Audi Apple Music integration gives direct access from infotainment system for most 2022 models

A new Audi Apple Music integration means that owners of almost all 2022 models will be able to play the streaming music service directly from the built-in infotainment system. No connection to your iPhone is needed.

The company says that existing owners of 2022 models will also get the feature, via an over-the-air update …

The company made the announcement today.

Audi is integrating Apple Music, a premium music streaming subscription service, directly into select models. Adding Apple Music into the infotainment system gives users the ability to access their subscription directly and intuitively from the Multi-Media Interface (MMI) screen using in-car internet data. This seamless integration allows Apple Music subscribers to find their favorite music and discover even more new music.

The new Apple Music integration allows customers to access their personal Apple Music account directly from the Audi infotainment system, with no bluetooth or USB required. After linking an active subscription to the vehicle, Apple Music subscribers can access Apple Music’s full catalog of 90 million songs, and tens of thousands of playlists, including hundreds of new mood and activity playlists, personalized mixes, and genre stations – all ad-free […]

The Apple Music integration will be included in nearly all Audi vehicles in Europe, North America and Japan starting with the 2022 model year. The integration will be conveniently rolled out to vehicles already on the road via an automatic over-the-air update.

The company naturally took the opportunity to talk-up its in-car sound systems at the same time.

Audi creates a tailor-made acoustic experience for each model, and digital signal processing delivers a well-balanced sound. For example, the signals from the speakers can be controlled with an individual time offset and thus reach the listener simultaneously. Sound design goes even further to create the ultimate acoustic experience. This is where the Audi sound developers adjust the frequency response to create the typical, but still subjective, Audi sound.

Audi has been working with Bang & Olufsen in this context for many years, which has resulted in the development of some exceptional sound systems, such as the B&O Premium Sound System with 3D sound in the Audi e-tron GT. Here, 16 speakers including 3D sound speakers, a center speaker, and a subwoofer deliver impressive audio.

Fellow German carmaker Porsche has offered a similar integration in some models since 2019.