Why doesn t Amazon Music work on Android Auto?
Android Auto and Amazon Music are two popular technology services that allow users to access content in their vehicles. Android Auto is Google’s smart driving companion that connects Android phones to car displays and audio systems. It allows users to access navigation, music, messaging, and other apps safely through the vehicle’s infotainment system. Amazon Music is Amazon’s music streaming service that offers access to millions of songs and thousands of curated playlists and stations. Both services have gained significant popularity, with Android Auto being built into an increasing number of new vehicles and Amazon holding about 15% of the global music streaming market share.
However, while Amazon Music is fully compatible with other platforms like Apple CarPlay, it currently lacks integration with Android Auto. This means Android users cannot stream Amazon Music directly through Android Auto like they can with other services such as Spotify, YouTube Music, and Apple Music. This has caused frustration for many Android users who rely on Amazon’s service for their music listening. Understanding why Android Auto doesn’t support Amazon Music and whether this might change can help users make decisions about their in-car listening experience.
Amazon Music Overview
Amazon Music originally launched in the United Kingdom in December 2008 as Amazon MP3, before expanding to other European countries like Germany and France in 2009 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazon_Music). It was rebranded to Amazon Music in 2016. Some key features of Amazon Music include:
– Over 100 million songs available to stream or download. According to Amazon’s FAQ page, the service has over 100 million songs including the latest new releases (https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=GW3PHAUCZM8L7W9L).
– Support for Ultra HD/high quality streaming up to 24-bit/192 kHz on supported devices (https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=GW3PHAUCZM8L7W9L).
– Ad-free, on-demand streaming without any interruptions.
– Ability to download songs for offline listening.
Android Auto Overview
Android Auto was first announced in 2014 and officially launched in 2015 as a car dashboard interface to allow users to access apps and services from their Android phone on an in-car display. Android Auto aims to provide a safer driving experience by limiting distractions and allowing voice control.
Key features of Android Auto include Google Maps for navigation, AI assistants like Google Assistant for voice control, entertainment apps like Spotify, messaging apps, and vehicle information and controls. Android Auto can be built into vehicle infotainment systems or accessed through aftermarket head units and car stereos.
As of 2020, Android Auto is used in over 100 million cars globally. Major automakers like Ford, GM, Honda, Hyundai, Nissan, Subaru, Suzuki, Kia, Mitsubishi, Volvo, BMW, and Mercedes Benz have integrated Android Auto compatibility in many of their vehicle models. Aftermarket stereo manufacturers like Pioneer, Kenwood, and JVC have also launched Android Auto receivers.
Why Android Auto doesn’t support Amazon Music
The main reason Android Auto doesn’t support Amazon Music is the lack of official integration by Amazon. Unlike other major music streaming services like Spotify, Pandora and YouTube Music, Amazon has not developed an Android Auto app that would enable full support and control through Android Auto interfaces https://www.androidcentral.com/amazon-music.
Without an official Android Auto integration, Amazon Music is unable to take advantage of Android Auto’s platform and in-car displays. This is why you cannot access the full library, queue songs, get personalized recommendations or take other actions within Amazon Music when using Android Auto. The onus is on Amazon to develop an app that integrates with Android Auto before full support will be possible.
Workarounds for Using Amazon Music with Android Auto
There are a few workarounds Android users have found to get Amazon Music working with Android Auto, although full integration is still lacking:
Using Bluetooth: Some users have reported success streaming Amazon Music to their car’s stereo system via Bluetooth, rather than using a direct USB connection to Android Auto. Bluetooth connectivity seems more reliable for Amazon Music than the wired Android Auto connection. However, controlling playback and selecting music requires interacting with your phone, rather than through Android Auto’s interface.[1]
Switching USB cables: Trying different USB cables to connect your Android phone to your car’s Android Auto system may resolve connection issues that prevent Amazon Music from working properly. Not all USB cables reliably transmit data for Android Auto. An older or lower quality cable could cause problems.[2]
Using 3rd party apps: Apps like Sessions and RetroMusic Player have built-in support for connecting Amazon Music to Android Auto. These apps can play Amazon Music tracks through Android Auto as a workaround. However, they may lack some features compared to the official Amazon Music app.[3]
User Feedback
Many Android Auto users have expressed frustration over the lack of support for Amazon Music in Android Auto. Reviews and complaints about this missing feature can be found across Reddit, Android Auto user forums, and app store reviews.
