Spotify might be launching an in-car 4G music streamer

Spotify has long been rumoured to be entering the hardware business with job listings posted in the past few months suggesting this was coming soon. Now, a premature promo showing up to some of its users show the company might be launching an in-car music streamer. The ad shows a circular control that doubles as a display with navigation and shuffle buttons to the side. Some users were told it would get 4G connectivity and others saw Amazon Alexa integration. Its price would be included in the monthly subscription fee with some users seeing that it would cost $12.99 USD a month, while others saw $14.99. It had a pre-order button, too. But this resulted in an error page.

The streaming service hasn’t commented about the post. But one moderator, who isn’t a Spotify employee, commented on the company’s official forum that this was simply a test. The company has an upcoming event in New York City on April 24^th. We should hear more then.

Source: SlashGear

Help Spotify identify song genres with new feature

Spotify is now looking to tap its diverse and big userbase to help them “better understand how Spotify listeners interpret music” and give them insight on how to improve the listening experience. You can now suggest edits to metadata just by clicking the three dots next to any song, album, or artist when you're using the desktop app. Aside from describing music by genre or era, this new Line-In feature will let you describe things differently. But before that it will require you to answer a slew of surveys to test your music knowledge as well as describe the music you like. The edits you make will be considered as suggestions and will pass through different reviews and checks for accuracy before it is shared to other users.

Source: CNET

Spotify might be getting serious about entering the hardware game

We’ve seen job listings for Spotify in the past that showed the streaming services wanted to create “category defining product(s) akin to Pebble Watch, Amazon Echo, and Snap Spectacles.” There was also mention of the company wanting to include voice control features. It looks like Spotify is pushing forward somewhat with the idea with new job postings showing up for a Project Manager, Senior Project Manager, and an Operations Manager that will help the company “on its way to creating its first physical products” and help with “creating innovative Spotify experiences” via connected hardware. Spotify is said to be setting up its operational organization for “manufacturing, supply chain, sales, and marketing.” It is evident the company wants to develop hardware that is unique to its brand, much like Pebble Watch and Snap Spectacles. Whether we get to see this soon is a question we can’t answer just yet. The company has declined to comment on the matter.

Source: Music Ally

Spotify tries for a more visual approach to podcasts and news

Spotify is host not just to the latest hits but is home to things like audiobooks and podcasts, too. The streaming service is looking to expand this often-overlooked segment with a new feature they’re calling Spotlight. With this feature, podcasts will come with visual components like text, videos, and images to provide more context to what you’re listening to. The streaming service has partnered with the likes of BuzzFeed News, Cheddar, Crooked Media, Gimlet Media, Genius, The Minefield Girl, Refinery29, Lenny Letter, and Uninterrupted to help launch this new feature. Some of its own original series will also get the treatment, including Secret Genius, Spotify Singles, RISE, and their new Viva Latino podcast. Spotlight is first launching in the US and will supposedly roll out in additional markets “in the near future.”