BMW is expanding its BMW Apps option for the Apple iPhone. The latest partners offering BMW-approved Apps include Deezer (subscription music service), Napster by Rhapsody (subscription music service), TuneIn (Internet radio), Audible (downloadable audio books and other spoken-word content) and Glympse (temporary location sharing in real-time). These new services will broaden the flexibility and usability of the industry’s leading smartphone integration solution. BMW drivers can use the new services safely and conveniently in the usual way, via the iDrive Controller.
VIDEO: Hands-on with BMW Apps and ConnectedDrive
“Via BMW Apps and MINI Connected, new in-car apps are being rolled out all the time. The BMW AppCenter supplies interested app providers with a Software Development Kit (SDK) that allows them to access the iDrive system and display using A4A (Apps for Automotive) technology.
Deezer, Napster by Rhapsody, TuneIn Radio, Audible and Glympse have A4A built in, which allows these systems to be integrated seamlessly into the driver-oriented BMW and MINI control and operation system,” says Uwe Higgen, Head of the App Center in Munich.
“Personally, I myself am a big fan of Glympse. On my way home from work in the evening I can send my wife a Glympse and she knows when to expect me back. The iDrive Controller makes the whole process simple and effortless to operate. And Audible’s audio books, or the extensive music catalogues of Deezer, Rhapsody, Napster and TuneIn Radio, allow me to enjoy perfect entertainment on every trip. BMW is already talking to many more app providers and is also developing some great new functions of its own. So our customers can look forward to some more surprises very soon,” Higgen continues.
Subscription music services: Deezer, Napster by Rhapsody.
Deezer offers its fans across 182 countries the complete, global music experience, providing instant access to a catalogue of 25 million tracks which can be played on any device, including smartphones, laptops, tablets, home music systems, in-car systems or work computers.
Deezer’s mantra is “music discovery”. It offers its 4 million subscribers and 10 million monthly users, the opportunity to enjoy 100 million sharable playlists – and discover the best in new music – as recommended by its team of expert editors who are discovering the best new music every day, all over the world.
Napster, the daughter company of the first online music service Rhapsody International Inc.’s, is available in 16 European countries. Globally more than one million members have access to one of the world’s biggest online music catalogues, comprising more than 20 million songs, from charts hits to Indie tracks. Napster’s team of music experts offer pre-programmed playlists, featured artists and expert content to help users discover new music, along with live sessions, exclusive artist interviews and radio stations. In Germany, the catalogue also includes several thousand audio books – from detective stories and romance novels to non-fiction works and children’s stories.
This service can be accessed via a wide range of devices – from computers, smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, games consoles and in-car equipment to home entertainment systems like Sonos. Users can store playlists, albums and songs on their mobile devices and can play them on- or offline. The service can be accessed directly via the BMW ConntectedDrive interface – in Europe with Napster, in the USA with Rhapsody. The iPhone apps are fully integrated into the BMW infotainment system, so users can not only use the vehicle controls to find and listen to their favourite tracks, but can also navigate Rhapsody’s music discovery tools, which have been optimised for in-car use. In the USA, BMW drivers have been using Rhapsody via BMW ConnectedDrive since the end of March 2013.
TuneIn: the world’s radio.
TuneIn has more than 40 million listeners a month worldwide, and its content includes music, sports, talk and news from all parts of the world. More than 70,000 AM, FM, HD and Internet radio stations and more than 2 million on-demand programmes from every continent are available. This free-of-charge service spans virtually all music genres and offers countless radio stations, as well as live sports coverage and virtually any podcast. A free account allows drivers to access their favourite stations, music tracks and programmes via any device.
Integration in BMW Apps means users can access the TuneIn Radio app using the vehicle’s infotainment controls, allowing them to navigate the world’s biggest radio catalogue from their car.
Audible: the leader in downloadable audio-books and other audio content.
Audible is the world’s largest producer and seller of digital spoken-word entertainment. Audible content comprises more than 135,000 audio programmes from more than 2,700 content providers, including leading audio book publishers, broadcasters, entertainers, newspaper and magazine publishers and business information providers. Audible is the exclusive provider of downloadable audio-books to Apple’s iTunes Store.
The addition of Audible’s digital spoken-word content to BMW Apps marks the first time a graphical integration of the app has been available in a vehicle infotainment system. Thanks to BMW Apps, Audible customers can access their library using the BMW iDrive controls and menu. And with Audible’s innovative Whispersync for Voice technology, BMW owners can also switch seamlessly between reading a book on their Kindle at home and listening to the audio-book version in their car via their iPhone app – without losing their place. With Audible’s suite of mobile apps, the last listening position, bookmarks and notes are stored in the cloud, ensuring that as soon as they open up their iPhone app, drivers can pick up exactly where they left off.
Glympse: GPS-based location sharing.
With Glympse, users can share their location temporarily with other people, from minutes up to four hours. When accessing this function via BMW Apps, drivers can use the familiar in-car controls to share their current location and expected time of arrival while en route, all updated on a dynamic map, with none of the hazards of using a phone.
Used with BMW Apps, Glympse offers options to share, pause or cancel the location information via the BMW iDrive Controller and screen. Drivers can also choose whether to send the “Glympse” to other users via the app, the telephone contact list or their personal social media feeds (Facebook and Twitter).
