Mobil Audi is integrating the premium music streaming media subscription service Apple Music directly into some of its vehicles. By adding Apple Music to the infotainment system, users will be able to access their subscriptions directly from the multimedia interface (MMI) screen using in-car internet data.
The new Apple Music integration allows users to use their personal Apple Music account directly from the Audi infotainment system, without the need for a Bluetooth or USB connection. By linking active subscriptions to the vehicle, Apple Music subscribers have access to Apple Music’s full catalog of 90 million songs and tens of thousands of playlists, including hundreds of new mood and activity playlists, personalized mixes and genre radio, all ad-free.
The integration of Apple Music into the audio infotainment system marks the next step in the collaboration between Audi and Apple, and for our customers, it means we’re giving them direct access to their own personalized listening experience,” said Christiane Zorn, Audi’s Head of Product Marketing. This is our idea of a premium digital in-car experience. At Audi, we are systematically driving the digitalization of our vehicles and we believe that the cabin is increasingly becoming the third largest living space.
Wireless updates also apply to vehicles already on the road
Apple Music integration will be included in almost all Audi models in Europe, North America and Japan from the 2022 model year onwards. In addition, the integration will be easily extended to vehicles already on the road via automatic wireless updates.
To activate Apple Music, customers simply open the app in their Audi’s infotainment system and follow the on-screen instructions to sign in using their Apple ID for Apple Music. To complete the set-up process, they simply enter the verification code sent to their phone. For Audi owners in Europe, the cost of the resulting data stream can be conveniently billed via the data package offered by Cubic-Telekom. The first 3 GB are free of charge.
Audi cars are also equipped with Apple CarPlay support. Drivers can connect their iPhones wirelessly (or via USB) and get traffic-optimized routes, make calls, send and receive messages and listen to music with just a touch of the touch screen or using Siri voice control.
Thanks to the integration of Apple Music, the Audi model not only becomes a hub for streaming entertainment, but thanks to its sophisticated audio architecture it can also be a concert hall on wheels, with passengers feeling like they’re sitting in the middle of it all. This is because Audi creates a tailor-made acoustic experience for each model, while digital signal processing provides a balanced sound.
For example, the signal from the loudspeaker can be controlled by individual time shifting so that it reaches the listener at the same time. The sound design is taken a step further to create the ultimate acoustic experience. This is where Audi audio developers adjust the frequency response to create the typical but still subjective Audi sound.
Audi has been working with Bang & Olufsen for many years and this has led to the development of special sound systems such as the B&O Premium Sound System with 3D audio surround in the e-tron GT. The B&O Premium Sound System features 16 speakers, including 3D sound speakers, a center speaker and a subwoofer, providing an impressive sound feast.
