![]() "I remember thinking: 'This is dead in the water,'" said Bajarin. Car Thing enables listeners to play their favorite music and podcasts quickly using Hey Spotify voice commands, as well as simple taps, turns, and swipesallowing listeners to start playing that hit song or the latest podcast episode before they pull out of the driveway. Veteran consumer electronics analyst Tim Bajarin of Creative Strategies said consumers are reluctant to add devices to their cars when 98% of new cars in the United States come with Apple's CarPlay already installed. Spotify CFO Paul Vogel told investors on Wednesday in addition to pricing challenges, inflation drove up component costs and a chip shortage made it harder to obtain parts. It also required free listeners to upgrade to premium subscription. However, Car Thing lacked the features of the other infotainment devices, from navigation to making calls, making it harder to justify the need for a device just for music. Spotify said its device was not designed to challenge these entertainment systems, but rather to provide an easier way for its users - especially those with older model cars - to listen to music or podcasts. While Spotify rules the music streaming niche, building a device for the car put it in a competitive arena with the likes of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto - both of which have the support of their own ecosystems of billions of devices. "When they created the iPod, they had people in the ecosystem," said Gillett, adding that launching a device without such an infrastructure "is extremely challenging." Spotify will take a $31 million charge related to the cancelation of Car Thing.By contrast, a hardware maker like Apple Inc was able to launch music and video services by building on its operating system and existing device relationship with consumers. Ad-supported MAUs grew 22 percent YOY to 256 million. Premium (paying) subscribers grew 14 percent YOY to 188 million, also more than expected. Spotify’s Car Thing, the dashboard accessory that controls Spotify on your phone, is now widely available to buy in the US, the company announced today. This figure also represents Spotify’s biggest-ever growth in Q2. With its 19 percent growth YOY, Spotify hit 433 million MAUs in the quarter, 5 million more than expected. Using Car Thing As a CarPlay user, I wasn’t sure what to expect when using Car Thing, but I went into it expecting it to be the best way to use Spotify in the car. The player only makes sense for people who use Spotify. ![]() “Reported Gross Margin was negatively impacted by our decision to stop manufacturing Car Thing, partially offset by a positive change in prior period estimates for rights holder liabilities.” Spotify released its Car Thing accessory last year, which is a touchscreen control panel for playing Spotify content in a car. “MAU performance accelerated this quarter, with net additions reaching a record Q2 high of 19 million,” Spotify reported. Revenues were up 23 percent year-over-year (YOY), but the quarterly loss is bigger than that from a year ago. Seen another way, this device can help suppress the desire to. ![]() Spotify posted a net loss of $127 million on revenues of $2.94 billion for the quarter ending June 30. And How Does It Work Spotify Car Thing is a Bluetooth-enabled audio player that hopes to improve your in-car listening experience. And it’s killing Car Thing, its weird in-car connectivity solution. 12:02 PM I just got my Spotify Car Thing in the mail yesterday and I’m already in love with it. ![]() It connects to your stereo via Bluetooth, AUX cable, or USB. The phone-like device mounts to your car’s dashboard and allows you to control your music using a touchscreen, dial and buttons, or voice commands. As part of its quarterly earnings report, Spotify revealed that it now has over 433 million monthly active users. Spotify’s oddly named in-car entertainment system, Car Thing, is now available to the general public after initial tests that began in 2019. Spotify’s Car Thing has finally arrived and is available for purchase in the United States for 89.99. ![]()
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