Spotify is preparing to launch what might easily be its most unimaginatively named products and (or) services yet, Android Headlines has learned.
According to a number of intellectual-property filings reviewed by Android Headlines, the massively popular music platform settled on three names for its upcoming solutions: Voice Thing, Home Thing, and Car Thing.
The monikers themselves are rather self-explanatory, yet they’re so straightforward that they’re seemingly ironic, which is not a trait Spotify’s marketing team exhibited in the past to any significant degree.
Spotify… things?
Surely enough, the Swedish division of Spotify that secured the three trademarks with the European Union Intellectual Property Office is describing them as being closely associated with hardware solutions intended to communicate with contemporary smartphones, tablets, and Internet-of-Things systems such as vehicle infotainment consoles and smart home hubs. All three concepts are meant to be primarily focused on entertainment, i.e. serving music over the Internet, hence being an unsurprising extension of the portfolio from the company that’s among the most deserving entities for the popularization of the very idea of on-demand digital music.
As for the car accessory, Spotify has been experimenting with such a gadget for over a year by now, with reports dating from this January suggesting the first-generation vehicle player from the publicly traded company will be released by the end of 2019. The limited closed beta has been ongoing since at least last summer, industry insiders previously claimed, but the contraption as a whole remains a mystery in many respects. Recent rumors indicate it may cost in the ballpark of $100 and Spotify integration is obviously a given, though it’s presently unclear whether it will also support third-party services in any shape or form.
One thing that most sources appear to be convinced on is the fact that Spotify is adamant to deliver music directly to consumers, i.e. circumvent projection platforms and any other sort of smart vehicle hubs including Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, and Amazon’s Alexa-powered connected car ecosystem. The gadget is expected to support one of the latest versions of Bluetooth, most likely the 4.2 specification, and use that connectivity standard to communicate with vehicle stereo systems directly, according to reports stemming as far back as early 2018.
The pursuit of sustainability through accessibility
Coupled with what sounds like a smart home gadget and a more robust voice interface based on what the company already implemented into its flagship platform over the course of the last year, it appears Spotify is well-positioned to continue making its offerings even more accessible, which is obviously key to any growth ambitions, let alone those harbored by a publicly traded entity keen on becoming synonymous with the concept of mainstream music delivery.
Earlier this year, the Stockholm-based platform mounted a massive push into podcasts, having done so via no fewer than two acquisitions – that of another streaming service Gimlet, as well as Anchor, a startup specializing in tools for podcast creators. While many interpreted that diversification effort as a sign of Spotify’s core market peaking, the fact that all of its new business decisions tie into the very center of its business model spells good news for its sustainability in the long term.