Spotify is testing a new device known as the Car Thing, which will be controlled by the user’s voice commands and designed for car travel. At the current time, however, the device is just being used as a form of market research. According to Spotify, researchers are trying to deduce “how people listen in the car”, since the company isn’t looking at strictly selling audio hardware.
The testing
Currently, only a small group of Spotify Premium users have been offered the trial of being part of “the Car Thing” tests. Moreover, the tests will only be run in the United States, so users outside of the US will have to wait a while to see if any of the tech becomes part of Spotify’s platform.
What could it be used for?
Basically, Spotify believe the information derived from the Car Thing prototype could be used to design voice-specific commands, which will be built into Spotify’s application. Representatives from Spotify have attributed this to the need to help individuals through their long commutes to and from work.
Spotify recently reached 100 million subscribers, which reflects their massive dominance over Apple Music, who have less than 50 million monthly subscribers. As if furthering their dominance, Spotify have announced a deal for new subscribers, offering customers Premium for just 99 cents per month.
Kevin has been contributing to multiple news websites since 2015. He started his blog back in 2016 tackling technology and business tips. His passion towards journalism and sharing relevant information with global readers pushed his to take journalism major at Boston University. He is now a full-time contributor to Kev’s Best.