Music Lover Subscription

[just_rich_young]

I noticed there is a Music Lover option for the subscription services in the Toyota app. Anyone have this and can tell me what this offers over just streaming music through my phone and CarPlay?

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[maxx075]

Sigh, another subscription. Basically looks like it just integrates your apple/Amazon account so that you don't have to use your phone.

These are really getting out of hand.

Plus you can get Sirius way cheaper than $15/month.

 

[just_rich_young]

Sigh, another subscription. Basically looks like it just integrates your apple/Amazon account so that you don't have to use your phone.

These are really getting out of hand.

Plus you can get Sirius way cheaper than $15/month.

If that's the case, then I'll continue to use my phone. No sense in paying for something that I already pay for on my phone and it still requires a cell signal.

 

[Will721]

Its just a minimum fee for cellular connectivity. You also gain the ability to use the App for remote start and such. Cell carriers charge to use their network, and every oem is gonna pass that onto the consumer. A little greedy of Toyota to break up accessibility like they do though. Like not including drive connect in that plan.

 

[saerandy]

So, like many here, I use Spotify - I don't like Apple Music or Amzn. I definitely like/use Remote Connect and knew that I was going to subscribe to it but then had the three plans from which to choose. I looked at music lovers and talked to Toyota about it but walked away unclear as to whether it included data to stream either Amazon or Apple Music. What it sounded like to me was no, it just provides on-screen access. I sort of asked and challenged the guy to tell me why that made any sense if I'm already using car play and have an Apple Music option up there. He said, I know! That's why you should go with Drive Connect for the navigation. I told him I only use Waze and that it would never get used. Anyway, long story short, it's pretty clear this is just yet another monetization play for Toyota and that's unfortunate. (If Music Lovers had Spotify I would have gone with that, but that's still on Car Play)

 

[CharlieLed]

I guess that I'm old school but I find that loading a mini thumb drive with my library of MP3 music works great. The new drives with USB-C connection are so small that you hardly notice them plugged into the side of the monitor.

 

[Will721]

To my knowledge, it does have Spotify and includes the data required for unlimited streaming. I tried it during my "trial period". The only purpose I could come up with for using it is for those who either don't have unlimited data or had a use for their phone outside of driving. I.e. the kiddos to watch movies on a road trip. Totally useless to me.

Drive connect is the one I could see going with mabey. Car GPS typically is marginally more reliable in my experience where phones may loose signal. I experienced it rarely, mostly in the southwest. I also find it more esthetically pleasing than Google maps or Waze.

The mobile Hotspot is arguably the most useful as most phone plans do not have it or its severely limited. But more and more of us are using Starlink. For me its virtually free since I already had to have it for home internet.


Basically they're all almost entirely useless except for phone connectivity for remote start and control. Features brought over from a time when Android Auto wasn't as much of a thing.

 

[rijc99]

So, like many here, I use Spotify - I don't like Apple Music or Amzn. I definitely like/use Remote Connect and knew that I was going to subscribe to it but then had the three plans from which to choose. I looked at music lovers and talked to Toyota about it but walked away unclear as to whether it included data to stream either Amazon or Apple Music. What it sounded like to me was no, it just provides on-screen access. I sort of asked and challenged the guy to tell me why that made any sense if I'm already using car play and have an Apple Music option up there. He said, I know! That's why you should go with Drive Connect for the navigation. I told him I only use Waze and that it would never get used. Anyway, long story short, it's pretty clear this is just yet another monetization play for Toyota and that's unfortunate. (If Music Lovers had Spotify I would have gone with that, but that's still on Car Play)

These plans come with its own data and thats what you’re really paying for. They are not subscriptions to any music services. People keep ragging on manufacturers for charging for these services but they are essentially just passing the cost of cellular data plans and the costs of maintaining remote services.

 

[saerandy]

These plans come with its own data and thats what you’re really paying for. They are not subscriptions to any music services. People keep ragging on manufacturers for charging for these services but they are essentially just passing the cost of cellular data plans and the costs of maintaining remote services.

I understand and currently subscribe to Drive Connect. The issue is not simply that Remote Connect is no longer offered as a clean standalone option. The larger issue is that Toyota is requiring customers to buy music and navigation services they may not want or may already receive through CarPlay or Android Auto, simply to retain access to the one connected feature many owners clearly value. That makes the current offerings feel less like a customer-centered subscription and more like a way to make Remote Connect users subsidize Toyota’s broader connected-services ecosystem.

 

[rijc99]

I understand and currently subscribe to Drive Connect. The issue is not simply that Remote Connect is no longer offered as a clean standalone option. The larger issue is that Toyota is requiring customers to buy music and navigation services they may not want or may already receive through CarPlay or Android Auto, simply to retain access to the one connected feature many owners clearly value. That makes the current offerings feel less like a customer-centered subscription and more like a way to make Remote Connect users subsidize Toyota’s broader connected-services ecosystem.

Remote connect requires a cellular data connection too and thats what you’re paying for. They’ve decided the $10 option wasn’t worth it for them financially and bundled in something to justify the extra 5. Cellular data plans are expensive nowadays. I remember when they used to offer $10 tablet plans. Either way, Toyota can only be customer centered to a point where the finances make sense and they’ve decided the $10 plan doesn‘t.

