Ah, so you want to bring the party outside your Tesla? That's a fantastic idea! While Teslas are known for their incredible in-cabin audio, they also offer some pretty cool features for external sound. Let's dive into how you can get your tunes blasting outside your futuristic ride.
Step 1: Engage the Boombox!
First things first, let's get you acquainted with one of Tesla's most unique features for external audio: the Boombox. This feature allows your Tesla to play sounds externally through its Pedestrian Warning System (PWS) speaker. Keep in mind, Boombox is only available on vehicles equipped with PWS, and it's essential to check local laws before using it in public places.
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| How To Play Music Outside Tesla |
What is the Boombox?
The Boombox essentially repurposes your Tesla's external speaker to play custom sounds, including your current media. Imagine surprising your friends with your favorite song blasting from your car as you pull up!
How to Activate the Boombox:
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Park Your Tesla: The Boombox function is only accessible when your vehicle is in Park. So, find a safe spot to stop.
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Navigate to Toybox: On your Tesla's touchscreen, swipe up from the bottom or tap the app launcher to find the "Toybox" application.
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Select Boombox: Within the Toybox, you'll see the "Boombox" option. Tap on it.
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Play Current Media: Once in the Boombox menu, you'll likely see an option to "Play Current Media Outside" or a similar phrasing. Select this.
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Adjust Volume: You can then adjust the volume for the external playback directly from the Boombox interface.
Voila! Your Tesla should now be playing whatever media is currently active through its external speaker.
Step 2: Source Your Sound – Internal vs. External
Now that you know how to enable external sound, let's talk about what you can play. Your Tesla offers various ways to source your audio, both internally through the car's system and externally from your phone or a USB drive.
Sub-heading: Using Tesla's Built-in Streaming Services
QuickTip: Re-reading helps retention.
If you have Premium Connectivity (or a trial), your Tesla can stream music directly through various integrated apps. This is often the most convenient option if you have a subscription to one of these services.
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Available Services: Tesla supports popular streaming services like Spotify, Apple Music, TIDAL, TuneIn, Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Audible, and LiveOne.
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How to Access:
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On your Tesla's touchscreen, go to the "Media Player."
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Select your preferred streaming service from the dropdown list of sources.
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Log in with your account credentials if it's your first time.
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Browse and play your music!
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Remember, for these services to work, you'll need an active Premium Connectivity subscription (or be connected to Wi-Fi) and a subscription to the third-party streaming service itself.
Sub-heading: Leveraging Bluetooth from Your Mobile Device
Even without Premium Connectivity, Bluetooth is your best friend for playing music from your phone. This streams the audio from your phone through your Tesla's speakers.
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Pairing Your Phone:
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Ensure your phone's Bluetooth is enabled.
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In your Tesla, go to Controls > Bluetooth.
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Your Tesla will start scanning for new devices.
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Select your phone from the list and follow the on-screen prompts on both your phone and the Tesla to confirm pairing.
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Playing Music via Bluetooth:
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Once paired, go to the "Media Player" on your Tesla's touchscreen.
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Select "Bluetooth" as the source.
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Start playing music on your phone, and it will now come through your Tesla's internal speakers, which can then be routed to the Boombox.
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This method is especially useful if you rely on apps not natively integrated into Tesla's infotainment system, or if you simply want to use your phone's data plan for streaming.
Sub-heading: Playing Music from a USB Drive
For the audiophiles or those with limited connectivity, playing music from a USB drive is an excellent option. Tesla supports various audio formats, including lossless ones like FLAC.
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USB Drive Requirements:
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Minimum storage capacity of 64 GB.
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A sustained write speed of at least 4 MB/s.
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USB 2.0 compatible (if using USB 3.0, it must support USB 2.0).
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Formatted as exFAT, MS-DOS FAT (for Mac), ext3, or ext4. NTFS is not currently supported.
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Preparing Your USB Drive:
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Format the Drive: It's often easiest to format the USB drive directly in your Tesla. Insert the drive into the USB port (preferably the one in the glovebox, as it's designed for media playback and Dashcam). Then, go to Controls > Safety > Format USB Drive. This will format it as exFAT and create necessary folders.
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Add Your Music: Once formatted, remove the USB drive and connect it to your computer. Create a top-level folder named "Music" and place all your audio files inside. You can organize them into subfolders (e.g., Artist/Album) as desired.
