PhatNoise in Auto Parts Deal

Extending the reach of digital music, Los Angeles start-up PhatNoise Inc., which makes a removable MP3 jukebox for the car, is expected to announce a licensing deal today with the nation’s second-largest auto parts supplier, Visteon Corp. Financial details were not disclosed, but officials with both companies say the agreement is part of an industrywide push to meet consumer demand to play digital tunes in the car. The device, dubbed the Mach MP3 jukebox, uses PhatNoise’s technology to store up to 4,000 songs at a time. Visteon, a spinoff of Ford Motor Co., expects to roll out the player as an after-market add-on this fall. PhatNoise sells a similar hardware device, priced at $549, through its Web site https://phatnoise.com.