The company originally announced Car Thing in April 2021 as invite-only to paying customers. In October, that was expanded to limited availability for Spotify Premium account holders.
Usable via a touch screen or through voice command, anyone with a Premium Spotify subscription and a cellular phone with a data connection can utilize the device to access their music or podcasts.
Car Thing connects to a car via a 12-volt power outlet and a smartphone connection. Alternatively, it can connect to a car that has Apple CarPlay or Android Auto functionality through a USB port.
Spotify is preparing to roll out some updates to coincide with the wide release of Car Thing, including a Night Mode that dims its screen in the evening and an Add to Queue voice command.
Car Thing already recognizes an array of voice commands like asking it to play a certain playlist or genre, searching for artists and shuffling.
In a press release, Spotify says that they gleaned two things from customer feedback: users reported listening to the service in the car more with the device and that its product interface was simpler to use thanks to voice recognition.
Spotify isn’t the only company to sell car integration products for media.
Electronics maker Kinivo sells the Kinivo BTC450, which provides some of the same functionality as the Spotify Car Thing - through bluetooth - without the screen. Users can also make and receive calls hands-free.
California-based Satechi makes a Media Button device for similar purposes.
Those interested in learning more about Spotify Car Thing can find details on Spotify’s For the Record blog.