For example, one Reddit thread titled “WTF with Android Auto app?” contains complaints about being unable to access full music libraries or recently played albums when using Amazon Music through Android Auto [1]. Another Reddit thread started in November 2023 laments that Amazon Music still does not work with Android Auto as confirmed by Amazon’s own customer service [2].
Reviews on the Google Play Store similarly criticize the lack of Android Auto capabilities, with many users rating the app 1 star due to this missing feature. Overall, there is substantial negative feedback from users who want full Amazon Music integration with Android Auto.
Efforts to Add Support
There have been ongoing efforts by Amazon Music users to petition Amazon to add support for the music service on Android Auto. A popular Reddit thread from November 2023 gained significant traction, with over 500 upvotes and 100 comments requesting official support. Users cite the convenience of accessing their Amazon Music library hands-free while driving as a major reason to add compatibility.
Additionally, Amazon customer service forums contain numerous requests from users for Android Auto support over the past couple years. However, Amazon has not made any official response or commitments regarding timing of any integration work. While users continue to voice their desire for access within Android Auto, it appears adding formal compatibility remains lower priority for Amazon.
Likelihood of future support
There has been speculation about if and when Amazon Music support could be added to Android Auto in the future. According to a post on Reddit, an Amazon Music employee responded saying “We don’t currently have a timeline for it, but our team is aware that Android Auto integration is a highly requested feature.” 1 This indicates that while it’s not guaranteed, Amazon seems to be considering adding this capability.
Some predict support could arrive in 2023 or later, as more users adopt Android Auto and request the feature. However, there are technical challenges involved with integrating Amazon Music’s platform and DRM with Android Auto’s system.2 So the timeline remains uncertain. It’s clear there is demand for this capability, but it may require continued user feedback and technical work before Amazon Music support on Android Auto becomes a reality.
Alternatives
For users who want to play music through Android Auto but find that Amazon Music is not currently supported, there are some alternative music services that do work well with Android Auto:
According to Android Auto – Android Apps on Google Play, some of the top music apps that are compatible with Android Auto include:
- Spotify – Streaming service for music, podcasts and more
- YouTube Music – Google’s music streaming app
- Pandora – Personalized radio streaming service
Other options cited by Android Authority include Deezer, TuneIn Radio, and iHeartRadio. These all allow you to stream music libraries, customized stations, or live radio through Android Auto.
For those looking for an alternative offline music player, apps like Poweramp, GoneMAD, and jetAudio are designed to work seamlessly with Android Auto as well.
The main alternatives provide similar music streaming and library capabilities as Amazon Music, with the advantage that they are already integrated and supported in Android Auto. This gives users options to still enjoy music safely through their car’s infotainment system.
Conclusion
In summary, Amazon Music is not currently supported on Android Auto due to the proprietary nature of Amazon’s services and potential business conflicts with Google. While users have devised workarounds like using the Amazon Music web player, these are imperfect solutions. Given the competitive relationship between the two tech giants, it seems unlikely that native support for Amazon Music will be added to Android Auto in the near future.
That said, Amazon does seem to be exploring ways to expand Amazon Music’s availability across platforms, as evidenced by their recent launch on Xbox. So there is still a possibility that Android Auto support could come eventually. For now, the best alternatives for Android Auto users are streaming services like Spotify, YouTube Music and Pandora which are optimized for the platform.
While the lack of Amazon Music support on Android Auto is inconvenient for fans of the service, the circumstances around competing platforms make it understandable from a business perspective. With no indication that the situation will change anytime soon, interested users will likely need to weigh the pros and cons of the available workarounds versus switching providers.
