Spotify has unveiled a new Running Mode designed to make workouts more enjoyable by automatically matching music to different stages of a run. The feature uses a listener's music preferences, workout style, and running pace to create a more personalized fitness experience.
The new feature is available through Spotify's Fitness Hub and is currently exclusive to Premium subscribers. Users can choose from 25 different workout presets, making it easy to find a running session that suits their fitness goals.
Runners can select from workout styles such as steady runs, interval runs, pyramid sessions, and other training formats. They can also customize the length of their workout, choose their preferred beats per minute (BPM), and select the type of music they want to hear during the session.
Instead of simply playing a playlist from start to finish, Running Mode adjusts the music based on different phases of the workout. Songs are selected to match the intensity of each stage, helping users stay motivated whether they are warming up, pushing through high-intensity intervals, maintaining a steady pace, or cooling down at the end of the run.
The feature also includes audio coaching cues that guide runners throughout their workout. These spoken prompts notify users when it's time to speed up, slow down, switch intervals, or begin the cooldown. At launch, the audio guidance is available only in English.
Spotify says the new feature builds on the artificial intelligence technology it has been developing over the past year. The company has been testing AI-powered playlist creation, allowing users to generate playlists through simple prompts, and noticed that many listeners were creating playlists specifically for workouts and fitness activities.
According to Spotify, those trends inspired the development of Running Mode, which combines AI-generated music recommendations with workout guidance to create a more seamless running experience.
The launch also continues Spotify's broader push into the fitness space. Earlier this year, the streaming service partnered with fitness equipment company Peloton, bringing more workout-focused content to its platform and expanding its offerings for active users.
The announcement comes only a few months after fitness tracking app Strava ended support for Spotify integration within its Record feature, making Spotify's own workout tools even more important for users who rely on the streaming service during exercise.
Spotify's new Running Mode is available beginning Wednesday for Premium subscribers using iPhones in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and Sweden. The company has not yet announced when the feature will expand to Android devices or additional countries.
With personalized playlists, AI-powered recommendations, and built-in workout guidance, Spotify hopes the new Running Mode will help users stay motivated and make every run more engaging.
