Waze for Android and iOS adding Audio Player integration w/ Pandora, more

Abner Li | Oct 29 2018 - 6:46 pm PT

Earlier this month, Google Maps added music streaming integration with a handful of popular services. Similar quick controls are now coming to Googler’s other navigation and obstacle avoidance client with the Waze Audio Player. Joining Spotify, the seven new compatible audio applications include music, audiobooks, news, and radio.

Like similar integration in Google Maps, the goal of the Waze Audio Player is to provide in-app controls to what you’re currently listening to. Hopefully resulting in a safer, less distracting experience, an audio FAB in the top-right corner of the navigation app slides down a panel featuring a carousel of app icons.

Spotify was the inaugural streaming partner, with seven services now joining: Pandora, Deezer, iHeartRadio, NPR One, Scribd, Stitcher, and TuneIn. This mix includes podcasts, audiobooks, radio, and news, with users able to quickly switch between them after making sure those apps are installed on your device, connected, and synced with Waze.

Controls including the ability to play/pause, next/previous track, and other app-specific ones. Songs and other audio will play alongside Waze directions and alerts, with primary directions still visible at the top even when the music panel is open and obscuring a part of the map.

The Waze Audio Player is launching today to the global Beta Community, which is open to join. It will be widely available around the globe in the coming weeks. Service ability is also rolling out. On the Android app, all services, except Deezer are available, while on iOS, Pandora NPR, and TuneIn are absent until the end of the year.