Volvo just made your car a little more like your phone. The company is pushing an over-the-air update that puts Apple Music straight into the infotainment system, no CarPlay needed and no iPhone plugged in. More than 2 million vehicles worldwide will get access, and drivers can stream music right from the car’s own system.
The rollout covers a long list of models: EX90, ES90, XC90, S90, V90, XC60, S60, V60, XC40, EX40 and EC40, spanning model year 2020 and up. Not every car will get it at the same time, so check with Volvo if you’re not sure your vehicle qualifies.
It might seem like a small addition, one more app on a screen. But it says something bigger about where cars are headed. Automakers now treat vehicles like computers on wheels. Features show up through a software push instead of a trip to the dealership. Your car gets better while it sits in your driveway.
Apple Music As A built-in Driving Experience
The real win here is how easy it makes everything. You don’t need to plug in your phone anymore, and you don’t need to fumble with Bluetooth every time you get in the car.
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Once you sign into your account, your entire Apple Music library, over 100 million songs, sits right there on the dashboard. Whether you’re driving to work or heading out on a long trip, your music is just there.
Volvo is sweetening the deal too. New Apple Music users get three months free. If you used to have a subscription and dropped it at least a month ago, you can grab two months free when you come back. This offer runs through July 6, 2027.
Owners of Volvo’s higher-end electric models get an extra treat. The EX60, EX90 and ES90 support Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos, but only if you’ve got the optional Bowers & Wilkins sound system installed. Turn that on and compatible tracks wrap around you instead of just playing from the front speakers.
One more detail worth noting is that the EX60, which just launched, will come with Apple Music already installed when it starts shipping later this year. No update is needed; it’s just there from day one.
Cars And Software Platforms
This whole announcement points to something bigger than one music app. Software updates have changed how car companies roll out new features. A few years back, you’d need to book a dealership appointment for anything new.
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Now it just downloads overnight while your car sits in the garage. Tesla started this trend, and the rest of the industry has been catching up ever since, building cars that keep getting better long after you drive them off the lot.
For Apple, this deal puts its services in front of more people, stretching beyond iPhones, iPads and laptops into the car itself. For Volvo, it backs up the image it’s been building as a software-driven automaker, especially with its ongoing work on Google’s Android Automotive platform.
Drivers get something out of this too. When apps run natively in the car, you rely less on your phone, the whole experience feels smoother, and the infotainment system stops feeling like a bolt-on gadget and starts feeling like part of the car itself.
Software is turning into one of the biggest battlegrounds in the auto industry, so expect more deals like this one. The next big upgrade to your car might not come from a bigger engine or a longer-range battery. It might just show up quietly overnight, while you’re asleep and your car is parked outside.
