Feature Request: Improved Bluetooth Player

[BigSkies]

I'm kinda over music streaming services. Particularly now that we're stacking another Connect+ subscription on top of a music streaming subscription. I get that there are costs to data streaming, and Connect+ seems reasonably priced. But I'm kinda over Spotify anyways, and I have a damn good music collection I've built up over the years. Some of it going back to the Napster days.

The Rivian experience without paid streaming is a bit lackluster. I think it could be a lot better without much effort. Here's what I'd like to see:

What I'd like to see:
1. Build a way to navigate the connected music library through the touch interface. I don't want to be fiddling with my phone to do this for safety reasons.
2. I seem to get a lot of static/interference when using Bluetooth in the first 10-20 minutes of driving, but it goes away after this. I suspect this is something related to the vehicle, since I haven't had this happen in prior cars.
3. Maybe some Alexa commands to navigate music from the Bluetooth device?

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[SwampNut]

Connect+ is not at all necessary for streaming. I just use the phone. I don't know why anyone would want to manage yet another damn library in a car, when the phone is a great master library that works everywhere.

1. Already there.

2. Haven't seen this in the Rivian or others. Maybe a defect in yours?

3. Why when you have phone commands that also still work?

 

[BigSkies]

Connect+ is not at all necessary for streaming. I just use the phone. I don't know why anyone would want to manage yet another damn library in a car, when the phone is a great master library that works everywhere.

1. Already there.

2. Haven't seen this in the Rivian or others. Maybe a defect in yours?

3. Why when you have phone commands that also still work?

I generally believe anything that involves fiddling with my phone while driving to be unsafe. It’s just not something I do.

I also signed up for one of those insurance discount plans that dings me for phone usage. So there’s a financial incentive not to mess with it as well.

My 2014 Mazda (pre car play) had options to navigate my iTunes library, so this isn’t a novel concept.

I obviously can’t verify the static is caused by the vehicle. But it is an issue, and it hasn’t happened in any other vehicle using the same phone.

 

[racekarl]

Connect+ is not at all necessary for streaming. I just use the phone. I don't know why anyone would want to manage yet another damn library in a car, when the phone is a great master library that works everywhere.

1. Already there.

2. Haven't seen this in the Rivian or others. Maybe a defect in yours?

3. Why when you have phone commands that also still work?

Such a terrible take. You’re suggesting in the year of our lord 2024 that someone should be screwing around with their phone while driving?

What the OP was asking for was NOT “another” library, but a way to navigate the existing library on the phone using the car’s UI. Audis and VWs used to have this, though it required a corded connection. I’m sure other makes had something similar.

It seems like the newer versions of the Bluetooth AVRCP (remote control protocol) do allow for some browse and search capabilities, but I don’t know enough to say how complete of an experience that would give you

 

[SwampNut]

You’re suggesting in the year of our lord 2024 that someone should be screwing around with their phone while driving?

I didn't, at all, but then again it is possible to do so safely. But again, I didn't suggest that.

but a way to navigate the existing library on the phone using the car’s UI.

Since we have that, it's hard to tell what he's asking for.

Are you suggesting that navigating the built in screen, WAY off to the right, is safe to do while driving? At least you can mount the phone in your eye line.

 

[WhidbeyIsland]

I agree with OP.. I have a very large MP3 DB of great music with about 45 playlists.. the Rivian interface does not have any Bluetooth navigating capability and it sucks. Or, give us the ability to stream audio from a USB connected HD (preferred actually).

I really wish they'd spend some programmer time on the portion of the entertainment system.

 

[RalphB]

IMHO this would be "fixed" if Rivian would just implement a USB drive media player like every other vehicle out there seems to have. At least the cars that we have owned in the last 10+ years. Come on Rivian, an adventure vehicle goes beyond cell coverage - frequently.

 

[BigSkies]

IMHO this would be "fixed" if Rivian would just implement a USB drive media player like every other vehicle out there seems to have. At least the cars that we have owned in the last 10+ years. Come on Rivian, an adventure vehicle goes beyond cell coverage - frequently.

Agreed. While Bluetooth is nice, I'm fine with any solution to simply and effectively play owned media.

I don't pretend to know the nuances of what's possibly with wired vs. Bluetooth. I just want an easy way to navigate and play media I own instead of relying on increasingly expensive streaming services.

 

[WhidbeyIsland]

oh, and another 'feature' of using Bluetooth.. when you get an email or text,, my phone pauses the music, plays the notification sound and then un-pauses the music.. sigh.

 

[Ingo B]

IMHO this would be "fixed" if Rivian would just implement a USB drive media player like every other vehicle out there seems to have. At least the cars that we have owned in the last 10+ years. Come on Rivian, an adventure vehicle goes beyond cell coverage - frequently.

This was literally the only highlight I experienced when driving a rental as my truck was being serviced. I was wildly enthralled with the Infiniti's ability to display album art and run through my phone's playlists as set up by me. But hey, "premium streaming experience...." blah blah blah.

 

[CompilerBreak]

What you're asking for is Carplay/Android Auto

But seriously, this is partly why those interfaces exist, so everyone's favorite music app will just work and Rivian doesn't have to keep adding more one by one. My favorite right now is Plexamp, and I'm pretty sure that'll never get on their radar.

 

[SwampNut]

This thread seems to have a lot of whining about things that are just settings or a lack of understanding. Read some documentation. Spend five minutes optimizing things. And post one suggests it’s safe to be fiddling with the screen way over to the right instead of using voice commands??

 

[teartags]

This thread seems to have a lot of whining about things that are just settings or a lack of understanding. Read some documentation. Spend five minutes optimizing things. And post one suggests it’s safe to be fiddling with the screen way over to the right instead of using voice commands??

I disagree. It seems that the music situation is not that important to you, but if you look at multiple other threads from the past, it is clearly an issue for a lot of other people. The current non-streaming music option, in a vehicle that is marketed as an "adventure vehicle" (AKA get away from the internet) sucks in so many ways. Mostly, it just plain sounds bad. In a premier vehicle with an already pretty lackluster sound system, playing through bluetooth sounds worse. Then there are the controls. You can pretty much play, pause, forward and reverse.
When they start making people pay for the online services, I sure hope that 1) they improve all of those apps, because most of them need a lot of work. 2) implement a basic play from USB option that all cars made in the last 10 years have. Or the pitchforks are gonna come out.

 

[SwampNut]

It seems that the music situation is not that important to you

Extremely important.

One obvious understanding in many of the posts... I go well out of cell range often, maybe for days. And I have music. Is it magic? No, modern phones and streaming services can save music, just like in the 90s. And then you ALSO have it for the camp speaker on site.

Also the pre-made USB file tree for the dashcam has a music folder. If you put things in there, they don't show up? It's a decent 1990 solution I guess.

 

[White Shadow]

It has been mentioned before, but Rivian could simply allow USB playback of MP3 files and then you could essentially put all of your music library on a small thumb drive and use it as an in-car jukebox without having to stream anything. I do that with both of my cars and it's fantastic. It's like having a radio station of nothing but songs I like and zero commercial interruptions.

But nope, Rivian won't allow it.

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