Spotify Launching Carpool Karaoke-Like Series Called 'Traffic Jams', Focusing on Original Music

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.

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.