smart fortwo Owners Get iPhone MusicID-Stream Tech

Digital media industry pioneer Gracenote announced today it has launched a new smart drive app for the iPhone for smart fortwo owners. Dubbed MusicID-Stream, the new technology represents the world's first deployment of a streaming music identification solution by an automotive manufacturer, the developer says.

Using audio waveform fingerprint technology, MusicID can identify individual songs or albums in a user's collection regardless of source, format, or tag information.

“MusicID-Stream leverages Gracenote's audio waveform fingerprinting and search technology as well as Gracenote's Global Media Database, the largest and most comprehensive in the world.  The result is a robust, scalable solution for partners that can be deployed on a mobile handset or directly on an automotive head unit,” a company statement reads.

The new app enables smart fortwo drivers to use their iPhone to identify music playing in their car from any audio source.  The app will then return information about the identified track including artist and track name, album cover art and a purchase link for convenient download.

Thanks to an integrated web radio function, users can listen to their favorite domestic and foreign radio stations and podcasts whenever they want.

"We are pleased to enable this industry first with our MusicID-Stream technology, particularly in such an innovative and functional system as the smart drive kit for the iPhone," said Bill Fleck, head of automotive sales, Americas, at Gracenote.  "MusicID-Stream is an outstanding and fast music identification resource that will allow smart fortwo drivers to enjoy and acquire music content in their car in completely new ways."