Modern pickup truck and music

I sure need a new truck, mine is 14 years old and worn out. Need to ask... I own a shipload of music CDs but I don't even know if you can get a CD player in a truck these days. If not, how do people listen to music (especially their own music collection) that is not radio or streaming service? Do they bluetooth it from their phone or do they plug their phone into a USB port or just what?

 

I don't buy new stuff but drive it for work. I also don't order and see what our options are. That said my last two trucks 2016 Ram and 2020 F150 have not had CD players where the previous 4 or so I had did . I bet you can order one still...maybe? Also I don't think any of my trucks have had USB or SD slots or anything. I had a personal radio that had that option. I think the RAM maybe it was the Colorado before that had A 3mm type jack where you could plug a phone in. I bet it was the Colorado? Cause the RAM and F150 I just Bluetooth my phone to them. That said that doesn't solve your CD collection issue unless you make them all digital which a guy at my office into music did. He has them all on a little mp3 type player or phone now I guess he can okay them. Your other option is to get one of the streaming services and get all the music you like in a digital library. I use Amazon since I have prime it's free. You can get pretty much anything and save it in your library. It's organized by album or song depending on how I save it. You can sort songs or by artists. Make playlists of what you want. There is all kinds of stuff. My only issue is that it will randomly delete songs out of there and it removes them...well makes them unplayable. I have to delete them and then just add it back. It always seems to be certain artists though, some are big names ones. But I think it has to do with the artists license and or how they load/allow them to the site? I'm no music geek or really an expert on that type stuff.

 

My current truck has a cd player hidden away for use if needed. The big touch screen is much more prominent, but the cd player is further down and The opening is on a "crease" so it's less obvious. The fords were like this until 2020. You can always transfer your CDs into mp3 and into a USB thumb drive.
I do use a staying service and use Bluetooth to go into my trucks stereo. It's easy. Artists and titles shoot up on the screen and the steering wheel controls can skip tracks etc.

 

Three vehicles here all have C players, 19' 17' and a 14'.

None of them get used.

 

Bluetooth and pandora from the phone.

 

I don't use the cd player on my truck either. The sound is a slight but better from cd vs BT but going from a headphone jack to the head unit and lossless audio on some streaming services really helps. I know when my service went to a lossless option it really helped. Honestly, most people probably wouldn't notice the quality differences. Some music it really doesn't matter either.

 

There's lots of "music" out there that really doesn't matter......

 

There are no such thing as country music stations out there any more....theyre add stations with a country song stuffed in every 10 minutes. I quit listening to country then.

K love is fairly add free, public radio same (gotta listen to the other side to maintain balance ya know)...

 

Both of my vehicles have aftermarket CD players, truck is BT capable, but it's an '03. Todays newer vehicles are a little more difficult to change the entertainment system so you may be looking at phone connection and a stream service if you cannot get a cd player stock. I too have a huge collection of music cd's but I have found the convenience of Pandora (free) then Amazon Prime Unlimited (i think it's $8 /mo) has me leaving the disc's in the house. I am a critical listener so I can't stand crap sound quality. The unlimited service most songs completely satisfying, some outstanding (in sound quality). I would never choose that source for my home listening on the Hi-Fi, but car, work and garage listening is just fine. As mentioned above, getting your collection on a USB drive would be time consuming and a challenge, but could be done.
In these streaming services, you search a couple artists you like and start listening. As you hear good songs, you hit a thumbs up or like button and it will start giving you different stuff related to that artist. Don't like one, thumbs down or skip and it will learn what you prefer.

 

I don't own a new vehicle but I have modern stereos in 2 trucks (aftermarket) 1 has a cd player so no big deal.
The other is a digital media stereo. it has a usb port and the 3.5mm jack along with 2 bluetooth connections.
I transfer my music to either the USB stick or to my phone and bluetooth it or play direct from USB.
I prefer direct from USB. The one stereo can also stream pandora or spotify as well but I don't subscribe to either service as my music is more
off the beaten track of mainstream.

 

Most newer vehicles have blue tooth built in. You just have to link your device to it. I'm not very tech savy and I figured it out.

 

This.........

Most have bluetooth and also most have Apple carplay & Android auto to support both platforms. Both are pretty easy to setup and plenty of info out on the web. I enjoy the android auto, I connect to it via a USB cable, I can pull up Google Maps, Music, all sorts of things. Maps is the best because I never have to worrying about updating navigation like some older vehicles have to, all done via the phone which updates automatically.

 

I use Amazon. I have another streaming one I can't remember...oh Spotify that's it, I never listen to it. Just got it cause I have a buddy who is an independent country artist and he puts music on all the platforms but whatever song at whatever point I was talking to him was only out on Spotify soni signed up to listen.

Most of these streaming stations have all the independent artists, they have to be on here cause it's one of the ways they make money. You can list to your Upchurch on Amazon, he's there!

 

Boy, I am a real dinosaur I guess...I just get in and hit the radios scan button until something turns up that I care to tolerate for a while...

 

mine is usually shut off. I only turn it on if I'm getting on the highway for the most part.

No idea who that is, radio stations in the vehicle are tuned to old country/rock or classical. my phone and usb stick are loaded with what I care about.
I did pandora for a while but even my tailored stations get artists I don't want to listen to so I canned that app.

 

Haha, he is a huge independent Country/Rap/Rock artist. Does it all.

 

Ha! Just wait a few more years......you'll take all day road trips without even turning the radio on!!!

 

My vehicles are so old I have a blue tooth adapter that plugs into the lighter and plays through an unoccupied fm station.
If you don't wanna stream you can use free downloader apps to store music on your phone.

 

thats' my car hah, it does have a cassette deck which I do use still.
I laugh at myself the trucks have better stereo's than my everday car that is still the stock radio.