Can you connect Spotify to the machine?
Before going into the details of this guide and show you in detail how to connect Spotify to the machine, let me tell you when this is possible and what connection solutions are available to you.
If you have a fairly recent car, which has an on-board multimedia system with Spotify installed "as standard", you can start playing your favorite songs either by acting on your car's display or by using voice commands. If, on the other hand, your machine does not have the Spotify app but is compatible with Android Auto o C, you can easily connect Spotify and choose the songs of your interest by acting from the car display, from the phone screen (CarPlay only) or by using voice commands.
And if your car is older, you will need to connect your smartphone to the car via Bluetooth o via cable and listen to Spotify in the car audio system using the phone as a "bridge". All clear? Well, then let's proceed.
Connect Spotify to the machine via built-in app
As mentioned above, if your car is equipped with a multimedia system with theintegrated Spotify app, all you have to do to listen to your favorite songs through the famous music streaming service is to start the app in question directly from the in-car display.
At the time of writing this guide, the cars that integrate this feature are the BMW 7 Series GM Cadillac ATS Volvo XC90 Tesla Model S Jaguar Land Rover Ford Mustang and Mini Cooper. Furthermore, it will be useful to know that the procedure for listening to Spotify through the app integrated into the car's on-board system varies from model to model.
For example, to listen to Spotify on a Ford Mustang you must first download the Spotify app on your smartphone and then connect it to the car via Bluetooth (iPhones must be connected via USB cable).
Then, you need to activate the voice commands using the appropriate button on the steering wheel and say the command "Spotify" to start the application. Alternatively, you can launch the app by choosing the option Applications from the car's on-board display menu. Furthermore, you can use voice commands to play your favorite music: to know all the available commands, just say the command "Spotify Help".
It will be useful to know that some cars, for the connection of Spotify, require an account Spotify Premium. In this regard, my guide on how to get Spotify Premium may be useful.
Connect Spotify to the car via Android Auto
If your car is among the more than 400 car models compatible with Android Auto (here the complete list), an application that allows you to duplicate the screen of your smartphone on the on-board display of the car, you can consider this solution to listen to your favorite songs when you are driving.
After downloading Spotify on your device, turn on your car and connect your smartphone to it via USB cable (or through Bluetooth if your car is compatible with Android Auto Wireless). Then unlock your phone screen and press the buttons Start e Download, then tap the buttons Continue e Allow (five consecutive times) to complete the first configuration.
Now, select the item Android Auto on the car display to access the main screen of the app in question (called Home), press the icon of headphones to access the section Music and choose the item Spotify to view your music library.
It will be useful to know that you can use Android Auto even if you don't have a compatible car model. If so, you can connect your phone to the machine via USB cable, manually download the Android Auto application from the Play Store and use Android Auto and Spotify directly from your smartphone. To learn more, I leave you to my guide on how Android Auto works.
Connect Spotify to the car via CarPlay
C is the Apple home system developed to allow you to use your phone while driving in total safety. It is compatible with over 200 models of cars and stereos (here the complete list) and among the applications compatible with CarPlay there is also Spotify.
To listen to Spotify in the car via CarPlay, first take your iPhone, make sure you have activated Siri and connect it to the car via USB cable or via Bluetooth (only if your vehicle supports CarPlay via wireless connection), then access the Settings di iOS facendo tap sull'icona della rotella d'ingranaggio and choose your options Generali e C.
Now, hold the voice control button present on the steering wheel of the car and wait for your vehicle to be recognized by CarPlay. Then press on the name of your car visible under the option Cars available and follow the wizard to complete the setup. If CarPlay does not start automatically, you need to log in to main menu of your car's on-board system, select the option related to on-board services and press on the item C. To find out more, you can check out my guide on how to install CarPlay.
Once you have completed the connection between your iPhone and your car and completed the first CarPlay setup, locate the Spotify in the screen Home of CarPlay and tap on it to access your music library and start playing the songs of your interest. To do this, you can interact directly via the car's touch display or invoke Siri with the command "Hey, Siri" and speaking the commands "Play Music on Spotify" o "Launch [playlist name] on Spotify".
Connect Spotify to the car via Bluetooth
On cars equipped with Bluetooth integrated, you can connect your smartphone, access Spotify and listen to the music of your interest through the audio system of the car.
If you think this is the best solution for your needs and you have a device Android, first tap on the icon of rotella d'ingranaggio per accesre alle Settings of your smartphone, press on the items Device connection e Bluetooth and move the lever next to the item Bluetooth da OFF a ON.
If, on the other hand, you have a iPhone, agreed Settings di iOS facendo tap sull'icona della rotella d'ingranaggio present on the home screen of your device, access the section Bluetooth and move the lever next to the item Bluetooth da OFF a ON. For the detailed procedure, you can read my guide on how to activate Bluetooth.
Now, turn on the display of your car, access the section dedicated to phone and choose the option for add a new device. Then take your smartphone and, in the section Bluetooth, wait for the car to be recognized, then tap on it, enter the access code that you see on the car display, tap the button Connect And that's it.
If, on the other hand, your car does not have built-in Bluetooth, you can consider one of the many Bluetooth receivers, such as a AUX Bluetooth adapter, an FM transmitter or Bluetooth hands-free kit.
Regardless of the type of Bluetooth connection you have relied on, to listen to music in the car via Spotify, all you have to do is take your smartphone, open the Spotify app and start playing the song, album or playlists of your interest.
It will be useful for you to know that after connecting your phone to the car via Bluetooth, Spotify will automatically switch in auto mode with graphics specially designed for the use of the app in the car. If not, you can activate this mode by pressing the icon of rotella d'ingranaggio per accesre alle Settings Spotify, locate the option Car and move its lever from OFF a ON.
Connect Spotify to the machine via cable
If you have an older car model that does not support Bluetooth, in addition to the devices I indicated in the previous paragraphs, you can connect the phone to your car via cable and then launch the Spotify app on your smartphone.
If your car has one or more USB ports, you can connect the phone to the car using a USB cable which, in addition to recharging the battery of the mobile device, allows you to make calls and listen to music (if the car software allows it).
Alternatively, you can use a AUX cable which allows you to play your smartphone audio through your car audio system. All you have to do is take one end of the cable in your possession and insert it into the appropriate telephone input and the other end into the car entrance (usually present near the car radio). Finally, activate the AUX function from the car radio settings and that's it.
How do you say? Does your car have neither a USB input nor an AUX cable input? If so, you can use a cassette adapter to be inserted in the car cassette player (if the latter is equipped with it) and which allows connection with your smartphone via the relative AUX cable with 3.5 mm jack to be inserted in the appropriate telephone input. To know other solutions of this kind, you can read my guide on how to connect the phone to the car.
Now, regardless of the solution you relied on to connect your phone to the car via cable, take your smartphone, open the Spotify app and start playing the songs of your interest. In that regard, my guide on how Spotify works might be useful to you.
How to connect Spotify to the machine
