Spotify Launches 'Car Thing' Smart Music Player

Spotify Premium subscribers will soon be able to take easier navigation of their tunes to their cars, thanks to Spotify's new "Car Thing."

AppleInsider reports Car Thing connects to a user's car via Bluetooth, AUX, or USB cable and enables them to play music and podcasts from Spotify Premium through their vehicle's speakers. It's powered by a car's 12V power outlet and can be mounted on the vehicle's dashboard, in a vent, or the CD player via the three included mounts.

The device features a "Hey Spotify" hands-free control system, similar to Apple's "Hey Siri." It also boasts a touch screen and a tactile dial that users can use to navigate through music. Four preset buttons allow users to access favorite artists, playlists, stations, and podcasts.

While Spotify claims that Car Thing leaves your phone free to do "phone things," that isn't entirely true — the device does not have a built-in WiFi plan. This means that Car Thing will still need to connect to the Spotify app on your smartphone to play music and draw from your mobile data plan. It also requires a Spotify Premium plan, which costs $9.99 a month or $4.99 a month for students.

Spotify's Car Thing isn't out yet, but users can sign up to be notified when it goes on sale. Spotify will initially make the device available for those in the United States, with the device priced at $6.99 or $14.99 for those in Hawaii and Alaska. Spotify will raise the price to $79.99 after the initial purchase period.

In order to use the Car Thing, you need two things: a connection from your phone to your car's audio system, such as with a Bluetooth or an auxiliary cord, and a data connection for your phone. Once your phone is connected to the audio system, the Car Thing takes it from there, controlling what Spotify content you stream to your car from your phone. While using Spotify, the Car Thing displays what you’re listening to and lets you choose other content available on the platform through a streamlined interface intended to be used in a car.

Car & Driver reports the Car Thing is fairly simple: an oversize knob allows a user to scroll through content and select songs, while a single button below it acts as a back button. Four buttons sit on the top of the Car Thing, which are shortcuts to pre-saved favorites for easy access to playlists, podcasts, or other content available on Spotify. It can also be controlled via your voice: a simply "Hey Spotify" lets users skip songs, go to new playlists, search podcasts, and so on.