Joyride Continues Momentum as Featured 'Android Auto' App

PALO ALTO, CA -- August 20, 2014: Debuted at Google I/O earlier this year, Joyride announced today it will be one of the initial apps featured in the new Android Auto platform rolling out later this year to nearly 30 car brands. Joyride is on a mission to change the commuter experience by delivering a personalized aggregation of streaming audio shows and news on Android - and soon iOS - devices.

“We are proud to have been selected by Google as one of the first companies to leverage the innovative Android Auto platform. This is a movement that is going to completely shift how we think of in-car entertainment.”

Joyride has grown 10X in listening hours in the past four months and intends to double that growth rate over the next year.

Every day, 150 million Americans spend at least an hour in their car, if not more. Many commuters describe their driving experience as “soul crushing” or “life sucking”. In total, that's at least 45 billion detested hours a year behind the wheel. Joyride was founded with a mission to empower people to love their commute time by providing them with access to premium, personalized audio content in their vehicle.

“Mobile devices will be the key driver for the ‘Connected Car’ to go mainstream so the everyday person has access,” said Joyride CEO and Co-Founder Jeff Chen. “We are proud to have been selected by Google as one of the first companies to leverage the innovative Android Auto platform. This is a movement that is going to completely shift how we think of in-car entertainment.”

All the Shows, Talks and News Fit to Aggregate and Play

Unlike competitors, Joyride searches and aggregates content from across the Web rather than a closed repository of media. Joyride then provides on-demand, streaming access to audio content through three avenues of content delivery:

1. Search: Joyride catalogs all of the shows and talks on the Internet. Unlike radio or podcasts, Joyride lets users listen to any show on the Internet whenever they want.

2. Recommendation: Discover amazing content for your drive. Find top content from our community or tell Joyride your mood and let Joyride surprise and delight you instead of relying on pre-programmed channels.

3. Social Discovery: Rely on those whose opinions you trust the most - your friends and family - for enjoyable content.

“Joyride delivers the Internet to drivers in a uniquely innovative way,“ says Freestyle Capital Founder Josh Felser. “Unlike traditional radio and other streaming music apps, Joyride provides a personalized portal to all the audio content on the Internet for the countless hours you're stuck in your car."

Joyride is available now for Android and is coming to iOS and Android Auto later this year. Joyride's mobile app offers voice and easy-to-use controls optimized for quick access in the car. The Android Auto version of Joyride includes complete in-dash controls and will be fully optimized for voice interaction.

“Joyride is a major evolution from the traditional $10 billion, one-size-fits-all, push content radio model," said Aileen Lee, partner and founder of Cowboy Ventures. “Listening to Joyride during a commute makes driving finally feel like the modern, convenient, fun experience it should be.”