Next-Gen Music Info Service Ready for ’17 Vehicles

Gracenote says its new technology that will bring unity to various music sources inside a vehicle’s audio system will be available to automakers beginning in the ʼ17 model year.

The connected-music platform, dubbed “Entourage Radio,” will provide a single, consistent interface that will allow vehicle passengers to access everything from AM/FM radio to CDs, Internet Radio services and downloaded music through the car’s audio head unit.

“With Entourage Radio, we’re adding an intelligent layer that helps identify what songs are being played and the source,” Ty Robers, chief strategy officer and Gracenote cofounder, says in a statement. “Once you identify what a driver is listening to and when, you can create entirely new experiences across multiple music sources from AM/FM radio and streaming to local music collections stored on a device.”

Gracenote says the technology allows the music-information provider to identify the audio source in real-time and  provide the correct song, artist and album information. It also sends album cover art and station logos to the audio display unit.

Once a song is recognized, listeners can use the in-dash system to ask for songs similar in genre, mood and era, play additional songs from the specific artist or add music to an existing playlist within their favorite streaming music service.