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How to Play Music Through Cigarette Lighter In Car

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Do you want to play music from your phone to car without connecting it through Bluetooth? If so, we have great news for you. Despite the car stereo model you are driving, playing music while driving makes the trip more enjoyable. You can use your mobile phone to select which songs you want to play.

Listening to music on your cassette or CD could be boring, especially if the songs are monotonous. You may be thinking that connecting your phone through auxiliary ports and cords, phone’s headphone slot and Bluetooth audio are the only way to play music from phone to car as you drive.

In this post, we will share with you the steps to play music through a cig lighter in your car stereo. Beyond that, you will also learn other car accessories you can use to listen to songs from your phone to car without Bluetooth. Luckily, there are lots of aftermarket car infotainment systems that will help you upgrade the audio system of your car.

Need to know how to play music through cigarette lighter in car? If you are looking to use your USB devices to download music, continue reading to learn how you can reproduce the audio in your car speakers via the cig lighter.

Table of Contents Show

Using Car Cigarette Lighter to Play Music

Almost all cars – old or new – features a cigarette lighter. In line with that, most of you might be thinking that it can produce enough power to drive your accessories. But take note that cig lighters are not intended for playing music from your phone to car.

Thus, cig lighters in your car stereo are incapable of handling the connection from your auxiliary cord. It is not also the best car accessory to play your favorite songs through your car speakers. The good thing is that you can connect the AUX cord to your cig lighter and start playing music. But make sure to connect it first to a car stereo charger with the same radio transmitter.

Take note that your cig lighter does not have a direct connection to the stereo of your vehicle compared to USB adapter ports. Thus, you will need a car charger with an uninterrupted FM signal and other similar radio transmitters.

In line with that, you might be asking how you can use an AUX cord with your cigarette lighter. Do not worry because we are here to help you. The following are the steps you need to follow to turn your ordinary cig lighter AUX-enabled.

Ensure that your car stereo charger has a short FM frequency before plugging it into your car’s cig lighter. It would be best if you would use a car charger with the available AUX and USB ports in your vehicle.
After that, the next thing you should do is to connect your mobile phone with the AUX audio device and start to play your favorite song.
If you have an unused FM station, use it to tune up your car radio. Make sure that the unused signal does not produce static sound. Otherwise, it would be best to find an alternative FM signal and use it instead.
After finding the proper sound frequency, it’s time to tune the FM radio transmitter on the charger using a similar FM signal number.
You can ensure that your frequencies are properly tuned when you hear clearer and more precise audio produced by your AUX device through the speaker system of your vehicle.

Other Ways to Play Music on your Mobile Phone

As we mentioned earlier, using Bluetooth and Aux is not the only way to play music on your mobile phone. You can use FM or a car’s radio transmitter, sound routing apps, USB connection, cassette tape adapter, and more. The level of convenience and sound quality will vary depending on the type of method you will use.

Classic FM Transmitter

As we mentioned earlier, old and new vehicle models feature a cigarette lighter and FM radio. Using these two features in playing your favorite music on your phone is the most common option for general drivers. This is because it is convenient to navigate and relatively inexpensive. You can play music through a cig lighter using an FM radio transmitter.

One:

To do this, you must ensure that the cig lighter or aux port and FM radio transmitter are properly connected. Doing sends enough power to the transmitter.

Two:

Next is to turn on the audio system in the FM mode to achieve excellent audio quality. Radio stations use FM radio frequency. Thus, you must select the one which has not been used yet. After that, make sure that your FM transmitter and the frequency you selected match.

Three:

Pair the FM transmitter with your mobile phone through your smartphone’s Bluetooth feature. Once the pairing is complete, you can now start playing your favorite song.

In addition:

You also need to check the adapter quality as it could significantly affect the sound quality produced by your car’s speakers. Aside from the adapter quality, your phone model and the number of car radio stations working in your area could also affect the audio quality.

USB Audio Source Connection or USB port

One of the advantages of owning a modern car model is that it features available USB ports. You can use this USB port as a charging outlet or connection port. If you use this method, you will need a USB cable that is compatible with your mobile phone. You can use even the connector you use for charging your mobile phone.

For you to play music on your phone through the USB connection, the first thing you should do is to find the available USB port of your audio system. You can find the USB port at your car’s glove compartment, center armrest, center compartment, dashboard, and car’s head unit.

You need to simply plug the first end of your USB cable into your mobile phone and available USB port. After the connection has been established, there will be instructions that will pop on your screen. Follow the steps until you gain access to the playlist on your mobile phone.

You can also use the car screen to control the music you want to play by mirroring your phone’s screen. Two of the best things about using a USB connection in playing songs in your car is that it provides a reliable connection and decent sound quality.

Aside from that, as you play music, your phone is being charged. Moreover, you can also handle hands-free calls, which is beneficial when you are driving.

Cassette Tape Adapter or Audio Cassette Adapter

Did you know that you can play music from phone through the cassette tape player of your car? To do so, the first step you should do is to connect the headphone slot of your phone with the cassette tape adapter. After that, place the phone or iPod adapter in the available cassette slot. Now, turn to your stereo jack system and look for the “tape” mode. After that, click PLAY.

