Spotify’s In-Car Streaming Device ‘Car Thing’ Now Available for Purchase

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.

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.