How to Play Music from My iPhone in My Car

Written by:  • Edited by: Simon Hill
Published Jun 22, 2010
• Related Guides: iPhone

How to get your iPhone music to play through your car stereo and what you need to make it work.

Car Stereos and the iPhone

Your iPhone has a headphone jack on it for connecting the included pair of earbuds or any other kind of speakers. Did you know that it can be used to play your iPhone music through your car stereo, too? There are several ways you can go about it, and what you use depends on your car stereo. In many cases all you need is a ten dollar cable to turn your iPod into a mobile jukebox for your car. If you want to learn how can your iPhone play music through your car speakers, keep reading to see your options.

Auxiliary Audio Cable

Stereo Cables
click to enlarge
The best and cheapest way to play music from your iPhone through your car stereo speakers is by using an auxiliary audio cable, but it only works if your stereo has an auxiliary audio port. This is the kind of cable that has a 1/8 inch connector on both ends, so that each end looks just like the end of the headphone cable that plugs into the iPhone. You connect it to your stereo using the auxiliary audio port, which is typically located on the stereo's face. Many modern vehicles now include one of these ports, as do many after market stereo systems. It looks just like a headphone jack and doesn't require any configuration. If your car doesn't have one of these, you still have more options.

(Image credit: Apple.com)

FM Transmitter

FM Transmitter
click to enlarge
If your car stereo doesn't have an auxiliary audio port, another option you can try is an FM transmitter. These types of devices have been around for many years and got their start during the days when people used portable CD players in their vehicles when they couldn't afford a regular CD player car stereo. They are very commonly found these days when connecting portable satellite radios to car stereos. The FM transmitter works by letting you set your radio to a particular station where there is no interference from nearby radio stations, then you match the transmitter to that frequency and it broadcasts from your iPhone directly into the radio.

The downside to using an FM transmitter is that you will often run into interference from outside sources like other radio stations, especially if you are traveling. Nothing is better than a direct cable connection, but if that option is not available you can still get pretty decent performance from an FM transmitter if you configure it correctly. There are many different choices for iPhone FM transmitters, so be sure to shop around.

(Image credit: Apple.com)

Aftermarket Stereos

Another option you may consider is to upgrade the stereo in your vehicle. There is a huge market for car stereos that feature tons of options you won't find on dealer installed car stereos. On top of that, you can get some really good CD MP3 car stereos for less than a couple of hundred dollars. I drive a 2005 Toyota Tacoma and found the factory installed stereo to be very weak and muddy sounding, so I upgraded my whole system and added a subwoofer and now my system rocks.

Almost every aftermarket stereo I've seen has an auxiliary port on the front, with many even including a USB port, too. A great many stereos also have built-in iPhone and iPod controls that will display song titles and information on the stereo screen so that you don't have to fiddle with the iPhone while driving. There are too many makes and models to go into specifics here, but a good start would be to visit Crutchfield.com and see what fits your vehicle.


Comments

Showing all 6 comments
 
jame Oct 26, 2010 11:23 AM
music
so the fm transmitter will play my music that i already have on my iphone?
daniel martinez Jul 14, 2010 4:17 PM
iphone question.
hello ppl i had a question and ive been wanting to know this. ipods can be connected to (AUX.) and play music but can iphones do it also??
if anybody can send me a message and let me know it will be great thanks.
Raphael Jul 13, 2010 7:53 AM
Playing an iphone thru car stereo
Hi Bill, I worked it out. I put the cable in the AUX jack then had to push the AUX button on the dash. All works fine and so easy!
Raphael Jul 7, 2010 6:48 PM
Playing an iphone thru car stereo
Thanks Bill. I tried volume control. As far as I know the podcast [from the BBC] is just a nother audio file. Will try others. Otherwise not sure where to turn to next?
Bill Fulks Jul 7, 2010 9:21 AM
Raphael
I have not tried a podcast, but I wonder if maybe it is a volume control issue or maybe something with that individual podcast. Did you try more than one?
Raphael Kahn Jul 7, 2010 8:18 AM
Playing an iphone thru car stereo
Thanks for your solution about purchasing a jack with male plugs on both ends and plugging it into the AUX. Having done this I still cant seem to get the iphone to play a podcast thru my car speakers. Do I need to do anything else other than open the podcast app and press play? Is ther some setting I must change?
 
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