Spotify Launches Our Newest Exploration: A Limited Release of Car Thing, a Smart Player for Your Car

Between work commutes, taking the kids to school, daily errands, and road trips, Americans spend countless hours on the road. It’s no surprise, then, that there are over 70 million user-generated driving-related playlists on Spotify. No matter where you’re headed, Spotify is the perfect companion in the car, thanks to the many ways to listen to Spotify and our curated playlists, like Daily Drive and Songs to Sing in the Car. And today, we’re excited to announce our newest exploration: a limited release of Car Thing, a new smart player that fills your car with music, news, entertainment, talk, and more.

Currently available to eligible users in the U.S., Car Thing enables you to play your favorite audio faster, so you’re already listening to that hit song or the latest podcast episode before you’ve even pulled out of the driveway. Switching between your favorite audio is effortless, allowing you to shift gears to something else as soon as the mood strikes. And when it comes to controlling the device, use it in the way that works best for you, whether that’s voice, touch, or physical controls. Take a look:

Our focus remains on becoming the world’s number one audio platform—not on creating hardware—but we developed Car Thing because we saw a need from our users, many of whom were missing out on a seamless and personalized in-car listening experience. No matter the year or model of your vehicle, we feel everyone should have a superior listening experience. With Car Thing, we’ll now be bringing our entire catalogue of music and podcasts to a wider range of users across an even wider range of vehicles. 

The limited release of Car Thing is not meant to compete with in-car infotainment systems. Instead, it’s another step in our larger ubiquity strategy—creating a truly frictionless audio experience for our users, wherever they are and however they choose to listen. 

Car Thing makes the entire experience, from setup to navigation, simple and seamless. Here’s how it works:

• Use voice control for easy access. Spotify’s voice search lets you quickly play specific music or podcasts, and can even help you find something new. Just say “Hey Spotify,” then ask for a song, album, artist, playlist, station, or podcast. With four microphones along the top, Car Thing can understand what you’re asking to play, even with the music turned up or your windows down.
• Try the dial for a hands-on way to steer to the audio you love. You can also browse deeper, curating the perfect soundtrack to wherever you’re headed. Use the dial to browse, select, play, pause, and discover. 
• View the touch-screen display to see what’s playing. You can also use the screen to see what’s in your library, as well as results from voice search. Swipe to browse further or skip, or tap to play.
• Choose four preset buttons to get to your favorites faster and then change them anytime. They’ll always bring you the newest podcast episodes and up-to-date news.

Car Thing from Spotify is currently a limited product launch, available in the U.S. on an invite-only basis. For a set time, Car Thing is available at no cost (excluding shipping) to select Spotify listeners. Car Thing requires a paid Spotify Premium subscription plan and a smartphone with WiFi or mobile data connection. Eligible paying subscribers only. One Car Thing per eligible subscriber, while supplies last. Terms apply.

Hit the gas and join the wait list at carthing.spotify.com.