Spotify Car Thing Device Discontinued, Customers Angry

Spotify is stopping their Car Thing device. Car Thing is a $90 device that lets users control Spotify through car speakers. After December 9, 2024, Car Thing will not work anymore. Spotify is telling customers to throw it away properly.

Stopping the device is one thing, but making it completely useless is another. It seems Spotify’s product was just an experiment to collect data.

A Spotify spokesperson said, “The goal of our Car Thing in the U.S. was to learn more about how people listen in the car.” Spotify has rules about collecting customer data and sharing it with advertisers.

Open-sourcing means letting customers keep using and maintaining the device’s software themselves. Customers on Reddit and Twitter are also complaining about no refunds, though some got a free month of Spotify.

Customers, especially with older cars, seemed to like Car Thing. But Spotify called it an “exploration” from the start. They announced it in 2021, offered it to some users, then made it widely available in 2022.

Within months, they changed plans. The spokesperson said, “In July 2022, we stopped making more. Now it’s time to say goodbye to the devices.” Some sellers on eBay are asking over $200 for new Car Things.

Spotify hasn’t responded about open-sourcing the device. They have 31% of the global streaming market and 615 million users. Their stock is up over 63% this year. But some angry customers threaten to switch to Apple Music or other services like Qobuz.