The music platform Spotify is currently expanding two significant new features that are intended to make both exercise and organization of their own music collections more enjoyable for users. These are the Running Mode training mode and personal notes on songs called User Notes.
Running Mode: Music at your pace
Running Mode is designed to automatically adjust the music you play to the intensity and speed of your workout. Instead of having to create a lengthy workout playlist, Spotify will generate a selection of songs that match the rhythm and atmosphere you want.
What Running Mode offers:
- Detailed training settings: You can choose the type of run or exercise (e.g. interval training, continuous running or pyramid), the total length, the desired number of beats per minute (BPM) and the genre you are in the mood for.
- Voice instructions: During your workout, you can be accompanied by optional audio instructions that guide you through each phase of your run.
- Availability: The feature is available through Spotify Fitness Hub for Premium subscribers in select countries (US, Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and Sweden). Initially limited to iOS, Spotify is now rolling it out to Android devices.
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User Notes: Add your own captions to your songs
The second new feature is User Notes, which act as a personal description or comment on individual songs.
How notes work:
- Personal notes: You can write a short note for any piece in your library or playlist, which is then displayed directly below the song name.
- Sharing with friends: If you add a song with a comment to a shared playlist, other users will see your comment.
- Development in Playlist Notes: Spotify also announced that this feature is being further developed and that notes directly from the platform's editors will also begin to appear in official selections.
- Availability: Personal notes are available to both paid and free users. The feature is rolling out in select markets and is intended for users 16 years and older.
Spotify continues its trend of personalizing content and connecting music to its users' active lifestyles. Although Spotify is certainly not sparing with new features, I personally feel rather embarrassed by these features and would perceive them more as unnecessary fluff than as a revolution. The running mode that generates a pace sounds great on paper, but in practice it usually ends up with the algorithm not matching your taste or real pace, and this new feature is only available in a few markets. Personal notes for songs seem like a feature that most people completely forget to use after trying it out for the first time.
