Transform your bricked Spotify Car Thing with Nocturne’s free app
If you own a Spotify Car Thing that’s been rendered useless, there’s good news. Nocturne, an open-source project, has breathed new life into these devices. After Spotify disabled server-side authentication in December 2024, your Car Thing might have felt like little more than an expensive knob with a screen. But Nocturne sees it differently.
Nocturne’s innovative approach
Nocturne launched in October 2024, anticipating the need after Spotify’s service shutdown. Since then, the team, including Brandon Saldan and Dominic Frye, has released four major updates. The latest, version 4.0.0, promises improved functionality, including true Bluetooth connectivity without needing to tether your phone. It introduces a Nocturne Companion app, which requires a Nocturne+ subscription to support development.
Hardware and functionality
The Car Thing runs on 512MB RAM and 4GB storage via the Amlogic S905D2 SoC—the same processing power as a mid-range 2015 router. Initially, Nocturne required a Raspberry Pi to connect the device online. Later versions removed this need by using Bluetooth tethering through your phone’s hotspot. Version 4 eliminates the tether altogether, pairing directly via Bluetooth.
User interface enhancements
Nocturne’s UI is clean and practical. The now-playing screen displays album art with a gradient background. Typography is large and easy to read. The playlist view is organized with album thumbnails and track titles, easy to navigate with the knob. A subtle ambient lighting effect around the screen responds to the music, a surprising touch for community firmware on budget hardware.
Rich feature set
The gesture control, over-the-air (OTA) updates, Spotify Connect device switcher, podcast support, local file playback, and DJ mode carry over from V3. The new V4 architecture also supports full offline functionality, solving the problem that led to these units becoming unusable when Spotify cut server ties.
Get started with Nocturne
If you have a Car Thing collecting dust, visit Nocturne’s GitHub to explore V3.0.0, the stable release. Version 4.0.0 is in beta, available to donors via Discord. The installation guide at usenocturne.com is a great starting point to revive and enhance your device.