As the title says. The one thing I don't love about Rivian is all the Amazon tie-in. I don't want/like/use Alexa and I'm concerned me may be forced to use Amazon music through the UI. Personally I am a Spotify user and I know a lot of Tesla owners who aren't complain about it, but at least it's a universal player. Has anybody heard anything one way or another about in-car streaming?
Anybody else concerned me may get stuck with Amazon music?
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Spotify works with Alexa Auto. If that's your concern, consider it alleviated.
theassistant.io
The Spotify User’s Guide to Alexa ~ The Assistant
While other voice assistants limit the use of Spotify in an effort to promote their own streaming music services, Spotify users will find Alexa quite welcoming. Spotify requires a premium (paid) account in order to use the service with Alexa. Connect your Spotify account. Open the Alexa App on...
theassistant.io
No, but I would bet our very early LE reservation that the infotainment system will support bluetooth audio (and probably usb). So while you may not be able to do much (in terms of controlling which app is "now playing" from your phone) with the system, you should be able to hear what's currently playing on your phone. And just like old (well, middle-aged) school head units, you'll probably have some rudimentary way of browsing your music library, or at least seeing the current playlist. The pre-CarPlay aftermarket unit we have in our FJ can do all of that.
Just throwing this out there. I have no idea how to play music with a phone app. I have a radio and use xm. I am truly comfortable with that. Looks like I am going to have to be more tech savey🥴
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I'm confident Spotify will be supported. I'm worried they won't support Apple Music, which is my preferred service. I don't want another subscription just to listen to music in my car -- and Spotify sucks, anyway.
By the time I was driving my own car, the aux cable from the iPhone to the line-in jack was all I needed. I don't even know what the local radio stations are (and I hate listening to advertising, so I have no interest in finding out). And you just can't beat the amount of content that an internet-connected phone can stream (or download for offline consumption).
Our experience with Sirius was limited to a free trial. They are worse than Comcast. The product is whatever, but the pricing games, teaser promo rates, and level of effort required to get myself off their phone and direct mail lists... shudder
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You can set Apple Music as the default Music Service for Alexa. Might work the same for in the Rivian.
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Hope so. Honestly, if Rivian has text messaging integration that matches or beats my Volvo AND a quality Apple Music interface, then I can live without CarPlay.
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Got beat to the answer by the previous poster, but here's the link:
No reason the Alexa integration in a Rivian would be any different than the Alexa on your phone or on an Echo.
Play Apple Music with Alexa
If you're an Apple Music subscriber, you can ask Alexa to play songs, artists, playlists, and more from Apple Music or playlists from your library.
support.apple.com
No reason the Alexa integration in a Rivian would be any different than the Alexa on your phone or on an Echo.
2015 Tesla Model S 85D, 2019 Toyota 4Runner TRD OffRoad
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It’ll be fun when Siri and Alexa join into the argument with your kids about what music to play.
So you're saying Alexa can play music from services even if that service's software client isn't on the device itself? That would be great if so.
Because I will say, I've used my phone in the past via BT or whatever on older cars, but there's nothing as nice as having it all accessible from the vehicle's interface directly, imo. I want to just keep my phone in my pocket and not mess with it when selecting music. Especially since my wife will often select it when the whole family is in the car, which is how I do 75% of my driving these days.
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I have used Spotify via Alexa via Bluetooth connection to my car, so I'm fairly sure it would work the same in a Rivian and/or with Apple Music. When doing so with Spotify I am able to do some limited controlling of the music from the infotainment system, like skipping songs, pausing, etc. I don't really get a good interface to search up new music though. My car doesn't have Alexa Auto integrated so I don't know if there will be some ability to manage it as an independent device.
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We don't know if it will or not.
People posting links to what "Alexa" can do in a smart speaker are forgetting that Rivian only uses Alexa as a voice assistant -- the infotainment system is NOT Alexa.
So just because an Amazon Echo Dot can take a voice command and play from another music service, that does not necessarily mean that Rivian will have a UI for your preferred service.
I hope they do. But the links posted provider zero proof of that.
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I have an Alexa app on my phone. I can use Spotify via my Alexa phone app. I can connect that to my car's infotainment system. I can play Spotify through my infotainment system. OP wanted to know if he could use Spotify in a Rivian. The answer is yes.
Given that the process is identical for Apple Music, which I can't test, I can only assume that it also works just like it does for Spotify.
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I contacted them about Apple CarPlay integration, even though I know they don't plan to support it just to give another voice. What I got back was interesting.
"That’s a great question! We believe that to create a truly incredible digital experience, an integrated platform that is optimized for our vehicles is a better path. With that, we will not have Apple CarPlay or Android Auto available in the R1T or R1S. Your iPhone will still be able to connect to our system using Bluetooth technology for hands-free calling."
