Spotify launches Running Mode for personalised running playlists
Spotify has introduced Running Mode, a new Premium feature that creates personalised running sessions based on your pace, workout goals, and music taste.
Music has always been a key part of many people’s workouts, and Spotify is making it even more personal. The streaming platform has unveiled Running Mode, a new feature that creates tailored running sessions based on a listener’s workout goals, preferred pace, and musical tastes.
Rolling out first to Premium subscribers on iOS in selected markets, the update is another example of Spotify using personalisation to shape how people discover and experience music – creating fresh opportunities for artists to connect with listeners.
Spotify’s new Running Mode explained
Announced on July 30, Running Mode is available through Spotify’s Fitness Hub for Premium users on iOS in the US, Canada, the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and Sweden.
Users can choose from 25 running presets before customising their session with options including interval, steady or pyramid runs, workout duration, target beats per minute (BPM), and the type of music they want to hear. Spotify then generates a personalised soundtrack that matches the chosen tempo, creating smooth transitions between songs to keep runners moving.
The feature also includes optional English-language audio cues that provide encouragement and guidance throughout the workout.
As Spotify explains, Running Mode is designed to help users “spend less time hunting for the right music and more time moving.”
Another step in Spotify’s fitness ambitions
Running Mode builds on Spotify’s wider investment in personalised experiences and fitness content.
The company says fitness-based prompts have been among the most popular uses of its AI-powered Prompted Playlists, inspiring the creation of a dedicated running experience. It also follows Spotify’s growing expansion into fitness, after launching guided workouts with fitness partners earlier this year.
Rather than simply recommending songs, Spotify is increasingly tailoring entire listening experiences around what people are doing – whether that’s running, exercising, studying or relaxing. Running Mode extends that strategy by adapting music to both a user’s preferences and the rhythm of their workout.
What this means for independent artists
Running Mode gives listeners another way to discover music without searching for individual songs or playlists. By creating personalised sessions around a workout, Spotify is putting tracks into moments where listeners are focused and engaged. If they enjoy what they hear, that can lead to saves, repeat streams, playlist additions, and visits to an artist’s profile.
Spotify hasn’t said Running Mode uses a separate catalogue or favours any particular type of music. Instead, it builds sessions using the music listeners already enjoy alongside their chosen workout settings. For independent artists, it’s another way their music can become part of a listener’s daily routine. As Spotify continues to introduce new ways for people to engage with music, having your catalogue available on the platform means you’re ready to be included in those experiences.