Spotify has struck a deal with crowd-sourced taxi app Uber to play passengers personal music selection during their cab rides.
The deal means that Spotify Premium subscribers can link up Spotify to their Uber account and play their music through the cab’s stereo system.
Subscribers can either pick songs using their mobile from the Uber car’s backseat (both the Spotify and Uber apps can be used to control the music), or simply put on a playlist.
The service won’t use any of the users mobile data, because the driver will be the one streaming it. Drivers can choose whether to take part, Uber said.
The service will launch in 10 cities around the world on Friday 21 November, including London, Singapore and Sydney.
Unlike a traditional minicab firm, Uber has no human operators taking bookings.
Instead, customers request a lift through an app, and the process is completely automated by software, which allocates the booking to the driver best placed to take it on.
To offer the new facility, drivers will need to connect their Uber phone to their car’s entertainment system, said Travis Kalanick, chief executive of Uber.
The option to choose music will only appear on the app when a car that is “Spotify-enabled” is booked, he explained.
The driver will retain control over the volume.
“If we see tension points those are things we will work into the experience and handle in an elegant way,” Mr Kalanick said.
“For Uber it’s the first time we’ve personalised the experience inside the car. For music lovers that’s nirvana – it’s a really awesome place to be.”
The firms said they planned to extend the service to other cities in time. Uber also operates in Manchester and Leeds in the UK.
