Spotify Revives Running Mode with AI Pacing and Audio Coaching for Premium Users
The streaming platform expands its athletic tools with customized workout playlists, BPM matching, and verbal cues.
Spotify has introduced a dedicated suite of audio tools for runners, rolling out a revamped Running Mode for Premium subscribers on iOS in the United States.
Located within the app’s Fitness hub, the new feature generates custom workout playlists tailored to individual exercise routines and pacing targets. Runners can choose from 25 preset options across various genres and athletic disciplines, or configure custom parameters based on specific training formats like interval, pyramid, or steady-state runs.
The platform matches playback speed to target beats per minute (BPM) while smoothing transitions between tracks to maintain rhythm. Users can also enable motivational audio cues during their sessions to act as verbal encouragement.
According to Spotify, fitness requests represent one of the most active prompt categories within its AI-powered playlist features, driving the expanded customization for athletes.
The release marks a return to dynamic tempo matching for the company, which previously operated an early iteration of tempo-based running tools before discontinuing them in 2018. The updated functionality expands on Spotify’s recent health initiatives, including a partnership with Peloton that brought guided exercise audio into the platform, positioning the app directly alongside digital fitness services such as Apple Fitness+.
