Spotify App Adds a List of New Features

Spotify has unveiled numerous enhancements to its mobile application, incorporating features such as Playlist Notes, Running Mode, and user-generated notes. Playlist Notes empower both Spotify's professional editors and ordinary users to attach context to songs and other content within playlists. Simultaneously, Spotify has broadened its AI-driven Running Mode to Android, following its initial launch on iOS.

Playlist Notes afford Spotify's global editorial team the ability to elucidate the reasoning behind selecting a specific song, its cultural significance, or its relevance to a particular playlist. Users can access these notes by tapping the Notes button atop a supported playlist. Initially, editor notes will be featured on prominent playlists such as Today’s Top Hits, RapCaviar, Hot Country, All New Pop, mint, and Fresh Finds Hip-Hop.

They can also surface on the Now Playing screen even when the user is listening outside the original playlist. Editor-created Playlist Notes are being rolled out to Free and Premium users aged 16 and above in the US, Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand, though Spotify has not specified when this version will extend to additional countries.

Moreover, Spotify has introduced Profiles for its editors, enabling users to gain insight into the creators curating the playlists. By clicking on an editor's name, a Profile is displayed, showcasing their top songs and albums as well as the playlists they assist in curating. These profiles are currently available in the same six markets as the editor-created Playlist Notes.

Users can also compose their own notes within playlists they own or contribute to. On Android or iOS, tapping the three-dot menu next to a song, podcast episode, or audiobook allows the selection of Add note. The user then composes their message, which is subsequently displayed beneath the selected item in the playlist. These notes can be used to explain why a song was added, preserve a memory associated with it, suggest alternative tracks, or jot down thoughts about a podcast or audiobook.

They are not private; anyone who can view the playlist can see the notes, and the writer's name is linked to their Spotify profile. User-created Playlist Notes are more widely distributed than editor notes, being available on Android and iOS in over 100 markets.

Spotify is also broadening its Running Mode, an AI-powered feature designed to personalize workouts, to Android. Initially launched on iOS on July 30, this feature is now accessible to Premium subscribers on both Android and iOS in the US, Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and Sweden. Running Mode encompasses 25 workout presets, ranging from intervals and pyramid sessions to easy runs and longer runs, with durations from 10 to 90 minutes.

Leveraging Spotify's Prompted Playlist technology, Running Mode curates music selections based on the user's workout and musical preferences. Users can opt for genres like pop, EDM, country, and hip-hop, choose between familiar or mostly new music, and even tailor the AI prompt with their own instructions. The generated Running Mode playlists refresh daily, although users can save a preferred playlist.

Music can synchronize with the user's running pace, thanks to Beat Matching, which enables runners to select a specific beats-per-minute (BPM) rate. Users can further adjust song speed to match their chosen BPM or retain the original speed. An optional English audio cue feature provides instructions and encouragement during structured runs, which users can disable if they only wish to hear music.

Spotify acknowledges that 160 BPM is presently the most favored setting, whereas some runners select between 170 and 180 BPM for a quicker cadence. This feature also includes optional English audio cues offering motivation and guidance during structured runs, which can be turned off for those who prefer music only. Spotify previously attempted a standalone running feature, which was discontinued in 2018.

The new Running Mode adopts a different strategy by asking users to configure their workout and music preferences prior to commencing rather than automatically detecting their running pace.