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GM Partners with Eight News and Entertainment Companies to Add In-Vehicle Podcasts to 1 Million New Vehicles

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Podcasts in your car, no phone required

Earlier this month, General Motors announced its Marketplace platform, built and designed with in-vehicle, on-demand commerce in mind. That isn’t the only way GM is expanding the role of its in-vehicle interfaces.

In fact, GM recently announced a partnership with eight news and entertainment companies to add their podcasts to 1 million of its new vehicles.

The aforementioned companies include USA Today, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, NPR One, People, Dash Radio, and Fox Sports. The podcasts will be available through in-vehicle apps, supported by GM’s 4G LTE technology.

Prior to this partnership, Pandora and The Weather Channel were some of the only apps that came standard with GM’s vehicles.  If drivers wanted to access the podcasts of these various news and entertainment outlets, they had to do so through their smartphone.

“By being able to add software after you’ve purchased the car, we’re extending the (content) ecosystem that exists in the vehicle as opposed to what you bring into the car with your phone,” explains John McFarland, GM’s director of digital experience and connected vehicles.

Several of the companies, like The New York Times, offer a single, catch-all podcast. Others, like The Wall Street Journal, offer up to six different programs for drivers to choose from and listen to.

While this initial push for in-vehicle apps mainly covers the realms of news and entertainment, the initiative shows signs of spreading to other sectors as well. Rumor has it that GM will add home automation features as its next in-vehicle apps.

In the meantime, GM drivers will be able to access some of their favorite podcasts more easily, thanks to the expanding emphasis that GM is placing on its in-vehicle technology offerings.

News Source: USA Today