Controling Spotify in a Mercedes

[spotify-user]

I am an Android user but want deep integration in the car. I want to be able to control Spotify through the car without touching the phone. Right now I can stream over bluetooth but I have to pull out the phone and start the app, select radio/playlist, etc. Too tedious.

I want to buy an ipod or iphone and connect it in the iphone slot and get a data plan for it and just leave it there, it will be for the car only.

Does anyone have experience connecting their iphone in a Mercedes E350 (2010 or 2011)? Does it give you all the functionality, like selecting albums, shows the track and album art on the display, etc?

Thank you for any replies.

[technologiq]

Without replacing your existing head unit (with a carplay compatible one) you're only going to get partially there.

If a vehicle has compatibility for iPhone controls you *should* also be able to do the basics with Spotify which means, FF, RW, Play, Pause, etc.  No guarantee on album art on the display but it should since the 'ipod controls' api treat almost any iOS music app the same.

If you don't already have iPod integration in your vehicle, you may have to spend a few hundred bucks more for it.  

If you want to retain the factory look (you probably do) you may want to look at one of these Android aftermarket head units that run a full version of android in your dash and could use your existing phone for internet access.  You could literally load the Spotify app on this and go from there:

http://www.seicane.com/in-dash-car-dvd-gps/car-dvd-player-for-mercedes-benz

I hope this helps.

[spotify-user]

Thank you for your reply. I'd really rather not replace the head unit, especially that I'm buying a new car soon. Don't want to start ripping stuff out.

So if I have a new E-class or S-class with iPod integration, and I plug an iPhone into it (no bluetooth, it's plugged to the thing), how much control will I have over Spotify through the car unit? <---- this is specifically what I want to know

If it'll give me complete control over spotify, it would be worth investing in a separate iPhone just for Spotify.

Hopefully CarPlay and Android Auto will solve these problems for good next year. For now we must suffer, it's only 2014.

[technologiq]

You'll have basic controls over spotify:

Play, Pause, Forward, Reverse. I can't say whether or not it will bring over album art.

CarPlay won't ever work with your current OEM head unit.  I would guess the same for Android Auto.

You may just want to add a bluetooth adapter to your current head unit and use your phone or a tablet to access all that is spotify.

If you are buying a NEW 2015 E-Class or S-Class there is a fairly good chance it will be CarPlay compatible in which case you'll have all the benefits of Carplay (playlists, album art, crashing).

Per Mercedes: "As of now, we do not support CarPlay in our series production cars. We are working on a highly sophisticated head-unit based solution, which will enable CarPlay as well as other systems (e.g. MirrorLink)… we are not quite sure if we will feature an aftermarket solution. CarPlay won’t be available by the end of this year, but in 2015."

I hate to say it but if it were me, I'd spend the $$ to retrofit a Alpine or Pioneer head unit into your existing dash.  Custom places won't be cheap but it will look factory (NOT places like BestBuy or WalMart"

[spotify-user]

Thanks for your answer. I'd love to hear from Mercedes owners if there are any here. I want to know if it provides more than just basic controls.

Either way this problem will be solved next year. We will finally live in the future when we can control Spotify through the car natively.

[technologiq]

I know you're waiting for a Mercedes owner but I have done some reasearch on the systems in them (specifically the COMMAND system) and 2010 E-250 and E-350s and one thing I can say is this:

• Getting anything beyond playing the current song is unprobable.
• If you want to control Spotify from your dash, it won't be through the OEM setup

You're either installing a 3rd party solution, something as simple as a device to allow bluetooth streaming or as complicated as a replacing the head unit.

I personally put a new head unit in my vehicle that has Carplay so I can natively control spotify - it's great!

[namonaki]

I actually have a 2010 E-class and just to add some closure to this thread, Blutooth audio plays just fine, however the controls do not always work. I do not spend the time to try to fiddle with combinations of opening spotify first, pressing play, then connecting, or connecting, opening spotify, then pressing play--but half the time I can control track forward, and back but the name of the track does not go through. When the controls do not work, I just see the message "Blutooth audio paused" and I have to actually unlock my phone and use spotify's UI controls.

I have used 2 different phones with the same behavior. I previously used the Samsung Note Edge, and currently the Google Pixel XL. 

If there is any more insight from other owners, please enlighten us!

[user-removed]

Actually, there is totally no integration...

My command online (2014) was promised with a Spotify app, since "they were heavily developing app's for the command online". Now 2 years later only the 4 useless defauld apps are still the same....

With new phones connected with bluetooth it is even worse: I only can hear the songs and I can see the title. But forward or backward it is not working.

That's why I've requested an app on the Command online... But appearently nobody is using spotify within a Mercedes...

[georgo]

Hi,

I have an expericene using Spotify with iPhone in a Mercedes C class (W205) using an USB cable.

The basic controlls seem to work fine except the Rev button, instead of going back to the beginning of the song (or to the previous song) it jumps right to the next song forward. So there is no way going backwards, just forwards in the playlist if controlled from the cars interface. 😞

Has been the case with Spotify with every version form the last 2 years.

Apple Music and Podcasts work fine though, only Spotify seems to have this issue. 😞

[timlwin]

As of today 4/15/2017.  Spotify does not have integration with Mercedes Benz Comand system

[timlwin]

How do you request for an app in Mercedes Benz Comand?  I need spotify app on my C300 as well

[nellie20]

check this viseeo tune2air it works with most devices plug and play bluetooth (A2DP) streaming music to iPod ready cars. It works with android for music streaming and can play spotify and other music app and no need to manually plug you phone everytime you enter the car, it auto connect.

[TheFranchize34]

Hoping you might be able to assist.

I just got a w205 and spotify controls work via bluetooth (skip, previous, shows the title) the only annoying thing is when I press shuffle play on the spotify app within my playlist the COMAND will override and playback in normal sequence. I have to select random playback in the COMAND option of the media screen, kind of annyoing. Do you expereince this?