In an odd turn of events, Tesla has made the decision to drop one of the most popular benefits from its yearly subscription service. The service, called “Premium Connectivity”, gives Tesla owners a list of perks that also includes video streaming, live traffic, sentry mode (live), Caraoke, and use of an internet browser. In addition to music streaming through Slacker Radio, now known as “LiveOne” (at least, until this December).
Some of these features are available using a hotspot, assuming you subscribe to one or your phone can provide the service. But having streaming music as part of the Premium Connectivity subscription has been a strong selling point as no hotspots are needed since the vehicles have AT&T built-in (soon to potentially be Starlink).
However, the company has announced that it is doing away with the included access to Slacker Radio. Telling customers that they will have to subscribe to Slacker directly if they want to continue using it, or subscribe to one of the other available services (Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, Amazon Music, Tidal, Audible, and TuneIn). Thus you’ll have to find your own music through an additional subscription on top of the Premium Connectivity subscription. Which will feel a lot less premium come time, since it costs customers $100/year.
This could be due to a conflict of profits or relations between the two companies or simply Tesla looking to cut corners to increase profits. Whatever the reason, it doesn’t play out so well for customers. Especially, when it still lacks a small number of popular music apps that have been requested through the years. Specifically, Pandora and SiriusXM (internet streaming). Not to mention proper Plex support (that would be pretty huge).
For example, the latter two options include the only music subscription services I make use of. Thus, they offer close to everything but the ones I use and I have no interest in subscribing to yet another on top of already paying Tesla $100 a year. Discussing this with others, I find that I am not alone there.
In fact, that was the top reason I had interest in subscribing in the first place. Which will make me question how badly I need the service since I have already lost access to using Enhanced Autopilot since the company took the ability to switch between the two while driving, leaving owners with using FSD for everything (despite having to pay for it and no refunds being offered).
Hopefully, the company plans on adding new benefits to the subscription in order to make it more appealing. Else the only real benefits will be Sentry Mode live access and live traffic. Everything else can be accessed over Wi-Fi using a hotspot that you’d be able to use in more places than just your car. Or, Tesla can cut the cost by half or more in order to make things more reasonable. Or, it could consider buying Slacker Radio and bringing it back into the mix eventually.
The new changes will be taking place starting December 1, 2024. For now, a sad day of less for Tesla owners who make use of the service.
