GadgetsMusic Industry

Spotify That You Can Wear. And No, I’m Not Talking About T-Shirts

One of the big topics at Canadian Music Week this year was AI (artificial intelligence) and both VR (virtual reality) and AR (augmented reality). Discussions included the putting holograms of dead artists on tour to apps that can make the festival experience a little more easy to navigate. There was also quite a bit of chat about AI devices such as Amazon’s Alexa and Google Home.

Now there’s word that Spotify wants to get into AI-enhanced wearable hardware. From TechCrunch:

Spotify is said to be exploring the launch of branded wearable, according to rumors floated by a “trusted source” at Zatz Not Funny. There’s little information out there at this early stage, though a job listing posted by the company does lend some validity to the project.

Based at the streaming service’s global headquarters in Stockholm, the position involves, among other things, “leading an initiative to deliver hardware directly from Spotify to existing and new customers; a category-defining product akin to Pebble Watch, Amazon Echo, and Snap Spectacles.”

The products listed offer some insight into what a device might entail – that last bit especially. Spectacles hit all the right notes for a hardware debut by a software brand, providing a template for what a product looks like when the stars align.

The product went beyond just hardware branding, filling in an interesting niche for the photo app by taking it beyond the confines of a smartphone. Hipster cachet and planned scarcity helped a bit, too.

Similarly, the Echo – and even the now-departed Pebble – point to some pretty grand ambitions for the device. Both served as proof of demand for new product categories. Which seems to imply that Spotify isn’t planning to simply slap its name on a fitness band and call it a day

Keep reading.

Alan Cross

is an internationally known broadcaster, interviewer, writer, consultant, blogger and speaker. In his 40+ years in the music business, Alan has interviewed the biggest names in rock, from David Bowie and U2 to Pearl Jam and the Foo Fighters. He’s also known as a musicologist and documentarian through programs like The Ongoing History of New Music.

Alan Cross has 37987 posts and counting. See all posts by Alan Cross

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