris, and some questionable AI art. It's free, every week, in your inbox. Sign up now!
Earlier this month, Spotify announced launches in three new markets: Italy, Poland and Portugal. While Spotify covers a more regions that the company publicly lists, and it is currently available in 17 markets.
Get the TNW newsletter
Get the most important tech news in your inbox each week.