I’m riding in the back of a Waymo that’s autonomously navigating the busy streets of San Francisco with relative ease thanks to 29 external cameras, six radar, and five lidar sensors all feeding into an AI model. For just 15 bucks, I get to experience what feels like a miracle of modern technology, and yet, there’s a nagging thought I can’t shake.
The music sucks in here.
Waymo’s music streaming feature has felt like an aged barnacle attached to a futuristic shell. Until this week, passengers were limited to a few music stations that played lo-fi beats, smooth jazz, k-pop or other genres they may or may not care for. For those who wanted to listen to something more specific, they had to use another app from Waymo’s parent company Alphabet.
For iPhone users, that meant downloading the Google Assistant app and configuring it to connect to Spotify. At that point, you had to ask Google Assistant through written or verbal commands to stream certain songs, artists, or playlists on the Waymo. Even if you get to this point — at which you may be halfway to your destination and have listened to approximately three lo-fi beats — the service didn’t work reliably.
As I rode along in a robotaxi full of cutting edge technology, I was puzzled why Waymo had not figured out a simple way to stream music from my phone into the car’s speakers — a breakthrough that automakers and audio manufacturers figured out a couple of decades ago.
That’s why I was pleasantly surprised this week to see that Waymo launched a Spotify integration allowing users to seamlessly link the music streaming and robotaxi hailing services. I immediately connected the services and hailed a Waymo to see how it would work.
Waymo’s Spotify integration is nothing groundbreaking, but it adds to the user experience. It works seamlessly, which is roughly what I would expect when trying to play music on my car’s speakers in 2025. But riding around in a Waymo, listening to my own playlist or picking up where I left off on a podcast, the backseat of the robotaxi feels more like my own space — which is increasingly the reason I opt for a Waymo.
To set it up, open the Waymo app and navigate to the “Music” section, where you will notice a new offering that let’s you connect to Spotify. From there, you can press a button and authorize Spotify to connect to Waymo, albeit, while giving the robotaxi provider some access to your listening information.
I’m sure Apple Music users will soon want to stream their music and podcasts in Waymos as well. Waymo spokesperson Chris Bonelli told TechCrunch the company is always exploring new personalization options, but did not clarify when the company might add an Apple Music integration.
Once my Waymo and Spotify accounts were linked, I just hailed a Waymo like I usually would, and got in. On the Waymo’s touchscreen in the backseat, there’s an option to select Spotify. I tapped it, and the podcast I was listening to on my headphones started playing from the exact spot I left off.
You can turn “autoplay” on or off in Waymo’s Music settings, and upon entry, the robotaxi will automatically start playing whatever song or podcast you were listening to on Spotify. I liked having it on, but it does feel like it could get you into an odd situation if you’re listening to an intense true crime podcast and then get into a Waymo with work colleagues.
You can also use the Waymo’s touchscreen to select from a variety of customized playlists that Spotify users will be familiar with, such as your “Daylist” or other mixes. However, this selection doesn’t seem to include albums, audiobooks, or podcasts that you’ve recently listened to.
Luckily, your Spotify app now controls the music in the Waymo. You can simply select any song or playlist you want from your smartphone, and stream it throughout the vehicle like you would using Apple CarPlay or a bluetooth speaker.
In the end, the Spotify integration made my robotaxi feel more personalized; I was even able to tweak the bass, subwoofer, and treble levels in the car’s speakers. That personalization may not be the main attraction for first-time users, but it could keep them coming back — and a loyal customer base is exactly what Waymo needs.
Source: https://techcrunch.com/