There are several ways you can choose to play music from your phone through the car speakers, including Bluetooth connections or AUX cables.
But how to play Spotify in the car? Let’s find out.
Generally, you have to go to Settings in your car stereo or the Bluetooth menu and pair it with your phone. However, if the car is equipped with the voice control button on the steering wheel, you can use that instead. Then, when Paired, open the Spotify App and press play.
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Tip: If your stereo does not support Bluetooth, you may need to use a Bluetooth transmitter or an AUX cord to play Spotify.
In the article below, I will explain what Spotify is and how to make it easy to play in the car.
What is Spotify?
Spotify is a music streaming service that allows you to listen to almost any song ever recorded.
With Spotify, you can stream all of the songs on your phone without having to download them, which saves your device’s memory space, and also, you can create virtual radio stations that play music similar to the stuff you already like.
When listening to the typical radio stations, you never know what tracks will appear next.
But unlike with standard radio stations, where annoying commercials interrupt every song, skips are always available, so there’s no need for fear of hearing something not so pleasant.
The best part is that Spotify is free for the first 30 days. That means you’ll be able to try it out before deciding whether or not this program is right for you.
How much does Spotify Cost?
Spotify offers a few different types of memberships:
- Free: limited on-demand streaming with occasional ads
- Premium: with ad-free listening, offline playback, and higher quality audio
The premium package includes the following plans:
- Individual: $9.99/month after three months free, with one account
- Duo: $12.99/month after one month free, with two accounts
- Family: $15.99/month after one month free, with up to six accounts
- Student: $4.99/month after one month free, for one account
If you commute to and from work or school every day, I recommend investing in Spotify Premium. Not only will you have uninterrupted music playback, but you’ll also be able to download your favorite albums and playlists for offline use.
This is perfect for those moments when you know cell service will be spotty or you’re driving through an area with no or limited Wi-Fi.
What Is the Difference Between Spotify and Pandora?
Although you can listen to the music through both services, they are not the same, and both have a different setup.
The main difference between Pandora and Spotify is that Pandora is a music streaming service that curates personalized radio stations to enjoy based on your tastes.
It uses the Music Genome Project, which analyses what type of artists and songs are popular with each listener to provide curated playlists tailored just for them.
On the other hand, Spotify gives you more freedom when listening to music. You can just click on an interesting title and start the show without worrying about what song will play next.
The radio feature also has some cool features like choosing between different genres or individual Artists, so you will never get bored again.
Does Spotify Support CarPlay?
Apple CarPlay takes what you want to do with your iPhone while driving and puts them on your car radio’s display.
You can get directions, make calls, send and receive messages, and listen to Spotify, all in a way that allows you to stay focused on the road.
The good news is that if you have a newer car model, Spotify will be available and fully compatible with your CarPlay system. Luckily for those of us who don’t, we can still take advantage of the great features offered by Spotify and enjoy our favorite music while driving.
Car stereos can range from $200 to $5,000, depending on their capabilities. Some car radios play only AM/FM stations while others offer CD and DVD players.
Most modern models also give you access to satellite radio (Sirius or XM) and offer Bluetooth connectivity for your mobile phone. The more expensive models usually come with GPS Navigation and large touchscreen displays.
How Do I Connect Spotify to My Car’s Bluetooth?
These days Bluetooth is one of the essential features in car radios, and it also allows you to connect Spotify to the car.
- The first step is to ensure that your phone and the car have Bluetooth turned on.
- Once you have verified that Bluetooth is enabled on both devices, you will need to find the Bluetooth address for your car radio. This address is usually located in the Settings menu of your car radio.
- Next, open up the Spotify app on your phone and locate the Devices tab. Tap on Add a Device and then enter the Bluetooth address for your car radio.
- Once your phone has connected to the car radio, you can start streaming Spotify.
Why Is My Spotify Not Connecting to My Car Bluetooth?
Having Spotify connected to the car stereo via Bluetooth gives a great experience, but the pairing process is not always as smooth as we would like it to be.
When you have problems with connecting Spotify to Bluetooth, it may be because of one of the issues below:
- You enter the wrong device. Make sure to double-check that you’re entering the correct one for your car radio.
- Spotify is not open on your phone. If Spotify is not open, it will not connect to the Bluetooth device.
- Your phone is out of battery. If your phone is out of battery, it won’t connect to anything.
- The Bluetooth connection in your car isn’t working correctly. If this is the case, you may need to contact your car manufacturer for assistance.
How Do I Play Spotify Through My USB in My Car?
Running a Spotify through the USB is another option to have it in the car. If you want to play Spotify through your USB in your car, there are a few things you need to do.
- Make sure that you have the latest version of the Spotify app.
- Download and install the USB audio driver for your car.
- Open the Spotify app on your phone and play a song. You should now be able to hear the music through your car stereo.
