General Motors Is Doing The Unthinkable: A Paid Feature Is Now Becoming Free On Some Of Its Cars

• General Motors is offering free internet connectivity for audio streaming in some new cars.
• The perk is now part of the automaker’s OnStar Basics connectivity bundle.
• The Apple Music app is also available natively on GM’s infotainment systems; for Cadillac owners, it brings Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos.

General Motors is offering free internet connectivity for audio streaming services in new cars sold in the United States and Canada. The automaker is also introducing a native Apple Music app that runs on its Android Automotive-based infotainment systems, which comes with a nice extra perk for Cadillac customers: Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos.

The free audio streaming feature is called Standard Streaming and is now part of the OnStar Basics connectivity bundle, which is included at no extra cost for all 2025 and newer GM models. For these cars, the connectivity feature is valid for eight years after the first vehicle purchase, but it’s unclear what happens when that period expires, as the car manufacturer hasn’t provided a price for OnStar Basics.

The 2026 Cadillac Vistiq is one of the eligible models for the free audio connectivity feature.

Photo by: Cadillac

Previously, 2025 and newer GM car owners had to pay a $9.99 monthly subscription to access a connectivity service called OnStar Connect, which includes features like automatic crash response, remote vehicle commands, navigation and voice assistance. Audio streaming is now part of the free OnStar Basics pack, but the other features still require a paid subscription.

Furthermore, 2024 and older GM cars equipped with an Android Automotive-based infotainment system don’t get to join the free music party. Owners of these cars still have to pay an OnStar Connect subscription, which in this case costs $14.99 per month. The native Apple Music app will also not be available for 2024 models or older, a GM representative confirmed for InsideEVs.

With the free audio streaming pack, owners of eligible cars will be able to access their favorite music, audiobook, podcast and news apps at no additional cost for eight years. That said, GM is only offering the necessary internet connection to make these apps accessible–the subscription costs for each app still need to be paid by the users.

The native Apple Music app is rolling out now as an over-the-air software update to select 2025 and newer Cadillac and Chevrolet models, with more GM brands to follow. In Cadillac’s case, it unlocks Apple’s expansive library of Spatial Audio-enabled tracks, which offer a studio-grade acoustic experience, with several layers of depth and clarity that a traditional two-channel setup can’t match.