So I followed up by specifically asking if they would support Bluetooth streaming, which is different than Bluetooth for hands free calling. My wife had a Honda Pilot that let you make calls from Bluetooth, but not stream music from your phone...which is nuts.
here's the response I got back;
"That’s a great question about Bluetooth streaming! We’ll be sharing more on the specific features and functions of our Rivian Elevation 360° audio system soon!"
So either my support person doesn't know or it's not been decided yet.
"That’s a great question! We believe that to create a truly incredible digital experience, an integrated platform that is optimized for our vehicles is a better path. With that, we will not have Apple CarPlay or Android Auto available in the R1T or R1S. Your iPhone will still be able to connect to our system using Bluetooth technology for hands-free calling."
So I followed up by specifically asking if they would support Bluetooth streaming, which is different than Bluetooth for hands free calling. My wife had a Honda Pilot that let you make calls from Bluetooth, but not stream music from your phone...which is nuts.
here's the response I got back;
"That’s a great question about Bluetooth streaming! We’ll be sharing more on the specific features and functions of our Rivian Elevation 360° audio system soon!"
So either my support person doesn't know or it's not been decided yet.
I’m a Siri/CarPlay user and hope it will be fully supported. I am not interested in Alexa or in having my data shared with Amazon. I am not an Amazon hater, I am a Prime subscriber, I just think I need to draw the line about my personal data somewhere. I hope Sirius/XM is supported and will be surprised if it is not. Just my .02
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I agree that the Amazon tie-in is a thing not to love. HERE is response from Customer Service about a question I had concerning Alexa...
Thanks for contacting us, it’s good to hear from you! We understand some adventurers may prefer to wonder in peace with no outside interference. Alexa can be fully disabled from your vehicle if you’d like.
Alexa is an added convenience built into the system and as you mentioned, it doesn’t add additional functionality outside of the voice controls. While we’re working to integrate as many helpful feature as possible, we also want to make sure each explorer can fit the vehicle to their liking.
GOOD answer and I'm certain you'll have many more choices besides Amazon Music.
Take care,
Dickee
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This is an interesting subject. Spotify seems to be on top of the streaming services in app integration, and user interface. My home dedicated streaming amplifier integrates with Spotify seamlessly but not so well with Amazon. I would bet money that Spotify will work well with Rivian's info system for streaming as they have got the integration thing down the best so far of anyone. I would also guess that Rivian could upgrade their own integration by software update at later dates.
Just to add to this fun conversation, doesn't Spotify work on a Tesla? If so then Rivian could do a similar thing. If the map interface is amazing and gets traffic updates I will learn to live without CarPlay (even though I want it in there really bad)
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Basically, what this comes down to is really 1 very simple thing... Are you going to switch your smartphone out for your automobile manufacturers interface, OS, SW, UI and preferred partnerships with Amazon? The answer is a resounding "NO!"... There is a reason why forward thinking companies give customers choice in their vehicles today, and that is to delight them. In my opinion, the aspirational effort by OEM's & manufacturers to displace the driver's smartphone in a vehicle (or a passenger's smartphone for that matter), rather than allowing the device to seamlessly integrate into the OEM's head-unit, reveals pure hubris.
Let's get real for a minute.
Your smartphone IS your primary device and will NOT be displaced anytime soon. Put it this way, if you are given a choice to remove the screen from the dash and operate your RIVIAN OS away from the vehicle (instead of your current Smartphone), would anyone do that? Um, no. Even
So, if you are a user of:
#1). Your vehicles OEM interface (GM, Volvo, Audi, etc)
#2). Apply CarPlay
#3). AmazonAuto
AND you are given the choice of using one of the 3 interfaces, I am guessing that RIGHT NOW, you will choose:
#1). CarPlay if you are an Apple user
#2). Android Auto, if you are an Android user
#3). Maybe the OEM interface for some basic commands if you don't really care too much about the very best experiences for hands-free driving with your device (or aren't that tech savvy)?
Full disclosure - Apple car play user - prefer not to ever use an OEM interface for voice after using Siri hands free, LOVE Waze and Spotify and my apps that are supported in CarPlay
Let's get real for a minute.
Your smartphone IS your primary device and will NOT be displaced anytime soon. Put it this way, if you are given a choice to remove the screen from the dash and operate your RIVIAN OS away from the vehicle (instead of your current Smartphone), would anyone do that? Um, no. Even
So, if you are a user of:
#1). Your vehicles OEM interface (GM, Volvo, Audi, etc)
#2). Apply CarPlay
#3). AmazonAuto
AND you are given the choice of using one of the 3 interfaces, I am guessing that RIGHT NOW, you will choose:
#1). CarPlay if you are an Apple user
#2). Android Auto, if you are an Android user
#3). Maybe the OEM interface for some basic commands if you don't really care too much about the very best experiences for hands-free driving with your device (or aren't that tech savvy)?
Full disclosure - Apple car play user - prefer not to ever use an OEM interface for voice after using Siri hands free, LOVE Waze and Spotify and my apps that are supported in CarPlay
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