How Do I Get Spotify to Play Through AUX?
Another option to play Spotify in your car is via Auxiliary (AUX), and this requires following the few steps below:
- Connect the AUX cable to the auxiliary port in your car stereo system and connect another end of it to your phone’s headphone Jack.
- Open the Spotify app on your phone.
- Using the volume controls, turn up the volume until you hear sound coming out of your car speakers.
- You can then start playing songs on Spotify just like you would when listening through a Bluetooth connection.
How to Start Listening to Spotify in Car?
To get started with listening and creating artist-based stations using Spotify Radio:
- First, click on the Radio option (under Apps on the left-hand sidebar).
- If this is your first time using Spotify Radio, the first station displayed will be similar to music from your current most-listened artist.
- To start playing the radio, hover your mouse over the album artwork in the main window and click the play button.
- Alternatively, you can double-click on the track. Then, the music starts playing, and you can view the currently playing track in the Radio window or check out the details at the bottom left of the Spotify window.
- To skip a track, you don’t want to listen to, click the skip icon located to the right of the large album artwork on the main window (with the two right-pointing arrows).
- The next track to be played is displayed, so click the skip button again to go to the next one, and the Spotify will start playing within a couple of seconds. There are no limits to the number of times you can skip tracks.
- If you start listening to a track and it ends before you find out who it’s by, go back to it by viewing your play history. Click Play Queue in the left-hand sidebar, then the History tab. History gets erased if you exit Spotify, so make sure you do this before closing the program.
Can I Listen to Spotify in My Car Without Using Data?
Playing Spotify in your car doesn’t require data because you can listen to it offline to downloaded earlier tracks, but it does need Bluetooth.
If you have a newer car with an infotainment system, there’s a good chance that Bluetooth is already enabled. You may also be able to plug your phone into the USB port using a USB cable to play Spotify through your car radio.
If you don’t have Bluetooth or limited mobile data, either make sure to use Wi-Fi when listening to Spotify in the car or save playlists for offline playback ahead of time on your mobile device.
How to Create a Radio Station on Spotify?
- Click the Create New Station button on the top-right of the main Spotify Radio window.
- In the search box, enter the artist’s name you want to base a radio station on in the search box.
- Suggestions related to the artist you type in appear in the drop-down list. Click the result that is closest to what music you’re in the mood for. You can also type in a track, which is helpful if a song has more than one artist and you want music that sounds like a particular version of it. Both tracks and suggestions are displayed in this drop-down list.
- The artist station you created appears under ‘Recent Radio Stations’ and automatically starts playing.
- In this section, you can access all the stations you’ve created. Use the left and right arrow buttons located at the right of this section to browse your stations.
- Scroll down to see more stations based on artists and tracks you listen to.
- Here, you see a customized list of top radio stations based on your most listened to artists and tracks. Scroll down even more to see popular radio stations that other people listen to, plus radio stations based on particular genres like classical, pop, and heavy metal.
Why Is Spotify Not Working in My Car?
You will be satisfied with Spotify as long as it works way, but you might experience some trouble if you try to access it from a car.
The reason is that most car radios don’t have the necessary capabilities to play Spotify. So even if your car has an auxiliary input, it’s likely that the sound quality won’t be excellent.
Spotify also isn’t available in all countries, so even if you can get it to work in your car, you might not be able to listen to your favorite local stations.
If you face any issues with your Spotify, try the steps below to troubleshoot the connection:
- Make sure the software of the device is up-to-date.
- Make sure your device is connected to the internet.
- Restart the app
- Restart your car by turning the ignition off and then on
- If none of the above works, delete the Spotify app then reinstall it from scratch.
If you have an issue with either the AUX or USB cable, check the following:
- Make sure it’s the correct cable for your device
- Try a different one in case it’s damaged.
Car stereos are different than the regular home stereo because they tend to use more power and boosts, which may cause some issues for your phone.
There is a simple way to enjoy Spotify in your car without any troubles, you may need to add an auxiliary input adapter.
This device will allow you to plug your smartphone or tablet into the Auxiliary port of your car stereo. It’ll turn the sound from Bluetooth-compatible devices on, thus allowing you to listen to your favorite music wherever you go.
The best thing about this adapter is that it’s small and convenient, so it won’t be hard for you even if you want to carry it in your pocket when not using it for playing Spotify.
Conclusion
Spotify works in the way that you can choose any song that you want to listen to without commercial interruptions. This is why many people believe that it’s the best streaming service available today.
Not only does it have a significant number of songs in its library, but it also has a great variety of playlists for everyone’s needs. And if you ever get tired of listening to music, you can always switch over to one of the many podcasts available on the platform.
So if you’re looking for a better way to enjoy your music while driving, then be sure to try out Spotify and see for yourself how great it is.