Waymo finally has a music experience worthy of its robotaxi

I drive in the back of a waymo that navigates autonomously through the busy streets of San Francisco with relative convenience thanks to 29 external cameras, six radar and five Lidar sensors that all feed an AI model. For only 15 dollars I can experience what feels like a miracle of modern technology, and yet there is a nagging thought that I can’t shake.

The music sucks in here.

Waymo’s music-streaming function is felt like an outdated Barnakel attached to a futuristic scale. Until this week, passengers were limited to a few music stations that played LO-Fi Beats, flexible jazz, K-pop or other genres that they may or may not care about. For those who wanted to listen to something specific, they had to use another app from the parent company Alphabet of Waymo.

For iPhone users it meant that downloading the Google Assistant app and configuring to connect to Spotify. At that time you had to ask Google Assistant via written or verbal assignments to stream certain songs, artists or playlists on the Waymo. Even if you come to this point-where you are halfway to your destination and have listened to about three LO-Fi Beats worked the service not reliable.

While I was driving in a robotaxi full of advanced technology, I was surprised why Waymo had not discovered a simple way to stream music from my phone to the speakers of the car and breakthrough that car manufacturers and audio manufacturers sorted out a few decades ago.

That is why this week I was pleasantly surprised to see that Waymo one Spotify Integration Users can seamlessly link the music streaming and Robotaxi-Hailing services. I immediately connected the services and greeted a waymo to see how it would work.

Waymo’s Spotify integration is nothing groundbreaking, but it contributes to the user experience. It works seamlessly, which I would expect if I would try to play music on the speakers of my car in 2025. But driving around in a waymo, listening to my own playlist or going further where I had gone on a podcast, the rear seat of the robotaxi feels more like my own space – what the reasoner is that I choose a waymo.

To set it up, open the Waymo app and navigate them to the “Music” section, where you notice a new offer with which you can connect to Spotify. From there you can press a button and authorize Spotify to connect to Waymo, albeit while giving the robotaxi provider access to your listening information.

I am sure that Apple Music users will soon also want to stream their music and podcasts in Waymos. Waymo spokesperson Chris Bonelli told WAN that the company always explores new personalization options, but not clarifying when the company could add an Apple Music integration.

As soon as my waymo and spotify accounts were coupled, I greeted a waymo as I would usually do and I boarded. On the Touchscreen of Waymo in the rear seat there is an option to select Spotify. I tapped it and the podcast I listened to on my headphones started to play from the exact place I stayed.

You can switch “Autoplay” on or off in the Waymo music settings, and upon entering the Robotaxi will automatically start playing every song or podcast you listened to on Spotify. I liked it to be wearing it, but it feels like it could bring you in a strange situation if you listen to an intense true crime podcast and then go into a waymo with colleagues.

You can also use the Waymo touchscreen to choose from different adapted playlists that users are known, such as your “day list” or other mixes. However, this selection does not seem to contain albums, audio books or podcasts that you recently listened to.

Fortunately, your Spotify app now arranges the music in the waymo. You can easily select any number or playlist that you want from your smartphone and stream it anywhere in the vehicle as you would use Apple CarPlay or a Bluetooth speaker.

In the end, the Spotify integration made my robotaxi more personalized; I was even able to adjust the bass, subwoofer and high triple levels in the speakers of the car. That personalization may not be the most important attraction for first users, but it can ensure that they come back and a loyal customer base is exactly what Waymo needs.