CarPlay allows one to access the features of any current iPhone that has a Lightning connector from a touch screen display in the center of the car's dashboard, or by using voice commands through Siri. This will allow drivers to make calls, use Maps (at last, a navigation system that works), access voicemail, and many of the other features that a driver can’t normally access while piloting a vehicle.
Of interest to the music industry is that not only is iTunes now just a touch or voice command away, but so are third party apps like Spotify and iHeartRadio as well. This takes us one step closer to the always-connected car, which in turn, can tip the balance in both the music and radio industries in many ways.
A new Volvo with Carplay (credit: Volvo)
First of all, remember that radio is still widely listened to by all age groups, but most adults listen heavily on their commutes to and from work. Add to that the fact that radio is still the number one place where music consumers discover new music and you see that despite the inroads from the many forms of online delivery, the relationship of radio to the listener hasn’t changed all that much over time. It may be old technology, but it’s one that we still gladly live with.
With a vehicle that’s constantly tethered to the Internet, that balance of power changes. More people can leave radio in favor of their personalized playlists and channels on Pandora, Spotify and other online services, which means that the total dynamic of “drive-time” can and will transform. Sure, many will still listen to local talk or sports radio, but others will choose to listen to stations that they can’t get through terrestrial radio via their connected car .
And what of your local homogenous top 40 station run by a faceless multi-station conglomerate? It’s one thing to have CDs in a car as an alternative to radio, but imagine listening to music from so many other potential online sources with enough new tunes that you never get bored.
My hope would be that that this would strike a sword through the heart of conglomerate radio, making it so unprofitable that the many station groups would flee from the stations in smaller territories. That would leave the door open for local ownership, which would provide an outlet for local music and tastes, just like we had in the glory days of the business. Chances are that won't happen though, as the less successful stations with music programming would just be morphed into talk radio as is frequently the case now.
The real key here is that music discovery will be more on a grass-roots level via the new easy online access in the auto. Music discovery by radio consists mostly of acts with large label affiliations, which plays into the latest trends. More online listening equals more music variety and the increased likelihood of finding an off-the-radar artist that wouldn’t have been discovered otherwise. This is ultimately a win for the music industry, as new music begets new trends, and new trends equals more consumer interest and excitement.
So thank you Apple for introducing CarPlay. It’s may seem like a small step today, but it could prove to be a momentous one down the line.
