Music metadata company Gracenote is launching a new platform today that will allow drivers to manage various sources of music from a car's dashboard entertainment unit.
The platform, called Entourage Radio, is essentially trying to abolish the old school radio dial and replace it with a much more cohesive music experience. The company said Entourage will weave various forms of radio, streaming music services, and digital music together so that you're not constantly playing around with multiple interfaces to get the tunes you want. I can see how this would be pretty handy for someone making a long road trip, too.
Using Gracenote's metadata, Entourage will identify songs played from your car as well as the source (AM/FM radio, online services, satellite radio). You'll also be able to see things like a song's album, cover art, and more. And once you've identified a song, the platform can make recommendations for similar music. This is something Gracenote has done before, having already launched a white label smart radio service called Rhythm back in January.
The company said Entourage will also allow automakers to create a custom UI to fit their vehicles. The platform itself, however, will debut in 2017 model cars, Gracenote said.