News > Streaming Spotify’s In-Car Streaming Device ‘Car Thing’ Now Available for Purchase Only $90 By Lawrence Bonk Lawrence Bonk News Reporter Florida State University Lawrence Bonk is a tech news reporter for Lifewire, specializing in gaming, AI, VR, and consumer tech, including iOS, macOS, wearables, and more. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on February 23, 2022 01:45PM EST Fact checked by Jerri Ledford Fact checked by Jerri Ledford Western Kentucky University Gulf Coast Community College Jerri L. Ledford has been writing, editing, and fact-checking tech stories since 1994. Her work has appeared in Computerworld, PC Magazine, Information Today, and many others. lifewire's fact checking process Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email Streaming Mobile Phones Internet & Security Computers & Tablets Smart Life Home Theater & Entertainment Software & Apps Social Media Streaming Gaming Some automobiles ship standard with all the wireless bells and whistles, making streaming music a breeze, and others, well, not so much. That’s where Bluetooth receivers, clip-on music players, and good old-fashioned smartphones come in handy. Another option? Spotify’s Car Thing, an in-car streaming device that is now available for purchase, as announced in a company blog post. Spotify If this device sounds vaguely familiar, it’s because Spotify released a select number of units to premium users last April. Back then, it was strictly an invite-only affair. Now, though, any paying Spotify user can head to this official sales page to buy the accessory. What exactly does it do? The Car Thing offers a convenient way to control Spotify while driving, allowing users to issue voice commands, access physical controls, or manipulate a touchscreen to stream music. Like similar devices or smartphones, the accessory clips onto the dashboard. Spotify’s gadget does not feature a speaker nor its own data connection, making it essentially a remote that outputs your car’s speakers. It requires both a Spotify Premium subscription and a phone with a data connection to work. Car Thing also lacks a battery, so you’ll need to plug it into an available USB port or 12V outlet. It does, however, ship with all necessary cables to make such connections, as well as mounting hardware. The device costs $89.99, so let’s call it $90. Spotify is working on some updates to Car Thing, including a night mode and an “add to queue” voice command. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Email Address Sign up There was an error. Please try again. You're in! Thanks for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. Thank you for signing up! Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit