

Many cars can access Spotify through Android Auto, Apple CarPlay or built-in apps - Car Thing was mainly helpful for people with older vehicles who wanted a music streaming upgrade, but didn't want to mount their phone. It was effectively a Spotify player for cars that didn't have streaming functionality, and served as an informative experiment for the company. The Car Thing is also totally needful on your phone’s. It attaches to your phone over Bluetooth and uses a receiver’s internet to stream and switch playback on songs and podcasts from Spotify’s library.

The Car Thing is not a separate Spotify device. Spotify first shared word of Car Thing in 2019, but the finished product only reached the broader public early this year following several months of invitation-only sales. Also, at its original 79.99 price, its value re-examining what the Car Thing can do. You can still buy the Car Thing for $50 (down from the usual $90) as of this writing.

The company said it still "unlocked helpful learnings" from the device despite its brief history, and that the car remained an "important place" for audio. The withdrawal hurt Spotify's gross profits.Įxisting Car Thing units will still work as expected, Spotify said. In a statement to Engadget, a company spokesperson pinned the decision on "several factors" that included customer demand and supply chain problems. As part of its earnings data, the streaming service revealed that it stopped manufacturing its Car Thing player. It’s still available online for now at a discounted price of $49.99.Spotify's less-than-stellar quarter can be partly blamed on a decision to exit the hardware business. Spotify’s Car Thing was first available as invite-only in April of last year but has since expanded access to everyone. This initiative has unlocked helpful learnings, and we remain focused on the car as an important place for audio.ĩto5Mac has previously reviewed the Spotify Car Thing and found it to be a decent device for under $100. Existing devices will perform as intended. Based on several factors, including product demand and supply chain issues, we have decided to stop further production of Car Thing units. The goal of Spotify’s Car Thing exploration was to better understand in-car listening, and bring audio to a wider range of users and vehicles. Its userbase remains high with 188 million paid subscribers, reported by Tech Crunch.

While the company hasn’t found success in the hardware space, it’s doing well in software. Stated in the release, Spotify’s gross margin was negatively impacted by the decision to stop manufacturing the Car Thing. This announcement was made during yesterday’s earnings release. Spotify is no longer making Car Thing, a dashboard accessory that makes using the streaming service easier in your vehicle.
