How to Play Your IPod Over Your Car Stereo

If you own an Apple iPod then chances are it has revolutionized how, when and where you enjoy your music and video content. Many consumers have had their morning and afternoon commutes improved by being able to put those ubiquitous white earbuds in and enjoy their content on the way to work or home. However, many of us still drive our own vehicles to work and some of those commutes are long ones. It is dangerous to drive your car, truck, or SUV with your earbuds in your ears because you need to be able to hear what is going on around you. But do not fear, music lovers, there are plenty of ways to enjoy your iPod in your car. If you that sounds really difficult to accomplish, have no fear. Listening to your iPod through your car stereo system is easier than you think.

First Option: Connecting with audio cable and stereo Auxiliary Jack

With the advent of the iPod and mp3 players in general many stereo manufacturers have been building car stereos with what is called an auxiliary input (usually these are marked "AUX"). An AUX jack would be located somewhere on the face of your stereo and would look like a simple headphone jack. The purpose of this jack is to plug in devices for the purpose of projecting the sound from those devices through the car's stereo speaker system. In this case, it can be used to plug your iPod into your car's speaker system. To accomplish this you will a 1/8" stereo cable. It must be a stereo cable because lots of music is recorded in such a way that some of the instrumentation comes out of the left speaker and other instrumetation comes out of the right speaker. This is what is meant by the term "in stereo".

A stereo cable is a short cable that has a male plug at both ends. One end (it does not matter which end) will plug into your iPod's head phone jack and the other end will plug into the AUX jack on your radio. Once you have done so you can select the AUX setting on your radio (see the owner's manual for instructions on how to do this with your particular stereo model) and push play on your iPod. Your music will now be sent through your car's speaker system and you can adjust the volume and enjoy all of your iPod's music in your car.

You can purchase a 1/8" stereo cable from Radio Shack, Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Circuit City or any other store where stereos and electronics are sold.

Second Option: One of the many FM Transmitters

If your car does not have an AUX jack then another option would be to purchase an FM Transmitter. FM Transmitters are a little more difficult to understand (and cost a little more than a simple stereo cable). However they can be used with any stereo anywhere that has an FM setting which included just about every radio made today. The FM Transmitter is a small unit that is usually not any bigger than your mp3 player, and it will plug into your iPod. Some of them plug into the headphone jack only, and some plug into the headphone jack and the dock connector and is powered by the iPod's battery. The FM Transmitter has a digital selector on it where you select a radio station frequency (e.g. 88.9) and when you set your car radio to the same station and press play on your iPod, then music from your iPod will broadcast over the air through your car's radio.

You must know however that there is a major catch to using FM Transmitters. The station that you choose to use on your radio dial must be one in which there is no local station broadcasting where you are.. It must be a blank station with some simple static or dead air. If you choose a station where there is a local signal broadcasting on that frequency, your iPod music will not come in clearly because it will be "fighting" against the station that is broadcasting on that frequency. If you pretty much stay in the same locale this will not be a problem once you find a good station. But if you travel, especially across state lines, you may find yourself searching for new stations to use with your FM Transmitter often during your trip.

There are numerous companies that make FM Transmitters for all of the iPod models. Some of the most premiere FM Transmitters are made by Griffin Technology and Belkin. These products can be purchased online at the companies' websites or at electronics retailers such as Best Buy and Circuit City. Wal-mart, Target, Sears, and Radio Shack also sell FM Transmitters that are iPod compatible.

Third Option: Purchase a car with iPod integration

If you are serious about having full integration between your iPod and your stereo system and you are in the market for a new vehicle, you can choose to purchase a car that comes built with the option of plugging your iPod straight into the stereo. These iPod/vehicle integration systems come built-in with select vehicles and allow you to control your iPod from your stereo unit. For many of these the plug for the iPod is in the glove box so that the iPod is out of sight and you control every aspect of your iPod music from the stereo face. The stereo's display will show you your music, artists, playlists, volume, album and track information and anything else that you would see on your iPod screen (with the exception of album artwork).

Manufacturers that currently offer iPod integration are Volkswagen, Toyotoa, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Ford and General Motors. Whatever your automobile preferece, there is a model out there for you with iPod integration.

Fourth Option: iPod Integration Kits

Recently Apple has teamed up with several auto manufacturers to offer iPod integration kits which can provide a direct link between your iPod and your car's stereo system. These are aftermarket kit that can be purchased and installed in your vehicle in order to give you native iPod integration in your vehicle. Currently kits have been released for Mercedes, Ford, Mazda, Saab and a few others. Unforutunately this is a very expensive option with most kits costing around $300 USD.

I hope this helps you know how to start deciding on how to go about listening to your iPod in your car. Good luck!