I’m riding in the back of a Waymo as it autonomously navigates the busy streets of San Francisco with ease, thanks to its 29 external cameras, six radar units, and five lidar sensors feeding data into an AI model. For just $15, I get to experience what feels like a miracle of modern technology—yet there’s one nagging thought I can’t shake: the music in here is terrible.
Until recently, Waymo’s music-streaming feature felt outdated, like an aged barnacle clinging to a futuristic shell. Passengers were limited to a handful of pre-set stations playing lo-fi beats, smooth jazz, K-pop, or other genres they might not care for. Those who wanted something more specific had to use an app from Waymo’s parent company, Alphabet. For iPhone users, this meant downloading the Google Assistant app, connecting it to Spotify, and then using voice or text commands to request songs—a process so cumbersome that by the time it worked, you might already be halfway to your destination.
It was baffling. Here I was, riding in a robotaxi packed with cutting-edge technology, yet Waymo hadn’t mastered a simple feature automakers figured out decades ago: streaming music directly from my phone to the car’s speakers.
That’s why I was pleasantly surprised this week when Waymo announced a Spotify integration, allowing users to seamlessly link their accounts. I immediately connected the services and hailed a Waymo to test it out.
The integration isn’t groundbreaking, but it works flawlessly—exactly what I’d expect in 2025. Now, listening to my own playlists or picking up where I left off on a podcast makes the back seat feel like my own personal space. That level of personalization is becoming a key reason I choose Waymo over other options.
Setting it up is simple. Open the Waymo app, navigate to the Music section, and connect your Spotify account with a single tap—though this does grant Waymo some access to your listening data. Once linked, you can select Spotify on the car’s touchscreen, and whatever you were last listening to will start playing automatically.
You can toggle autoplay on or off in the settings. While I liked the convenience, it could lead to awkward moments—imagine stepping into a Waymo with coworkers as your true crime podcast blares through the speakers.
The touchscreen also offers access to Spotify’s curated playlists, like your “Daylist” or other mixes, though it doesn’t display recently played albums, audiobooks, or podcasts. Fortunately, you can control playback directly from your phone, just like with Apple CarPlay or a Bluetooth speaker.
The integration even lets you adjust the car’s audio settings, tweaking bass, treble, and subwoofer levels. While this might not be the main draw for first-time users, it adds a layer of personalization that could keep them coming back—and building a loyal customer base is exactly what Waymo needs.
Apple Music users will likely want a similar feature soon. Waymo hasn’t confirmed plans for an Apple Music integration, but a spokesperson mentioned the company is always exploring new personalization options.
In the end, this small upgrade made a big difference. Riding in a Waymo no longer feels like stepping into a sterile pod—it feels like stepping into my own space, soundtrack and all.