Since April it has grown in size (then: 4.5-inch by 2.5-inch) and price (in October it was $79.99), but its mandate remains the same: appeal to car owners whose ride lacks built-in infotainment systems. In testing since 2019, Spotify began rolling out the device to an invite-only group of subscribers beginning last April before opening it up for limited release in October. Car Thing only works with Spotify Premium accounts, so freemium users would need to upgrade to get the Thing up and running. It accesses the internet (and Spotify’s vast catalog of audio) via your nearby phone through a bluetooth connection. The device also needs to be connected to a 12V power outlet nearby. To make the Thing work, you’ll need to connect it to your car stereo using bluetooth or cables. The company said the device’s microphones feature noise suppression technology to help tune out the sounds of the road - and an “adaptive interference cancellation technology” that helps the Thing prioritize your voice over all other sounds and voices. Users can also save their favorite music and podcasts to four available preset slots, then ask Car Thing to play them by clicking or calling out the preset by number.
With voice control - which works through several microphones on Car Thing - users can ask Car Thing to play songs, albums, podcasts, playlists, genres, moods and more, as well as to “like” songs. Users can control what’s playing by using the touch screen, the dial or Spotify’s “Hey Spotify” voice control mode. Alongside 82 million audio tracks, the service also offers more than four million podcast titles, including controversial ones, like The Joe Rogan Experience.Dan Rutman Joins Spotify as Head of Music Creator Partnerships According to reports from earlier this year, Spotify had 182 million paying subscribers globally in the first quarter of 2022, up from 158 million during the same period last year.
The Car Thing was the first hardware offering from the Swedish music streaming giant, which remains the largest player in the sector ahead of competitors like Apple Music, Amazon Music, Tidal and Pandora, among others. The device, which allowed users to control their Spotify playback while driving safely, was first leaked in April 2018.
Spotify opened up a public wait list for the device last October before it went on general sale in Feb. Spotify announced the Car Thing player in 2019 before making it available for purchase on an invite-only basis in April 2021. Spotify discontinued its Car Thing dashboard accessory barely five months after its official launch.
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