Spotify rumored to be creating its own wearable device

It looks like the popular streaming music service Spotify wants to get into the hardware market. A recently posted job listing for the company confirm that it is looking to hire a “Sr Project Manager – Hardware”, with the description stating that person will lead Spotify’s efforts “to deliver hardware directly from Spotify to existing and new customers.”

The job listing adds that Spotify wants to release “a category defining product akin to Pebble Watch, Amazon Echo, and Snap Spectacles.” Zatz Not Funny, which first reported on the job listing, adds that a “trusted source” claims Spotify wants to release a “wearable” hardware product, but specifics were not mentioned.

Based on the job listing, it looks like Spotify wants to jump start a whole new product category for its first hardware launch. One possibility is that the company could release headphones that would directly connect to the music streaming service, without the need for a smartphone or smartwatch app.

One thing does seem very clear with this job listing. Spotify is looking to break away from the dependence of using third-party devices running on Android and iOS to deliver its service to its customers. In March, the company announced it has signed up 50 million people worldwide for its paid subscription service. That’s a pretty big foundation to draw upon for any type of expansion into new areas.

Of course, there are still lots of questions about this new venture that need to be answered, the biggest of which is can Spotify even successfully branch out into the hardware space, which is already crowded with tons of different connected audio devices. Based on the job listing, it looks like this project is still in its early stages, so we may not get any details for some time to come.

Do you think it’s a good idea for Spotify to offer its own branded hardware products, and what kind of devices would you buy from the company? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.