Spotify's Car Thing, a device created by the streaming company for vehicles, can now be used in the United States. The company conducted initial tests that started in 2019.
The device is currently priced at $89.99, which is $10 more than its original price last year. The device is geared towards car owners who do not have any built-in infotainment system offering them access to Spotify.
The device is similar to Apple's CarPlay and Android Auto.
Spotify Car Thing is Available Nationwide
Spotify's Car Thing connects with the service on your phone then uses the cellular signal or WiFi to stream music or podcasts over your car's sound system. The device can work with Aux, Bluetooth, and USB, according to The Verge.
The company started its experiments with Spotify Car Thing to learn more about how the users engage with the service in the car.
The device's hardware and design have changed a lot in the past few years, from a small item plugged into the car's cigarette lighter to a user-friendly product with a massive knob, voice control features, a color touchscreen, and several connections and mounting options.
Now, Spotify's Car Thing allows users to interact with the service by saying "Hey Spotify," tapping the screen or turning the dial, or using one of the preset buttons at the top of the device to connect you to your favorite songs or podcasts.
During the tests, Spotify found that users preferred Car Thing to their in-car media experience and liked being able to see the voice commands to engage with their media.
As a result, Spotify said users had started to listen to the service in their car more than before, though the company declined to share metrics to illustrate this point when TechCrunch asked.
The project had to be somewhat successful for Spotify to make the player available to the public.
Spotify's Car Thing Demand
Spotify did offer a window into consumer demand for the device when the company's CEO Daniel Ek said during the Q3 earnings call that it saw more than 2 million users sign-up on Car Thing's waitlist within a matter of months.
The version of the device that is shipping to the public is the same as before but will soon add small software updates. The device will get a Night Mode feature, which dims the screen's brightness in the evening, which is the same as how navigation apps work.
The device will also get an "Add to Queue" voice command which will let you add music or podcasts to your queue by speaking. The company says these will roll out in the next few months.
According to CNET, Spotify will add support for using other audio apps with Car Thing in the next few weeks but did not add this to their announcement.
Before the announcement, Spotify Car Thing was only available to some users in the United States. The users who were selected joined the waitlist and had a Premium account, either an Individual, Family, or Student plan.
The Spotify Premium requirement remains, but the waitlist has been removed. However, Spotify Car Thing is only available in the United States.
Related Article: Spotify Discontinues Car View Feature and Confirms it is Working on a New Feature to Replace This Feature
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Written by Sophie Webster
