Spotify’s new Running Mode can turn your next jog into a custom-built playlist. The feature builds listening sessions around your pace, workout style and the music you want to hear.
“Whether you’re training for a race, heading out for an easy jog, or just want a more motivating walk, Running Mode helps you spend less time hunting for the right music and more time moving,” Spotify said in a press release Thursday.
Spotify Running Mode: Custom playlists on iOS
Music has long been an unofficial training partner for millions of runners. Apple got into the game two decades ago with the Nike+iPod Sport Kit, long before streaming Apple Music tracks from an iPhone or Apple Watch was possible.
Now, Spotify wants to level things up. Its new AI-powered Running Mode reflects a broader shift in fitness tech, where streaming services are evolving from passive jukeboxes into adaptive workout companions that tailor playlists, pacing and even coaching cues to your exercise in real time. The goal isn’t just better music — it’s eliminating the tiny distractions that can break your rhythm, leaving you free to focus on the miles ahead.
How Spotify Running Mode works
With Spotify’s Running Mode, you can choose from 25 presets. And you can adjust each one according to your workout type, including interval, steady or pyramid formats. You can customize the duration, the beats per minute, and the kind of music you want it to listen to.
When you press play, Spotify will match each track to the selected tempo. It also moves through songs automatically as your run progresses, meaning you won’t be stuck skipping tracks midstride.
Spotify says Running Mode came from its Prompted Playlists feature, which lets you generate playlists with a simple text prompt. The company says fitness-related prompts turned out to be one of the most popular use cases of that tool.
The new Running Mode also features a built-in coaching layer. You get the option to enable audio cues that can guide you through your workout with timely prompts and encouragement. But you only get them in English for now.
This sounds similar to the Apple Watch’s Workout Buddy, which can deliver motivational tidbits and stats while you exercise.
Spotify’s Running Mode is rolling out now, but is only available for Premium subscribers. It lives inside the Spotify app’s Fitness Hub, announced back in April alongside Peloton classes and creator workout videos.
The new feature’s timing lines up with a gap in the market. Strava pulled its in-app Spotify integration last month, leaving runners looking for a new way to keep music tied to their training.
Spotify’s new Running Mode is available starting today for Premium users on iOS. It is available in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and Sweden.
A second update for all Spotify users: User Notes
Spotify also rolled out a second update alongside Running Mode, on both iOS and Android. It’s called User Notes, and it lets listeners attach text comments to songs on their own playlists.
“The comments are visible to anyone who has access to the playlist, so if you tend to share your playlists around, adding notes to the tracks you choose could be a fun way to interact with your following,” Android Authority said.
If you’re an iPhone runner tired of handpicking Spotify playlists, Running Mode is worth a look. Just open the Fitness Hub, pick a preset, and let Spotify handle the rest.
