Spotify are branching from streaming into “category defining” hardware products, and going head to head with the busy Smart speaker market.

So after Apple launched the HomePod earlier this month, joining Amazon, Google and other tech companies, we thought there couldn’t be more talking, streaming speakers. Then this week happened and now it looks like Facebook could launch 2 Wi-Fi speakers later this year, and now Spotify are getting in on it.

Spotify revealed that they’re looking to get into making audio hardware last April when they posted a job ad for a senior product manager of hardware. They were searching for someone who could build “frictionless and creative Spotify experiences via fully-connected hardware devices … akin to Pebble Watch, Amazon Echo, and Snap Spectacles”.

Now a new series of job positions reveal more about Spotify’s plans as they move away from an entirely digital business. In their new advert for an Operations Manager of Hardware Product, Spotify say: “Spotify is on its way to creating its first physical products and setting up and operational organisation for manufacturing, supply chain, sales & marketing.”

Whilst they don’t explicitly mention the products that are in the works for Spotify it’s highly likely that they are looking at creating a smart speaker. As more companies enter the market for it, its becoming a more-and-more competitive sphere. Apple’s recent entry HomePod notably omitted Spotify functionality, and the biggest speakers on the market are created by Amazon and Google – both of whom have their own streaming services and music stores.

Earlier this week rumours circulated from industry sources that Facebook are also entering the market with two screened speakers, in the vein of Amazon Echo Show speakers which have a built in touchscreen for watching slideshows, short videos and video calls. According to those sources Facebook are planning to launch both of their products by the end of July this year, so we don’t have to long to find out whether it’s true or not.