Audi says it is the first carmaker to offer Spotify’s full native app directly in the car. It runs through the infotainment system with no smartphone needed, and adds music videos and real-time lyrics. The app is available from 21 October 2026 through the Audi Application Store on models built on the PPE and PPC platforms.

Spotify has been available in many cars for years, but usually as a simplified, template-based app or mirrored from a phone. Audi’s new version is different. It is built for Android Automotive OS and runs directly on the car’s own infotainment hardware. According to Audi, this makes it the first carmaker in the world to offer Spotify’s complete native app inside the vehicle.

The app was developed by Audi, the Volkswagen Group software company Cariad, and Spotify. It does not need a smartphone to be connected.

A full app rather than a template

Most third-party apps in cars use standard layouts and controls supplied by the operating system. This keeps them simple but limits what they can show. Audi says the native Spotify app has a fuller interface and supports more content. It uses the menus and navigation that users already know from their phones, adapted for in-car use and for cars with several screens.

Features include:

  • music videos and real-time lyrics, both offered in a car for the first time, according to Audi
  • Spotify Jam, which lets passengers join a shared listening session by scanning a QR code and add songs to the queue
  • Spotify DJ

Features change depending on whether the car is moving

Some functions are limited while the car is being driven, to reduce driver distraction. On the central MMI display:

  • music videos and real-time lyrics are hidden while driving
  • sign-in and settings are unavailable while driving
  • the related controls are removed from the Now Playing screen

Voice control still works on the move, including “Hey Audi” and Spotify DJ. In cars fitted with a front passenger display, the passenger can keep watching videos and following lyrics while the car is moving. When the car is parked, the full set of features and wider browsing become available on the central MMI screen as well.

Which Audi models get it

At first, the app is only for models built on Audi’s Premium Platform Electric (PPE) and Premium Platform Combustion (PPC) architectures. Audi lists these as:

  • Audi A6 e-tron
  • Audi Q6 e-tron
  • Audi A5, Q5 and A6 from model year 2026

Audi says the Q7 and Q9 SUVs will also get the app when they go on sale in each market. The app is launching in 47 Audi markets across Europe, North and South America, Asia, Africa and Australia.

Cost

The app is free to download from the Audi Application Store, which Audi uses as its main platform for bringing third-party apps into its cars. Using it requires a Spotify account. What owners pay depends on their market and their Spotify subscription. Spotify has more than 777 million users worldwide, according to the release.

What it means

Phone-mirroring systems such as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto remain the most common way to play music in a car. Carmakers increasingly want drivers to use their built-in software instead. A full native version of the world’s most popular audio streaming service gives Audi owners a reason to leave the phone in their pocket. It also shows Audi pushing its app store as a selling point for its newest platforms.

Facts: Spotify native app for Audi

  • Platform: Android Automotive OS, via the Audi Application Store
  • Smartphone required: No (Spotify account required)
  • Features: music videos, real-time lyrics, Spotify Jam, Spotify DJ, voice control
  • Eligible models: A6 e-tron, Q6 e-tron, A5, Q5 and A6 (model year 2026 onwards); Q7 and Q9 from market launch
  • Markets: 47 worldwide
  • Price: free download; Spotify subscription costs vary by market
  • Available from: 21 October 2026

The app is available to download now in supported markets.

Source: www.audi.com