Spotify could soon join several other tech giants in launching its own smart speaker. Rumors that the Swedish company is working on a line of hardware products have been around since an ad for a senior product manager was posted last April. Now, three more job adverts have appeared for its hardware division.
The new listings are for an "operations manager," "senior project manager: hardware production," and a "project manager: hardware production and engineering." The ads reveal that the firm is "on its way [to] creating its first physical products and set-up an operational organization for manufacturing, supply chain, sales and marketing."
"We are looking for a passionate and seasoned Operations Manager that will contribute in the creation of innovative Spotify experiences via connected hardware."
Spotify has mentioned creating products "akin to Pebble Watch, Amazon Echo, and Snap Spectacles" in previous ads, and also referred to voice features, suggesting its first product could be an Amazon Echo/Apple HomePod-style speaker.
Most of Spotify's 70 million subscribers use third-party products to listen to the service. Its Spotify Connect feature lets users stream to everything from smart speakers to consoles to TVs and even car infotainment systems.
While most smart speakers embrace Spotify and display the service prominently in their ads, Apple's Homepod does not support it natively, meaning owners can only use the service via AirPlay.
Exactly when Spotify's hardware products will be available is unclear. While it remains the most popular streaming service in the world---pretty good for a product people thought would fail---Apple Music is forecast to overtake its rival in terms of US subscribers this summer.