Cerence iHeartmedia

Cerence Embeds iHeartRadio and Radioline Audio Content in Car Voice Assistant Platform

Automotive voice AI developer Cerence has inked a deal with iHeartMedia and Radioline to incorporate their audio content into its customizable voice assistant platform for carmakers like BMW, Volkswagen, and Mercedes. Audio content from both providers will be native features for cars built with Cerence’s voice assistant.

Voice AI Radio

The new partnership will give drivers in vehicles built with Cerence’s AI voice access iHeartMedia’s iHeartRadio digital music, podcast, and live radio service, as well as Radioline’s international radio and podcast streams. They won’t need third-party apps. Instead they can just ask the voice assistant for specific podcasts, radio stations, and other audio content as they would ask for navigational help or to adjust the environmental controls in the car.

“We are proud to team up with Cerence to offer automakers access to new and innovate paths to accessing iHeart content,” iHeartMedia executive vice president John Vermeer said. “Our goal is to provide listeners with the products and services they expect, and Cerence’s industry-leading natural language understanding will provide drivers with seamless voice-enabled access to our vast library of live radio stations and chart-topping podcasts as they travel across the U.S.”

The new content continues Cerence’s steadily expanding range of in-house and partnership-based features. The company recently started incorporating Microsoft Teams through the voice assistant and support for Nvidia’s Drive Concierge in-car infotainment system. Cerence also introduced the Cerence Exterior Vehicle Communication feature a couple of months ago, which enables drivers to control their car by voice from outside the vehicle, operating doors, lights, and other controls.

“With the wide variety of content available to drivers on a minute-by-minute basis, radio and podcasts are still a critical piece of the in-car entertainment experience,” Cerence chief product officer Nils Schanz said. “By partnering with iHeartRadio and Radioline, we bring the same global, user-centric approach we take to build Cerence-powered in-car experiences and apply it specifically to audio content, enabling automakers and mobility OEMs to meet the entertainment needs of their drivers worldwide.”

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