Spotify adds a running mode to its app
Spotify has launched a new running mode within its app's Fitness Hub, designed to select music and pacing for people who listen to tracks while running. The feature uses AI capabilities the company has been developing through its prompted playlists tool, drawing on how users already build fitness and workout playlists, and forms part of Spotify's broader push into fitness content following an earlier partnership with Peloton.
The running mode offers 25 presets and lets users pick a workout type, such as interval runs, steady runs or pyramid sessions, before customising duration, tempo (beats per minute) and music style. It also generates audio cues to mark different stages of a run, though this currently works in English only. The feature launches on Wednesday for Premium subscribers on iOS in the US, Canada, the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and Sweden, arriving a couple of months after Strava dropped Spotify integration from its Record feature.
In short
- Spotify launches AI-powered running mode with 25 workout presets
- Available now for Premium iOS users in seven countries
- Follows Strava's recent removal of Spotify integration
Explained simply
Spotify is a music streaming service that lets people listen to songs on demand. The company is now expanding into fitness, offering users a new "running mode" feature that selects music matched to the pace of a workout.
The feature works by asking users to choose a type of run—such as a steady jog or high-intensity intervals—then automatically selects music to suit. Runners can customise the duration, tempo (measured in beats per minute) and musical style, and receive audio announcements to mark different stages of the run.
This reflects Spotify's broader ambitions to become a fitness platform, not just a music streaming service. The company has been developing tools to help create workout playlists and has previously partnered with fitness companies such as Peloton to integrate their services into the app.
Entertainment Music Software Technology