After clicking the PLAY button, you can now start playing your desired type of music. Moreover, to have a more comfortable and memorable trip, you can adjust the music volume. This method is an efficient alternative, especially if the cigarette lighter socket in your car malfunctioned, the power socket adapter is not working, or when the FM transmitters cannot search for a better signal.

This method can also improve the car speaker’s quality. Using your FM adapters, plug your mobile phone into your car’s available socket. From there, you can now listen to your favorite songs.

This easy to use accessory that would help you to play music from phone is also known as the audio cassette adapter. It is recommended to purchase an auxiliary audio cassette adapter that comes with an available headphone jack and cord. You can purchase this accessory from a car audio shop in your area.

One of the good things about using an audio cassette adapter is that it is inexpensive. Beyond that, it allows you to play music directly from your mobile phone conveniently. It also produces similar sound quality with other more expensive alternatives.

Android Auto and Apple CarPlay

Nearly every modern car model these days come with Android Auto and Apple Phones CarPlay applications. Apple CarPlay and Google’s Android Auto Apps enable car drivers to connect their phones with the head unit of their vehicle. Through this, you can play music from your phone way easier and more conveniently.

Aside from playing music, you can also send messages, view navigation maps, and display your phone screen straight away. Moreover, it also allows you to connect your voice to the stereo system of your vehicle through Google Assistant and Siri.

If your car’s stereo does not feature this voice integration, you can connect the Android Auto feature to your mobile phone through a USB flash drive. As of now, this feature is not available for iPhone users. You may consider purchasing the gadgets listed below, especially if your vehicle does not feature an aux input or USB input.

Bluetooth FM Transmitters

One of the add-on car accessories you can purchase inexpensively is the Bluetooth FM transmitter. This gadget will help you play music from your phone. To use FM transmitters, you need to connect them to the cig lighter socket in your car’s stereo system. After that, pair it with your mobile phone through Bluetooth. Using an Auxiliary cable is also a great alternative to Bluetooth.

One of the advantages of using an FM transmitter is that it produces decent audio quality. But take note that adjusting the FM stations frequency before use is necessary. Aside from that, using an FM transmitter is not ideal, especially if you live in a large city. This is because of the number of FM signals that could adversely affect the audio quality.

On the other hand, an FM transmitter is ideal during road trips. This is because you can find FM signals easily due to lesser distractions. These devices won’t interfere with the option of controlling the volume of the car audio system through the steering wheel.

New Deck or Stereo Unit

Even though you have an old car, you can still play music from your phone. Most of you would probably think that old models of cars will not allow you to play your favorite songs. But there is still an option. You can purchase a new deck to upgrade the current audio system’s menu of your old car.

Since we are now living in the modern world, you can find various technological advancements that would benefit those music and travel enthusiasts. It would be great to select a deck that features a USB cable port, auxiliary cable jack, Bluetooth CD player, aux jack, or headphone jack. But take note that decks are quite expensive, especially if they offer more advanced features.

Auxiliary Cord

Most car manufacturers are still including an aux cord in most cars. This type of aux input is similar to the standard headphone connection you can find on most audio players these days. It is best to use an aux cord due to its universal compatibility with other devices, even your phone’s audio connection.

Aside from that, it also offers a good sound quality you desire better than all other auxiliary input sources. What else makes an auxiliary cable a great choice? You won’t need a power source to reproduce the music in your car.

Sound Routing App

Even though old car models feature a hands-free Bluetooth receiver calling, it does not permit drivers to play music while driving. If you own Toyota, Mercedes-Benz, Lexus, Honda, Ford, Chevy, or BMW car without aux, you probably have access to this feature.

The solution for hands-free Bluetooth receiver calling is to use a sound routing app. Through this application, your car’s hands-free Bluetooth will be tricked as if you are talking with someone through the phone. One of the best things about this solution is that it does not require an FM Bluetooth Adapter and is cost-efficient.

The first step towards using this sound routing app is to pair your car with your phone and start to create a hands-free call. Try making a call to check if the connection is successful. After that, install the said app on your phone. The app will route the songs on your phone using the hands-free calling system. Turn on the app and select the music title you want to play.

Take note that the best sound quality produced using this method will be one signal channel or mono instead of stereo. This method is ideal for a car without aux was released between 2000 and 2013.

Final Play Music From Phone Car Stereo Tips

To conclude, there are several ways you can do to play music from phone to car speakers. Just make sure that your car features a USB input, audio system’s cassette slot, and auxiliary port. Newer car stereos will come with a built-in Bluetooth feature which makes it easier to listen to music in your car.

In addition, there are some accessories you can use to play songs from phone to car without Bluetooth or a cigarette lighter port. Despite the car models you have, you can play music from your mobile device to your car without an aux port. Adding a car amplifier or doing the steps we mentioned above offers you a better audio quality.

Last Updated on: October 6, 2022

Hi, my name is John Snow and I am a car lover. With two decades under my belt fixing and driving cars, I'm always on the hunt for fresh, cutting-edge methods to give my ride a performance boost. Driven by my zeal to decode car problems, I'm on a mission to equip vehicle owners with accurate and handy tips. By doing so, they can fix their rides while saving both time and cash.

By John Snow