Uber, Spotify partner in Nashville, other cities

At long last, Uber riders won't have to bother drivers for song requests, or suffer through drivers' playlist during a quick trip.

Uber, known for drastically altering the vehicle-for-hire sector with its ridesharing app, and Spotify, a digital music company transforming music consumption, are joining forces and choosing Nashville and nine other cities worldwide for their rollout of a music, ridesharing product.

Through the partnership, Uber and Spotify Premium users can play their own playlists through the speakers of an Uber car. Passengers connect their Spotify account through the Uber app and when an Uber driver picks them up, they can play their preferred music, changing their soundtrack through their mobile app.

While this offering may not be enough to cause a group of passengers to switch their loyalties from cabs or Lyft, it could be one more factor that tips the scale, helping Uber further solidify its local customer base. It also gives more Spotify listeners a reason to become a Premium subscriber, meaning they pay $9.99 monthly and are not subject to advertising.

Perhaps more than the product itself, the most interesting news about this new feature is that the two companies are choosing Nashville as one of their rollout cities. Only three other U.S. cities were chosen — New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco — and the other cities are among the largest in the world — London, Mexico City, Singapore, Stockholm, Sydney and Toronto. Uber operates in 200 cities worldwide and Spotify in 58 markets, so it says a lot about Nashville's music and tech-friendly culture that it was chosen.

To kick off the partnerships, the companies are offering ride alongs and live sessions with artists on Friday, Nov. 21, when the product goes live, with Diplo, Matt and Kim, Ricki Lee, Kevin Drew and Jake Owen among those participating. For the drivers, let's hope their passengers have good taste and the musical goodwill generates more five-star ratings.

Jamie McGee at 615-259-8071 and on Twitter @JamieMcGee_.