The navigation app Waze has integrated seven audio streaming services into its mobile app as part of the Waze Audio Player. The additions are Pandora, Deezer, TuneIn, iHeartRadio, NPR One, Stitcher, and Scribd. Waze already had a deal with Spotify, which will continue to be available alongside the new partners. These audio and music services can be accessed and navigated easily within the Waze app, or a driver can control the entertainment platforms directly through their own apps.
The integrations are beginning their beta tests now on both iOS and Android. Not all of the services will be available on each mobile operating system during the beta. The full global rollout of the music access is expected during the coming weeks.
In-car entertainment may continue to be an area of dealmaking and growth. Although traditional AM/FM radio still held a strong lead as the most popular source of audio in the 2018 results of the Infinite Dial study, the portion for online audio and podcasts has been growing.