Sirius XM is delivered over LTE, not satellite.

[Jonger1150]

Disagree. My experience with sound quality is quite the opposite with SXM via native Rivian app

The satellite stream is compressed to about 128kb. That's 2002 technology.

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[captainjp]

The satellite stream is compressed to about 128kb. That's 2002 technology.

Nah, it’s fine du. Sounds nothing like how you describe.

 

[True Brit]

I am going to rant.

My Rivian has music capabilities that are from the 1960s and 1970s. An adventure vehicle that does not have music that can be played from the SSD/USB that I use for my cameras. Why?

So I go up to the mountains or out to the desert, and with no phone service, I have no music. But wait...you can bluetooth stored music from your phone, which sounds like crap over bluetooth compared to hardwired from the SSD/USB.

Let's forget about going for an adventure and just drive around town. Now we have lots of streaming choices, and we go back to what seems like AM radio, which fades out now and then, maybe a freeway overpass or by a building, or just the same area dead spot I drive through to go to work. I have two dead spots as I leave the house and head up the driveway. Amazon Music drops, and Alexa is not available. This is now the norm we should accept. I fail to understand why streaming music can't download a buffer of 30 seconds so that I don't have dead spots.

In conclusion, RJ take note and please allow me to play my high-bit-rate music on my SSD through the USB and enjoy the Meridan system you tout as being so good. I have a nice, quiet car that has a decent sound system, but I have to listen to intermittent music fading in and out as it streams in.

Jump into a Tesla or any other car that has the ability to play music stored on a hard drive in the car or from an SSD through USB, and you will clearly hear the difference.

Am I asking for too much?

My rant is over, I will feel better if something is done. Fix the sound before you update the cutesy Halloween lighting or the cute campfire graphics on the screen.

(Please note that I didn't mention the lack of an equivalent front and rear locker set for the drivetrain or the tank turn that the electric G-wagon now has.)

 

[Donald Stanfield]

The reasons that the SXM app is of no value is the same as why all the other things are of no value in Connect plus. Car manufacturers really need to stop trying to line their pockets with subscriptions that offer limited real world value, especially to the broader market that dont have the money to shell out for things like Connect+ when they're already paying for a cell phone across 4 phones, unlimited data on those, have hotspot capability on those phones, have chosen their provider based on their own local coverage, and could just as easily connect the car to their phone and get all the same internet access - you know for all the money they are already paying for their 5G connection....

Speak for yourself. Cell reception is spotty at best in the Smoky Mountains's foothills. The phone in my pocket usually gets far worse reception than the antenna mounted on the roof of my R1. For that reason alone, the connect+ subscription is more than worth it.

If you don't want to buy it, don't, but there is value there for many of us. Given the take rate of connect+, I'd say you're in the minority.

 

[Dark-Fx]

My Rivian has music capabilities that are from the 1960s and 1970s.

That's crazy, Rivian doesn't even support AM radio.

 

[Donald Stanfield]

I am going to rant.

My Rivian has music capabilities that are from the 1960s and 1970s. An adventure vehicle that does not have music that can be played from the SSD/USB that I use for my cameras. Why?

So I go up to the mountains or out to the desert, and with no phone service, I have no music. But wait...you can bluetooth stored music from your phone, which sounds like crap over bluetooth compared to hardwired from the SSD/USB.

Let's forget about going for an adventure and just drive around town. Now we have lots of streaming choices, and we go back to what seems like AM radio, which fades out now and then, maybe a freeway overpass or by a building, or just the same area dead spot I drive through to go to work. I have two dead spots as I leave the house and head up the driveway. Amazon Music drops, and Alexa is not available. This is now the norm we should accept. I fail to understand why streaming music can't download a buffer of 30 seconds so that I don't have dead spots.

In conclusion, RJ take note and please allow me to play my high-bit-rate music on my SSD through the USB and enjoy the Meridan system you tout as being so good. I have a nice, quiet car that has a decent sound system, but I have to listen to intermittent music fading in and out as it streams in.

