Spotify’s $90 in-car leisure system “Automotive Factor,” which went on sale to most of the people in February, is gaining a lot of new options. The corporate introduced as we speak it will add one among customers’ most-requested options — the flexibility so as to add songs and podcasts to a queue — alongside different updates involving voice instructions, playlists, responding to telephone calls, and controlling different media.

The music streaming system is supposed to supply shoppers an choice to extra simply hearken to Spotify whereas within the automotive in the event that they don’t have already got a built-in media and leisure system, or a car that helps Android Auto or Apple’s CarPlay. Or it might be used with these different techniques if individuals simply occurred to desire Automotive Factor’s interface.

As Automotive Factor already connects to the car through USB, Bluetooth, and an auxiliary cable as a way to stream Spotify from the motive force’s telephone, it is sensible to permit the system to work with different telephone capabilities, too.

Spotify says system house owners will now be capable to see incoming calls and dismiss or reply them by means of the Automotive Factor interface. They’ll additionally be capable to play and management different media within the automotive utilizing the system, then change again to Spotify utilizing both presets, voice instructions or by tapping the display.

Picture Credit: Spotify

One other replace will deliver the requested “add to queue” performance.

There are a variety of the way to make use of this characteristic, Spotify famous. Automotive Factor customers can both faucet “add to queue” icon subsequent to a monitor of their tracklist; use the system’s dial to focus on the monitor, then press and maintain so as to add it to the queue; or use voice instructions (e.g., “Hey Spotify, queue [song name]”). Customers can even view the queue at any time by saying “Hey Spotify, open my queue,” or by urgent and holding the dial whereas within the “Now Enjoying” view.

The corporate moreover up to date Automotive Factor’s set of voice instructions to permit system house owners to request customized playlists by temper, style, or exercise. Spotify already gives a lot of usually up to date customized playlists in its app, however now customers can say issues like “Hey Spotify, play cozy Sunday RnB,” and the app will generate a playlist primarily based on the consumer’s request.

Spotify had been working to enter the system marketplace for a while earlier than this yr’s public launch of Automotive Factor.

It first started {hardware} experiments in 2019, earlier than in the end deciding on the present design that grew to become the brand new Automotive Factor. Throughout this era, the system’s {hardware} and industrial design developed from a smaller merchandise plugged into the automotive’s cigarette lighter to a extra consumer-friendly product with a giant knob, colourful touchscreen, voice management options, and extra. Automotive Factor, up to now, has been pretty well-received. Spotify stated over 2 million shoppers signed up on the waitlist to buy inside a matter of months after Spotify introduced the product. It has not but stated what number of have bought, nonetheless.

At launch, Spotify stated the system would quickly achieve some small software program updates, together with a “Night time Mode” and this “Add to Queue” voice command, amongst different issues, so not all of as we speak’s additions are a shock.

The brand new options will start rolling out to Automotive Factor house owners as we speak.