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Playing Music from USB:
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Insert the USB drive into the appropriate port in your Tesla (glovebox port is recommended).
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A new "USB" app will appear in your app launcher.
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Tap the "USB" app to browse and play your music by song, artist, album, genre, or folder structure.
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Playing music via USB ensures you have your favorite tunes even in areas with no cellular signal, and it supports high-quality audio files.
Step 3: Fine-Tuning Your External Audio Experience
Once you've got your music playing, you can further enhance the experience.
Reminder: Focus on key sentences in each paragraph.
Adjusting Audio Settings
While the Boombox mostly plays whatever is coming through your regular media player, you can still adjust the internal audio settings to influence the sound before it's output externally.
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Tone Control: In the Media Player's settings, you can adjust the subwoofer and various frequency bands (Bass, Bass/Mid, Mid, Mid/Treble, and Treble) to tailor the sound to your preference.
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Immersive Sound: If your Tesla has premium audio, you may have an "Immersive Sound" slider to make the experience more engaging.
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Balance: Adjust the sound balance to focus the audio in a specific area of the car, though this might be less relevant for external playback.
Experimenting with Sounds
The Boombox isn't just for music! You can also use it to play pre-loaded sounds from Tesla or even custom sounds via a USB drive (though this typically refers to specific horn sounds, not extended music tracks). Explore the Toybox for other fun external audio options.
Step 4: Be a Responsible Sound Enthusiast!
While playing music outside your Tesla is a fun feature, it's crucial to be mindful of your surroundings and local regulations.
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Noise Ordinances: Many areas have noise ordinances, especially during certain hours or in residential zones. Be respectful of your neighbors and the public.
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Public Safety: The Pedestrian Warning System speaker is primarily for alerting pedestrians. Using it for loud music in busy areas could potentially obscure important environmental sounds for others.
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Battery Consumption: While not a massive drain, continuous external audio playback will consume a small amount of your Tesla's battery.
Enjoy your music responsibly and have fun with your Tesla's unique sound capabilities!
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are 10 related FAQ questions with quick answers to further guide you:
How to play music from my phone through Tesla speakers?
QuickTip: Skim slowly, read deeply.
Quick Answer: Pair your phone via Bluetooth to your Tesla, then select "Bluetooth" as the media source on your car's touchscreen.
How to use Boombox on Tesla?
Quick Answer: Put your Tesla in Park, go to "Toybox" on the touchscreen, select "Boombox," and then choose to play current media externally.
How to get premium connectivity for music streaming in Tesla?
Quick Answer: Premium Connectivity is available as a subscription. You can subscribe through your Tesla touchscreen or the Tesla app via "Upgrades" then "Software Upgrades."
How to play music from USB drive in Tesla?
Quick Answer: Format a USB drive (exFAT recommended), create a "Music" folder on it, add your music files, and then insert it into the glovebox USB port. Select the "USB" app on your Tesla's screen.
How to check if my Tesla has the Pedestrian Warning System (PWS)?
Quick Answer: Most newer Teslas (manufactured after September 2019) come equipped with PWS, which is necessary for the Boombox feature. You'll typically hear a low hum when driving at low speeds.
QuickTip: Stop and think when you learn something new.
How to improve sound quality for external music playback?
Quick Answer: The external speaker's quality is limited. For optimal internal sound before external output, use lossless audio files (like FLAC) via USB or high-quality streaming settings if available.
How to turn off Boombox on Tesla?
Quick Answer: Simply go back into the "Boombox" menu in "Toybox" and toggle off the external playback option, or select a different media source.
How to manage third-party music apps on Tesla?
Quick Answer: Integrated third-party apps like Spotify or Apple Music are managed within the Media Player. You'll log in with your personal account credentials for each service.
How to connect Tesla to Wi-Fi for streaming music?
Quick Answer: Go to Controls > Wi-Fi on your Tesla's touchscreen, select your desired Wi-Fi network, and enter the password.
How to troubleshoot Bluetooth connection for music in Tesla?
Quick Answer: Ensure Bluetooth is enabled on both your phone and Tesla, try unpairing and re-pairing the device, restart your phone, or reboot your Tesla's touchscreen.
You can learn more about playing music outside your Tesla by watching this video:
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