General Motors is going so far as to install the Apple Music service directly into its new infotainment systems, a stark about-face from its move away from Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The native app comes preinstalled on certain Cadillac and Chevrolet vehicles, representing GM’s attempt to offer users a high-end music experience without bucking its broader software strategy.
The move is not a resurrection of smartphone projection, but it does give GM one of the most requested media services inside its Google-based dashboards — and long-term access included through GM’s connectivity plan.
What GM Is Adding and Where Across Its Lineup
The 2025 and 2026 Cadillac CT5, the all-electric Escalade IQ and the forthcoming 2026 Vistiq will offer Apple Music natively. Chevrolet’s 2025 and 2026 Blazer EV, Equinox EV and Silverado EV appear on the list, as well as its 2026 Corvette, Suburban and Tahoe. GM says it’s planning more nameplates from Buick and GMC, as well as the 2027 Chevrolet Bolt.
Apple Music comes with an eight-year subscription to GM’s OnStar Basics package free of charge on compatible vehicles. The app launches as soon as owners tap it on the screen, signing in with their existing Apple ID for those that have one, and new customers able to subscribe straight from an in-app portal — no pairing required.
Why It Matters for GM’s Infotainment Bet
GM, meanwhile, has moved to an embedded approach based on Android Automotive OS with Google built in, asserting the firmness of native apps (as compared to phone projection) and their integration with energy management, navigation and driver-assist capabilities. Executives say there are too many concerns over dropped connections and distracting re-pairing for CarPlay and Android Auto.
Customer demand for smartphone projection is very real, though. Apple has stressed that CarPlay comes in 98% of new vehicles sold in the U.S., and it claims to impact the decision to buy for a significant number of those buyers. At the same time, J.D. Power’s Initial Quality Study has long been pointing to smartphone integration problems — especially connectivity hiccups — as a top grievance, highlighting both the demand and pain points that GM says it wants to address in-house.
Pulling Apple Music into the system is a pragmatic midway point: it addresses a first-tier use case — music — while keeping the driver captive inside GM’s software shell, where vehicle updates, diagnostics and subscription features can also be more fully integrated and controlled.
What Owners Will Get in the Cabin With Apple Music
On Cadillac models, Apple Music will be capable of spatial audio with Dolby Atmos where the hardware allows, creating a more immersive stage for multi-speaker setups. That tuning can be tailored to the car’s acoustics, a cool perk of an integrated app versus something that mirrors your phone screen.
Since the app lives on the car’s system, owners can tap into curated playlists, libraries and stations using the touchscreen and steering-wheel controls, as well as call up playback via the included voice assistant. Expect editorial playlists, lossless tiers, where possible, and the option to cache tracks for areas with poor connections.
Crucially, this is not CarPlay. Texting, third-party messaging and Apple Maps projection are not part of the change; navigation and communications continue to happen through GM’s own applications and Google integrations. But for those who use it every day on the way to work or during a road trip, the native Apple Music tile helps fill a big hole left by phone projection’s exit.
How GM Compares to Its Rivals on In-Car Apps
GM is not the only one separating from CarPlay but keeping Apple Music. Rivian included Apple Music in its in-car system last year. Polestar and Volvo — the first partners of Android Automotive OS for early adopters — also feature Apple Music natively. Tesla has avoided CarPlay for years, but supports Apple Music as well as other streaming sources, proving that first-party services can be enough for a lot of drivers even if you’re not fully mirroring the phone.
On the other hand, manufacturers such as Ford are still backing CarPlay and Android Auto across vast part numbers — betting that phone-driven interfaces can erase learning curves and enhance satisfaction. That fracture highlights a larger industry debate about who owns the cabin experience — the automaker or the smartphone platform.
The Bottom Line for Buyers Considering GM’s Move
GM’s Apple Music rollout feels like a strategic win for the drivers feeling they missed their favorite streaming service after CarPlay left. It’s not a policy reversal, but it demonstrates that GM is willing to integrate popular services into its ecosystem if they support the company’s native-first philosophy.
If you’re buying one of the supported Cadillacs or Chevrolets, Apple Music will be built in for eight years through OnStar Basics — no cables, no phone projection and fewer connection snafus.
For a lot of owners, that was the aspect of CarPlay they used the most, now filtered through the way GM wants to do things in a modern dashboard.
