Hyundai and SoundHound Team for Music Discovery In Cars

Feature will come to 2015 Hyundai Genesis first

Hyundai Motor Group and SoundHound have announced a tie up that will see the two firms work together to bring the SoundHound music search and discovery feature into Hyundai and Kia cars. The feature will make it to some cars from both brands this spring.

Drivers of the cars will be able to identify songs and use features of SoudnHound directly through the vehicle head unit without needing to use their phone or tablet. The SoundHound feature will be available in North America, South Korea, and China. The new 2015 Hyundai Genesis will be one of the first cars to get the feature.

“The car is a natural SoundHound environment, ripe for music search and discovery,” said Amir Arbabi, VP Business Development, SoundHound. “We are excited to join with Hyundai Motor Group to more fully integrate the SoundHound experience into the automobile and make it as easy as possible for drivers to identify and capture those discoveries. This is a natural next step in the convergence of music and the connected car.”

Hyundai and Kia vehicles will get an icon on the touchscreen in the dash of the car to launch the SoundHound service. Sound recognition will be activated with a touch.

“Hyundai and Kia are at the forefront of the convergence of technology, music and the automobile,” said Dr. Woo-Young Kwak, Head of Vehicle IT Development Center at Hyundai Motor Group. “Through our partnership with SoundHound, we are able to further deepen that commitment to the connected car by integrating one of the most popular mobile music experiences that has been enjoyed by more than 185 million people worldwide.”