Thoughts on Spotify’s Car Thing
I don’t drive, but that’s not the point
The TL;DR on the Product
Spotify just announced its newest offering: The Car Thing. This is Spotify’s first hardware device designed to optimize the listening experience in the car. Listeners can control the device with a simple “Hey, Spotify” comand and 4 custom slots (similar to traditional car radios). Currently available only to Premium subscribers in the U.S. for $89.99. Just released to the public after a year of exploration and testing.
User Perspective
As an avid user of Spotify and lover of music, I personally see little value in the device. “But Ezra, You don’t drive…”. True! But, I imagine that if I did I could find lots of alternatives to save myself $89.99. A simple phone mount and Spotify’s already-existent car mode, for example, would suffice. Not only is it cheaper, it also works with any app on my phone.
Spotify claims that initial explorations of the Car Thing showed that people were more likely to listen to Spotify in the car than they had before. This seems a little reductive to me, without data at least. I’m sure I would listen to Spotify more if I had the device as well, even just to justify spending the money on it, but this wouldn’t incentivize my purchase. Although, I can’t argue with a waitlist of 2 million.
One way I could see this being a useful product for me is in the customizable pre-set buttons. I could choose my top 4 playlists or podcast that I would typically listen to in the car and have them readily available. This would not only save time but is also a safer alternative to sifting through my entire library. I could also be into seeing my Wrapped report from my car rides.
Product Perspective
Putting myself in Spotify’s shoes I can see lots of value in this product from a data perspective. The car is one of the main places people consume audio, so it makes sense why this would be a key area to study. Besides, it raises fewer concerns than a “Shower Thing”. This device will also enable access to users’ voice data, which could be useful for future projects.
Notice, I mentioned “audio” above and not just music? This is because Spotify has been increasing its investment in podcasting, another popular source of in-car entertainment. I would guess that most people who consume podcasts do so on their commutes. Gaining insights into this behavior would be extremely valuable.
Because it is only available to Premium subscribers, it could potentially lead to an increase in subscriptions. I would be surprised by this though. I mean, if someone can’t or won’t pay $10/month, I doubt the desire to buy another product would make them change their tune.
Thoughts Wrapped
It’s not for me, but I do see the value in it from a product perspective. What are your thoughts? Have you tried the Car Thing? If you’re interested, you can buy one here: https://carthing.spotify.com/
