Spotify is testing a voice-controlled, in-car audio device in the US called the ‘Car Thing’.
According to a blog post published today (May 17), Spotify says that the test will be carried out in the US only, “with a small group of invited Spotify Premium users”.
It adds that it might carry out similar tests in the future, “so don’t be surprised if you hear about Voice Thing and Home Thing.”
Spotify’s blog post confirms reports from January, which said that the streaming company is building an in-car music player in tandem with tech company Flex.
“Americans spend 70 billion hours behind the wheel each year. That’s a lot of time spent on the road. So what you do—and what you listen to—to help you get through those long hours in the car matters.”
Spotify
The company says however that it currently does not have any plans to make Car Thing publicly available.
Spotify says that the hardware has been developed to help it understand how people listen to audio content on its platform and that “its focus remains on becoming the world’s number one audio platform — not on creating hardware”.
Said Spotify in the blog post: “Americans spend 70 billion hours behind the wheel each year. That’s a lot of time spent on the road. So what you do—and what you listen to—to help you get through those long hours in the car matters.
“That’s why Spotify is trying to learn more about people’s listening habits and preferences to help create an unparalleled experience for our users.”Music Business Worldwide
