Last year Apple Music announced that it would be launching a new version of James Corden's Carpool Karaoke as a standalone, original series for subscribers of Apple's streaming music service. Today, Spotify has countered Apple's move with its own car-based music series called Traffic Jams, which has a twist focused on original music creation in an attempt to differentiate itself from Carpool Karaoke (via Variety).

On Traffic Jams Spotify will team up "well-known hip-hop producers and rappers," but instead of singing along to popular songs, the participants on the show will have to produce an entirely new track in the backseat of a moving car. Record producer Southside and rapper T-Pain are set to be the first to appear on the show, which will launch on mobile and desktop Spotify applications on April 4. Once they have created their new track, they'll have to perform it in front of a live audience at the end of the show.

spotify traffic jams

T-Pain and Southside in Traffic Jams

The streaming music service announced a new original video show Wednesday that takes some cues from James Corden’s hit series, but shoots for a different audience altogether: “Traffic Jams” teams up well-known hip-hop producers and rappers, and challenges them to produce a track in the backseat of a driving car.

Comedian DoBoy will be driving the car and providing commentary on the proceedings, similar to James Corden's position in the original Carpool Karaoke series from The Late Late Show With James Corden. Spotify will debut a new episode of Traffic Jams each week for eight weeks straight, representing the show's first season of content. CNET reported on the official episode list, including:

  • April 4 - T-Pain & Southside
  • April 11 - D.R.A.M. & MeLo-X
  • April 18 - Joey Bada$$ & Cardo
  • April 25 - Pell & !llmind
  • May 2 - Jidenna & Sonny Digital
  • May 9- Madeintyo & AarabMuzik
  • May 16 - Dae Dae & Marvel Alexander
  • May 23 - E-40 & Willie B

For Apple's Carpool Karaoke: The Series, the company has yet to announce an official launch date, so it appears that Spotify's just-announced series will get a leg up on Apple Music's foray into original video content. In terms of overall subscribers, Spotify's 50 million paid subscribers are still far ahead of Apple Music's 20 million.

Top Rated Comments

Rainshadow Avatar
105 months ago
Just no.

Never got carpool karaoke. A knock-off sounds worse.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Daws001 Avatar
105 months ago
Why do they need to be in a car to make up a song only to get out and perform it to an audience? Why couldn't they just be in a recording studio or a garage or something?

I don't get the car part aside from copying Carpool Karaoke (maybe that's all it is)...
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
WinstonRumfoord Avatar
105 months ago
Macrumors today:

"I don't get it therefore it's dumb"
I get it. And it's still dumb.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nfl46 Avatar
105 months ago
Lol. This is cute.

Only heard of T-Pain, though.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
IMissTheOldMacRumors Avatar
105 months ago
Macrumors today:

"I don't get it therefore it's dumb"
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
RowellE Avatar
105 months ago
I like the name. It's very clever!
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

AirPods Pro 3 Mock Feature

AirPods Pro 3 Just Months Away – Here's What We Know

Friday April 18, 2025 5:16 am PDT by
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...
iphone 16 pro models 1

17 Reasons to Wait for the iPhone 17

Thursday April 17, 2025 4:12 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models simultaneously, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup. If you skipped the iPhone...
Beyond iPhone 13 Better Triad

Apple's 20th Anniversary iPhone May Finally Go All Screen

Tuesday April 15, 2025 6:31 am PDT by
Apple is preparing a "bold" new iPhone Pro model for the iPhone's 20th anniversary in 2027, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. As part of what's being described as a "major shake-up," Apple is said to be developing a design that makes more extensive use of glass – and this could point directly to the display itself. Here's the case for Apple releasing a truly all-screen iPhone with no...
maxresdefault

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 12 New Features

Sunday April 13, 2025 7:52 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and ...
CarPlay Hero

Apple Releases Wireless CarPlay Fix

Wednesday April 16, 2025 11:28 am PDT by
If you have been experiencing issues with wireless CarPlay in your vehicle lately, it was likely due to a software bug that has now been fixed. Apple released iOS 18.4.1 today, and the update's release notes say it "addresses a rare issue that prevents wireless CarPlay connection in certain vehicles." If wireless CarPlay was acting up for you, updating your iPhone to iOS 18.4.1 should...
top stories 2025 04 19

Top Stories: iPhone 17 Pro Rumors, CarPlay Bug Fix, and More

Saturday April 19, 2025 6:00 am PDT by
This week saw rumor updates on the iPhone 17 Pro and next-generation Vision Pro, while a minor iOS 18.4.1 update delivered not just security fixes but also a fix for some CarPlay issues. We also looked ahead at what else is in Apple's pipeline for the rest of 2025 and even the 20th-anniversary iPhone coming in 2027, so read on below for all the details on these stories and more! iPhone 17 ...
iOS 18

iOS 18.5 Includes Only a Few Changes So Far

Monday April 21, 2025 11:00 am PDT by
Apple seeded the third beta of iOS 18.5 to developers today, and so far the software update includes only a few minor changes. The changes are in the Mail and Settings apps. In the Mail app, you can now easily turn off contact photos directly within the app, by tapping on the circle with three dots in the top-right corner. In the Settings app, AppleCare+ coverage information is more...