Podcasts Heading Into More Cars

Cerence Inc., AI for a world in motion, has announced new partnerships with two of the world’s leading audio content providers – iHeartMedia, the number one audio company in the United States and home to iHeartRadio, the free all-in-one digital music, podcasting and live streaming radio service, and Radioline, which manages the largest audio content database of 110,000 radio and podcast streams from 161 countries – bringing enhanced, conversational AI-powered access to radio and podcast content to automakers and mobility OEMs.

In an increasingly connected content ecosystem, radio continues to prevail as a leading form of entertainment in the car, with nearly 90% of prospective car buyers stating that radio should be standard in every vehicle. With its deep focus on immersive, user-centric mobility experiences, Cerence has established a network of content partners in iHeartRadio and Radioline that enhances its audio entertainment domain with thousands of radio channels and podcasts. When combined with its industry-leading voice recognition and natural language understanding, Cerence unlocks a seamless infotainment experience that automakers and mobility OEMs can leverage to delight their drivers across languages and geographies.

"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,” said Nils Schanz, Chief Product Officer, Cerence. “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.”

"We are proud to team up with Cerence to offer automakers access to new and innovate paths to accessing iHeart content,” said John Vermeer, Executive Vice President, Digital Distribution and Platform Partnerships for iHeartMedia. “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.”

Radioline’s extensive content library is available in local, regional, and thematic catalogs and enriched with metadata, EPG and advanced freemium features. Today, Radioline services are available worldwide across devices (mobile, CTV, auto, wearables, and more) and operating systems (iOS, Android, Linux, Harmony OS, etc.), empowering users with listening continuity and synchronization of favorites and bookmarks across their digital and device ecosystem. Radioline offers both B2C and B2B solutions, working with more than 50 partners including telcos, OEMs, middleware, media groups, and more.