Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Spotify’s Running Mode is now available on Android, giving Premium users custom playlists tailored to their running workouts.
- Users can customize workouts, genres, music discovery and BPM, with options for familiar songs, new music, Beat Matching and optional Audio Coaching.
- Running Mode is available in select markets, including Canada and the US, but requires a Spotify Premium subscription.
I try to work out at the gym at least four days a week, and I know the struggle of finding the right music can sometimes be harder than the lifts. Some days I need an energetic playlist to get me through heavy lifts, while other days, when I’m taking it easy, I need relaxing music to keep me calm. Running is really no different — the right music can make a huge difference when you’re running, and Spotify knows that. Late in July, the music-streaming giant rolled out Running Mode for iOS, a feature that generates custom playlists for runs. And now it’s finally landing on Android.
Spotify details Running Mode in a blog post, indicating that it will let users customize playlists by choosing one of 25 presets. From there, you can further fine-tune the playlists by customizing your workout type (interval, steady, pyramid, and more), duration of workout, and beats per minute. Workout types are subsequently divided into genres to let you fine-tune your playlist even further.
Running Mode users also have the option to stay close to familiar music or select “mostly new music” to hear fresh tracks.
Alternatively, you can leverage Running Mode’s built-in Prompted Playlist integration to simply request a playlist in your own words. You could ask it to pull up some old favorites that you haven’t played in a long time, or ask for a bunch of short songs to keep things interesting.
If and when you create a mix that you truly enjoyed listening to, you can save it and come back to it later.
The same feature also includes Audio Coaching, which, as its name suggests, provides audio cues and encouragement while you’re running. Audio Coaching is completely optional to use. The same goes for Beat Matching, which will let you select a target BPM and adjust song speed to match.
Even though Running Mode is available to a much larger subset of users now, it isn’t free to use; the Premium paywall stands strong with this one. If you’re a Spotify Premium Android user in the US, Canada, the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, or Sweden, you should now be able to find Running Mode within the app’s Fitness hub.
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