Spotify and Liquid Death launch limited-edition urn-shaped speaker

Spotify and Liquid Death have teamed up on what may be one of the most unusual product collaborations of the year: the Eternal Playlist Urn, a wireless Bluetooth speaker designed to look like a cremation urn.

Despite the design, the Eternal Playlist Urn isn’t actually intended to store ashes. Instead, it’s positioned as a collectable item, with only 150 units being sold in the United States. Priced at $495, buyers get a 7-inch by 11.4-inch urn, featuring a Bluetooth speaker built into the lid. Since the hardware is packed into the lid of a relatively small object, questions have been raised about how strong the audio quality can really be.

Spotify described the product as “the world’s first ever music-streaming urn,” suggesting it makes death “a lot less boring.” The concept leans into a joke: even the departed can keep listening to music for eternity — or at least that’s the theme Spotify is playing with.

“Life needs music. So does the afterlife. That’s why Spotify has partnered with Liquid Death to create the Eternal Playlist Urn, the world’s first wireless speaker designed to bring your music somewhere it’s never been before,” Spotify said in a blog post.

After purchasing the urn, users can create their own Eternal Playlist on Spotify by answering prompts such as “What’s your eternal vibe?” and “What’s your go-to ghost noise?” Spotify then uses those answers, along with the user’s listening history, to generate a personalised playlist. That playlist can sync directly to the urn’s speaker and can also be shared with friends and family.

While Spotify has never released a fully branded smart speaker of its own, it has partnered with other companies on hardware before. In 2022, Spotify partnered with Ikea on a portable Bluetooth lamp speaker featuring Spotify Tap, marking its second branded hardware collaboration. Spotify also previously launched Car Thing, an in-car entertainment device, though it was later discontinued.

Liquid Death is no stranger to extreme marketing. The brand has built a reputation for over-the-top campaigns and products, including a life-sized Yeti casket-shaped cooler. Some people may find the humour too morbid, but others — especially fans of dark, irreverent comedy — have shown strong interest. That cooler reportedly drew more than 800 bidders and sold for $68,200.

Whether it’s seen as a clever stunt, a weird gag, an offensive joke, or simply absurd, the Eternal Playlist Urn highlights just how far brands will go to grab attention.