The Swedish music streaming service has begun testing a new feature. For now, it will be available on Android devices. But it is likely that in the near future the use of voice commands to control the green giant will become commonplace.
Spotify has begun expanding testing to allow its users to use in-app voice commands triggered by the phrase “Hey! Spotify.” It is unlikely that this feature will delight most music lovers, but not those who like to listen to streaming music while driving a car.
If you have an iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, or Android smartphone or tablet and want to control playback on Spotify, just use Siri or Google Assistant. This feature has shown itself well and works effectively. But Spotify is not enough, the service continues to improve its capabilities and pleasantly surprise its subscribers.
It is assumed that with this option, the user will not be able to touch the playback device with his hands at all. This can be very relevant not only for drivers, but also, for example, for cooks who, due to their work, cannot manually control the device.
The activation phrase to start this control mode is “Hey! Spotify”. Further, by saying this phrase, you can set an intelligent search by naming the name of the artist or the name of the track you like. You can also name the full album or request a podcast to be played.
In privacy warnings, the streaming app promises to record only what is said after the wake-up phrase. The system used by Spotify also takes note of what is said when you physically touch the interface button for the same function. The curious thing about this tool is that it can even be redundant, since the platform itself already works with Siri on iOS.
If, on the one hand, voice commands for Spotify can sound repetitive for resources already used by the application itself on different operating systems, then, on the other hand, they can amplify the rumor about the launch of a car-oriented gadget.
The wind of rumors about this device started back in 2020, when Spotify itself created a $155 car player of sorts that accepts the exact same “Hey! Spotify” to choose what content should be played. Now the product, not yet released, has grown to a screen similar in size to that used by a smartphone.
The device will be an intermediary between the Internet connection initiated by the smartphone and the transfer of this data to the car stereo via Bluetooth. Some car models do not require this device as Android Auto and CarPlay provide larger and more similar interfaces for compatible vehicles and sound systems without the need for an additional product.
Perhaps differentiating this solution from what Apple and Google are offering for in-car entertainment systems is the voice command that starts with “Hey! Spotify.” Or the gadget may enter the market as a more economical solution for those who do not have a car or car stereo that is compatible with Android Auto and CarPlay.
