Amazon Cloud Player, the company’s online and mobile music streaming service fueled by purchases of MP3’s, uploads and even previously bought CDs, is now going to be available in Ford SYNC AppLink-enabled vehicles. The service will allow drivers to connect their Android smartphone running the Amazon MP3 app to their SYNC system, in order to stream their Cloud Player library over the car’s stereo and operate it using voice commands or audio controls.
The SYNC system where this feature will be available includes the 2013 Ford Fiesta, Mustang, Focus, E-Series, C-MAX Hybrid, Expedition, Fusion, F-150 and Super Duty models.
In addition to streaming music from the cloud, SYNC will also allow drivers to play the tracks from their mobile phone. Both cloud and local music is available in 256 kbps audio quality, Amazon says.
It’s worth noting that although Cloud Player is also available on other portable devices – Amazon’s own Kindle Fire, for example, as well as Apple’s iPhone and iPod Touch – today’s announcement only mentioned Android smartphones as being supported at this time. More information will be posted to Amazon.com/CloudPlayerinFord, but the link is not yet functional.
There are several other music services already available on the SYNC platform, including MOG, Pandora, iHeartRadio, Stitcher, Slacker, Rhapsody, and more.
Amazon has been taking several steps to beef up its Cloud Player service in recent months, with launches on Roku and Samsung devices in December, the debut of AutoRip in January, and earlier launches on Sonos, iPhone and iPod Touch.
The company says its online catalog of MP3’s has now grown to over 22 million songs. That’s still shy of the 26 million on Apple’s iTunes, however, although Amazon’s focus is on bringing in albums that sell more so than backcatalog tracks.