 

[saerandy]

Remote connect requires a cellular data connection too and thats what you’re paying for. They’ve decided the $10 option wasn’t worth it for them financially and bundled in something to justify the extra 5. Cellular data plans are expensive nowadays. I remember when they used to offer $10 tablet plans. Either way, Toyota can only be customer centered to a point where the finances make sense and they’ve decided the $10 plan doesn‘t.

I’m not arguing that Remote Connect should be free or even necessarily cheaper. I fully understand that the vehicle needs a cellular data connection and that maintaining that infrastructure costs Toyota money. That part makes sense.

What I’m saying is that the way Toyota has chosen to bundle these services doesn’t really align with how most people actually use their vehicles today. Most owners who want connected services mainly seem to care about Remote Connect itself — remote start, lock/unlock, vehicle status, etc. The added bundles feel disconnected from actual consumer behavior.

For example, if Toyota wants to bundle media services, offering access centered around Amazon Music or Apple Music integration isn’t especially compelling for a lot of people. Many already stream through CarPlay or Android Auto anyway. Likewise with navigation — I know some people use Toyota’s native system, but a huge percentage of drivers are already relying on Waze, Google Maps, or Apple Maps.

So from a customer perspective, it can feel less like “here are valuable services people want together” and more like Toyota trying to justify the connectivity cost by attaching underutilized features to it.

And interestingly, when I spoke directly with Toyota while extending my subscription, the rep basically confirmed that. He explained that the additional cost was primarily tied to maintaining the vehicle’s data connection (for Remote Connect) and that the bundled music features were mostly about deeper head-unit integration with services like Amazon Music or Apple Music. AKA - And this is important - that I would still need to subscribe to Wi-Fi Connect on top of Music Lovers. And I asked him ARE YOU SURE multiple times and in multiple ways.

That’s really my point: I’m not objecting to paying for connectivity. I’m saying the bundles themselves don’t feel especially relevant to the average user. In my own case, I subscribed to Drive Connect solely to retain Remote Connect access, and I never actually use the navigation or assistant features. So effectively I’m subsidizing services that other users may value, while getting little practical benefit from those add-ons myself.

 

[saerandy]

To my knowledge, it does have Spotify and includes the data required for unlimited streaming. I tried it during my "trial period". The only purpose I could come up with for using it is for those who either don't have unlimited data or had a use for their phone outside of driving. I.e. the kiddos to watch movies on a road trip. Totally useless to me.

Drive connect is the one I could see going with mabey. Car GPS typically is marginally more reliable in my experience where phones may loose signal. I experienced it rarely, mostly in the southwest. I also find it more esthetically pleasing than Google maps or Waze.

The mobile Hotspot is arguably the most useful as most phone plans do not have it or its severely limited. But more and more of us are using Starlink. For me its virtually free since I already had to have it for home internet.


Basically they're all almost entirely useless except for phone connectivity for remote start and control. Features brought over from a time when Android Auto wasn't as much of a thing.

"it does have Spotify" -- No the Music Lovers Plan does not have Spotify. Only Apple Music & Amazon. "Includes the data required for unlimited streaming" -- MAYBE, but when I was on the phone to extend my Remote Connect plan the Toyota rep explicitly said that the bundled music features were mostly about deeper head-unit integration with Amazon Music and/or Apple Music. AKA - And this is important - that I would still need to subscribe to Wi-Fi Connect on top of Music Lovers. And I asked him ARE YOU SURE multiple times and in multiple ways and he said yes.

 

[rijc99]

I use Apple car play and have unlimited hi res streaming but there are plenty of people who don’t want to use up phone battery or data to play music so they’d rather run Apple Music off their truck. They may have data limits or low bit rate caps. Hence while my usage pattern is similar to yours there are many that don’t use it the same we do. There is no decision Toyota can make in this regard that won’t upset some people.

As far as the music portion is concerned. I’ve been able to use Apple Music through the truck and I don’t have WiFi comnect. I was under the impression WiFi connect is for the ability to make your truck a WiFi hotspot.

 

[saerandy]

I use Apple car play and have unlimited hi res streaming but there are plenty of people who don’t want to use up phone battery or data to play music so they’d rather run Apple Music off their truck. They may have data limits or low bit rate caps. Hence while my usage pattern is similar to yours there are many that don’t use it the same we do. There is no decision Toyota can make in this regard that won’t upset some people.

As far as the music portion is concerned. I’ve been able to use Apple Music through the truck and I don’t have WiFi comnect. I was under the impression WiFi connect is for the ability to make your truck a WiFi hotspot.

Yeah, I think the customer service rep was wrong, otherwise why would anyone choose music lovers? Anyway, I ended up going with Drive Connect since I tried Apple Music and wasn't really a fan.... just because I guess. Plus I would have had to get all my kids to agree to move from Spotify to Apple (more stress then it's worth!). The only nice thing about going with Drive Connect is not getting the blue screen, but I have not used it since trying it once. I'm a 100% Waze guy for nav.

 

[rijc99]

I tried changing my kids over. It didn’t work and now I’m paying for both Spotify and Apple Music.

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