Spotify Launches Running Mode With Customizable Playlists and Coaching

Whether you’re training for a marathon or heading out for a quick jog, Spotify wants to help create a soundtrack for your run. On Thursday, the company announced Running Mode, a new fitness feature that lets users tailor playlists based on their run type, length and how much coaching input they want. In a release announcing the feature, Spotify said the new feature “helps you spend less time hunting for the right music and more time moving.” The feature offers 25 curated playlists spanning a variety of genres and divided into five categories: Just Run, Easy Run, Interval Runs, Pyramid Runs and Long and Advanced Runs. It also breaks down each song by beats per minute, helping runners match their pace to the music. Playlists begin at 20, 30 or 45 minutes, but can be customized. Thursday’s Long and Advanced Pop Run starts with Bruno Mars’ That’s What I Like at 134 bpm before slowing to Chappell Roan’s Good Luck, Babe! at 114 bpm. When the song begins, a coaching voice plays through your headphones offering a bit of direction: “Let the chorus lift you a little, but keep it smooth.” The playlist then jumps to 151 bpm during the third song, Zara Larsson’s Midnight Sun. The Spotify playlists are automatically set to update daily, so you won’t constantly hear the same songs, even if you stick with the same workout or run length. If you find a playlist you love, though, you can download it for safekeeping. You can further customize your playlist by selecting a 30- to 90-minute duration that matches your run and fine-tune the transitions between songs. Running Mode arrives months after Spotify announced a partnership with fitness company Peloton, further expanding the streaming service’s presence in the fitness world.