General Motors will include the Gracenote digital media library system in its redesigned 2008 Cadillac CTS line.
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This will be the first time its MusicID database and Playlist products have been integrated together in an in-car entertainment system in North America, Gracenote said.
The technology accesses a ‘Global Music Database’ of over 6m albums, providing basic CD information including album, artist and track names, plus proprietary extended data such as genre, artist type, era and region of origin.
“MusicID allows drivers to copy all of their CDs into the car and build a digital music library that can be accessed easily by the name of the artist, album or even specific track,” Gracenote said.
The playlist technology includes features such as ‘more like this’ which will retrieve similar music in the car’s library and start playing it.
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By GlobalDataUsing classifications such as 1600 micro-genres and artist type, era and origin, drivers can create instant playlists with one button.
Gracenote said it was the first company to provide an embedded CD recognition solution for the automotive industry and has since shipped millions of units. The company provides its technology to automakers including DaimlerChrysler, Ferrari, Honda, Infiniti, Lexus, Mitsubishi, Nissan and Toyota.
General Motors’ UK unit could not immediately say if the Gracenote system would be included in cars sold in Europe. The new CTS line, including a new direct-injection 3.6-litre variable valve timing V6, goes on sale in the US in August.
The current model has been available in the UK and other markets with right-hand drive since 2004. The redesigned line is due in Europe during 2008 and will get a new 250bhp 2.9-litre V6 turbodiesel option the following year.
Emeryville, California-based Gracenote’s co-founder and chief technology officer Ty Roberts told WardsAuto more consumers are making purchase decisions based on what technology appears on the vehicle, particularly as it relates to entertainment.
“Dealers are realising, too, that people might choose their car based on its level of connectivity,” Roberts was quoted as saying.
Wards own data shows that 4% of domestic-brand passenger cars sold in the US had navigation systems, concierge services were in 11.9%, MP3 were fitted to 14.6% and satellite radio was specified on 14.9%.
