Spotify To Develop Its Own Hardware
Thanks to a new job listing, Spotify has choreographed plans to join tech companies like Amazon and Snapchat in building its own music hardware. First spotted by Zatz Not Funny, the posting for a senior product manager indicates it is seeking someone to lead an “initiative to deliver hardware directly from Spotify to existing and new customers.”
According to Spotify, the “category defining product” will be “akin to Pebble Watch, Amazon Echo, and Snap Spectacles.” Further, the new product manager would “define the product requirements for internet-connected hardware, the software that powers it, and work with suppliers/manufacturers to deliver the optimal Spotify experience to millions of users.”
The Stockholm-based role will partner with hardware initiative program managers to develop the product (or products), then team with engineers and designers, as well as suppliers and manufacturers to make sure everything gets done. The manager will also be tasked with sticking with the product through its life cycle, and deciding if/when it should be retired.
So, what exactly is Spotify working on? A few of the many possibilities include a small iPod-like streaming player or perhaps wireless headphones that don’t need pairing with other devices. They could also be eyeing an entry into the popular fitness-tracking watch market. But as The Verge points out, the fact that the person will be tasked with “defining the product requirements” could mean the project is in its infancy.
A Spotify spokesperson declined to comment on the job posting, which appears to have been taken down as of Monday afternoon (see a screengrab).
Regardless as to where Spotify is in the process, it expects the end result to be pivotal, adding that “above all, your work will affect the way the world experiences music and talk content.”
This story originally appeared on Billboard.