Spotify has launched a native in-car app that runs directly on a vehicle’s infotainment system.
Audi is the first automaker to offer it.
Once signed in, users can stream Spotify through the car’s displays, speakers, and voice assistant without connecting a phone via Bluetooth or cable.
The app went live on Wednesday (October 21) via the Audi Application Store, initially in five models.
Those are the electric A6 e-tron and Q6 e-tron, plus the A5, Q5, and A6 from model year 2026.
Audi says the app will also come to its Q7 and Q9 SUVs when each model launches.
The rollout covers 47 Audi markets across Europe, North and South America, Asia, Africa, and Australia.
Spotify says the app is available to both Free and Premium users, though an Audi connect package “may be required.”
Audi claims to be “the first automaker in the world to integrate Spotify’s full native app experience directly into the vehicle.”
“Our new fully native app was built specifically for the in-car environment, allowing us to build a deeper, more engaging experience for drivers and listeners alike.”
Spotify
Spotify, which calls the product its “next-generation in-car app,” said in a newsroom post: “Until now, in-car audio has been shaped by phone projection.”
“Our new fully native app was built specifically for the in-car environment, allowing us to build a deeper, more engaging experience for drivers and listeners alike,” Spotify added.
The Audi Application Store has carried a template-based version of Spotify since 2023.
Audi said: “Unlike template-based apps, which use standardized layouts and controls, the native Spotify app offers a more comprehensive interface and broader range of supported content.”
The automaker says it worked with Volkswagen Group software unit Cariad and Spotify on the app’s integration with Android Automotive OS.
Audi says features available “for the first time” include music videos and real-time lyrics, alongside Spotify Jam and Spotify DJ.
What appears on the center MMI display depends on whether the car is moving or parked.
While driving, music videos and lyrics are hidden from that screen, and sign-in and settings functions are unavailable, according to Audi.
Voice controls, including “Hey Audi” and Spotify DJ, can still be used on the move.
When the car is parked, the full feature set becomes available on the center display, Audi says.
Spotify says parked drivers, including those charging an EV, can watch full-screen video podcasts and music videos on the main screen.
Audi adds that in vehicles fitted with a front passenger display, passengers can access lyrics and video while the car is in motion.
Passengers can also join an in-car Spotify Jam by scanning an on-screen QR code, then add songs to a shared queue from their own phones.
“We know how much our listeners love taking Spotify on the road, and this new native app takes that experience to the next level,” said Jonathan Tarlton, Automotive Business Development Lead at Spotify.
“We’ve designed this experience to feel completely natural for every drive. Drivers get instant, hands-free access the moment they sit down, while passengers get a front-row seat to watch videos, follow lyrics, and add to the queue together,” Tarlton added.
“Drivers get instant, hands-free access the moment they sit down, while passengers get a front-row seat to watch videos, follow lyrics, and add to the queue together.”
Jonathan Tarlton, Spotify
Spotify said Audi is the first automaker to launch the app, adding that “this is just the beginning.”
The company plans to bring the app to more automotive partners worldwide over the coming year, according to Spotify‘s post.
The launch comes less than two years after Spotify switched off its own in-car hardware device, Car Thing.
Car Thing went on sale in the US in February 2022, priced at USD $89.99 and available only to Premium subscribers.
At the time, Spotify said: “We developed Car Thing because we saw that our users desired a more seamless and personalized in-car listening experience, no matter the year or model of their vehicle.”
Spotify discontinued Car Thing later that year, taking a one-time charge of EUR €31 million (around USD $31.4 million) on the device in Q2 2022.
Car Thing officially went non-operational in December 2024, with Spotify advising owners to dispose of it “following local electronic waste guidelines.”
Audi‘s announcement describes Spotify as “the world’s most popular audio streaming subscription service,” serving more than 777 million users.
Spotify reported 777 million monthly active users, including 300 million Premium subscribers, at the end of Q2 2026.
The in-car app also brings Spotify‘s video features to the dashboard.
Spotify launched music videos for Premium users in the US and Canada in December 2025, after testing the feature in other markets since March 2024.
On its Q4 2025 earnings call in February, the company said it had more than 530,000 video podcast shows on its platform.Music Business Worldwide