Jump into a Tesla or any other car that has the ability to play music stored on a hard drive in the car or from an SSD through USB, and you will clearly hear the difference.

Am I asking for too much?

My rant is over, I will feel better if something is done. Fix the sound before you update the cutesy Halloween lighting or the cute campfire graphics on the screen.

(Please note that I didn't mention the lack of an equivalent front and rear locker set for the drivetrain or the tank turn that the electric G-wagon now has.)

My first car was a 1969 Buick Riviera and it had an 8-track player, so IDK where you're getting this 1970's technology comment from. You CAN play music in cell dead zones via bluetooth, which you acknowledge but still complain about. Sure, Rivian should allow you to play music via hard drive storage, and that feature is on their development roadmap, but your comment is an overreaction.

 

[NY_Rob]

I am going to rant.

Rant not necessary, we have been complaining about lack of Sat and USB based music playback since the first R1's were delivered in late 2021 mate.

 

[Zoidz]

I am going to rant.

My Rivian has music capabilities that are from the 1960s and 1970s.

Damn, how did I overlook the 8 track player option when I ordered mine?

 

[NY_Rob]

The first 8-Track tape I bought as a kid back in 1976. When listening to the digital tracks now, I still know exactly where the songs got interrupted to switch tracks. Funny how you can remember ridiculous details like that 50 years later!

 

[kvk89]

Honestly, Rivian should consider enabling Wi-Fi-based audio streaming as a standard feature rather than pushing users toward a paid Connect+ subscription just to access music apps. Bluetooth audio in the vehicle doesn’t quite do justice to the premium sound system — the quality isn’t rich, and it lacks basic usability like album art display or smooth control from the screen.

If Rivian truly wants to offer a seamless and high-end experience, allowing native apps like Spotify or Apple Music to stream over Wi-Fi via phone hotspot (without forcing a subscription) would be a huge win. It removes friction, sounds better, and lets users enjoy what they already pay for on their phones — without another monthly fee. This kind of thoughtful feature would set Rivian apart, showing they care more about the customer experience than just monetizing every layer of the system.

 

[godfodder0901]

Honestly, Rivian should consider enabling Wi-Fi-based audio streaming as a standard feature rather than pushing users toward a paid Connect+ subscription just to access music apps. Bluetooth audio in the vehicle doesn’t quite do justice to the premium sound system — the quality isn’t rich, and it lacks basic usability like album art display or smooth control from the screen.

If Rivian truly wants to offer a seamless and high-end experience, allowing native apps like Spotify or Apple Music to stream over Wi-Fi via phone hotspot (without forcing a subscription) would be a huge win. It removes friction, sounds better, and lets users enjoy what they already pay for on their phones — without another monthly fee. This kind of thoughtful feature would set Rivian apart, showing they care more about the customer experience than just monetizing every layer of the system.

Ummm...

They already allow exactly this, and have for some time...

 

[Donald Stanfield]

Damn, how did I overlook the 8 track player option when I ordered mine?

The first 8-Track tape I bought as a kid back in 1976. When listening to the digital tracks now, I still know exactly where the songs got interrupted to switch tracks. Funny how you can remember ridiculous details like that 50 years later!

16-year-old me thought he was the coolest guy ever "blasting." American Woman by The Guess Who with the 8-track

 

[NY_Rob]

^ awesome song, so you weren't wrong!

 

[GreenJohn42]

I would really love to load all my MP3s on a flash drive and play them over the car speakers. Seems like it should be easy to do with data USB ports already configured for the road cam.

 

[Frisbee]

In researching the trial period for SXM radio it is clear that at its conclusion a monthly fee payable to SXM would be required to continue the service. But would a subscription to Rivian’s Connect + also be required? In reviewing Rivian’s information regarding Connect + it mentions other streaming services but not SXM. First hand knowledge would be helpful. Thank you.

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