Nearly a half-million Tesla vehicle owners are streaming content through the premium audio service LiveOne, according to new information released on Monday.
The data line comes about three months after LiveOne said Tesla would stop subsidizing premium audio subscriptions in its Internet-connected cars and trucks, while also affirming that the “streaming” button on Tesla’s infotainment systems would be replaced with a LiveOne button through at least 2026.
That hasn’t stopped some music fans from picking LiveOne as their platform of choice in Tesla vehicles, with more than 450,000 drivers streaming content from the service on a regular basis, according to the company. Of those, more than 100,000 are streaming music and other audio through a free, ad-supported plan, LiveOne said, and internal data shows they’re listening to nearly an hour of content each day.
“I’m thrilled with the first 30 days of our upgraded Tesla partnership, delivering the LiveOne app and music service to all devices, proving 12 years of customer loyalty and love,” Rob Ellin, the CEO of LiveOne, said in a statement. “Our Tesla partnership showcases the potential of our B2B (business-to-business) deals, delivering unique content and programming to our partners to drive user engagement, retention, and loyalty.”
Ellin said there were more business-to-business deals expected to come “this year,” though he likely meant the announcements would be revealed in 2025, as there are only two days left of the current calendar year.
Tesla sold 4.5 million electric vehicles between 2019 and 2023, according to sales figures reviewed by The Desk. The majority of those vehicles were sold in the United States, though Tesla also sells electric cars in Canada, Europe and China.
LiveOne’s streaming audio service is available in the United States and Canada. Based on data released by the company, fewer than 10 percent of Tesla vehicle owners regularly stream content from the platform. LiveOne charges Tesla owners $4 per month or $35 per year for commercial-free streaming of music, or $10 per month or $100 per year if they want to select individual tracks or albums to stream on-demand.
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