Retirement of our Running Feature

[meahtenoha]

Hey everyone, the Spotify Community team here.

We’re here to let you know we will be retiring our Running feature on 26 February 2018.

We always take retiring features in Spotify very seriously. We’re pouring our energy into new ways of creating the best experience for our users.

Of course, you can still workout with Spotify as your Running companion. You can find Running playlists in the Workout section of Browse section.

You can also connect your Spotify running music with an exercise app. Check out our support articles on Nike+ Run Club and Runkeeper for more information.

If you’re interested to learn more about how the app evolves, check out our article about testing and why features change.

Please post here with any questions or feedback you might have. We’ll be sure it reaches the right teams.

Thanks!

[jacoswart]

Further to https://www.johnhancock.com/news/boston-marathon/2018/03/john-hancock-and-spotify-give-runners-every....

So Brian Benedik (VP, Global Head of Advertising Sales at Spotify) seems to think this is a good idea. Something tells me he has never run using the Spotify running feature or he would have known better. How often do you see those long distance marathon champs run with headphones during races - NEVER. 

It is all about keeping cadence and you are not going to get this with music that alternate in tempo. As a test I went to http://www.runeliteplaylist.com/, selected 8:30 per mile, 4 hours so as to give me about 70 songs. Using http://sortyourmusic.playlistmachinery.com it shows me that the BPM for this playlist ranges between 76 and 186. IDIOTS.

Maybe this is just a temporary thing until after the Boston Marathon on the 16th of April. Let us hope they then restore the previous Running feature and we can be finished with this madness.

Not sure how much they got paid by John Hancock, but Spotify sure as  he1l  have lost lots of subscribers if the 738 replies in here is anything to go by.

[runwithmusic]

Running with these modes is the only reason I kept Spotify Premium. If I have to pull songs together myself to keep the same tempo then I might as well go back to pre-streaming days. Also now I don't see anything that separates Spotify from your compitition (at least from my usage)...maybe time to signup for a Google Music trial and see if they have anything.

Not pleased, and will not be continuing Spotify Premium.

[Martzw]

Only that I have a 500+ song playlist that’s been built over the years and
I’m not about to start over on a different service.

So I’m hooked in and have been using RockMyRun and FIT Radio for running.

[this_is_douglas]

I had a reply on Twitter from Spotify's founder (https://twitter.com/eldsjal/status/973572155433775104)

 "Unfortunately we had to prioritize. It was a loved feature, but not used widely. We are rolling out more and more playlists in various bpms, so you should be covered in your running!"

[staceyyyyyy]

I was SO DISAPPOINTED to hear you retired this feature - it was amazing and now I'm stuck with a 150-160 beats/min playlist that sucks and differs time. Then theres a 170 option that's too fast for my long runs. Cannot say how upset I am.  This was a feature I told all my friends was a huge reason I paid for Spotify. Please reconsider bringing it back.

[ylvakarlberg]

This is legitimately the worst thing you've done. Boo!

[JJRunner]

So I got a reply on twitter saying Spotify have removed running because They are always trying to improve their services! I think the robots have taken over. Come on fellow runners COMPLAIN!! How is this an improvement?

[martinhm]

This reminds me of Nero Burning ROM if anybody remembers that program from the 00's. It also had its golden age where it was actually really good. But somehow they couldn't live with the fact that they had made somthing that was already very good and just needed maintenance. So they kept modifying it for the worse. It's a shame that Spotify follows the same path. How long do you think this Hancock adventure is going to last before that is also being "retired"?

[ChristianHa]

This is a crazy decision! It was one of the key reasons for going Premium and now it has gone... Perhaps time to start listening to your paying customers?

[magfer]

Sucks big time. Was the best feature ever and also the reason for me to stick with Spotify. To all upset customers - does any of The competitors have a similar solution? 

[Kremitchell]

I would love you to bring back the running feature please! Being able to choose your step rate and having tailored songs to this was amazing! And Ellie Goulding's running playlist was one of the first and best I listened to. Some of the playlists are good but are at different rates and with ''my running mix' I had a mix of all the types of songs I liked! Please bring it back- it was one of your best features.

[PauloJf]

I found Rock my run and fit radio. Personally I settled for Fit radio and it’s great, the bpm’s are extremely precise!! 

Pricewise both are around $36 a year but fit radio has a groupon active in the US (but you can use it anywhere) for 50% off making it $18, plus if you create a new Groupon account they give you a $10 off your first purchase making it $8 for the first year!! You can’t beat that!!! But try the 30 day trial and see what you think 🙂

Spotify? Free account is enough now, no need for premium 😉

[selenium]

We have to beg you to return Running Feature or what? I don't get it why you removed it?!

[pgilbrea]

Yay! One less thing to pay for!

I first canceled my premium from the change to open.spotify.com for the web app, since it is complete garbage. They incorporated an 'add the queue' feature which brought me back.

Since I'm not into robot fornication music and it's obvious that stopify doesn't care about satisfaction of their customers, I guess I no longer need to pay for this service for fear of them taking away yet another feature I use quite often. Yes, I realize the running thing wasn't a premium feature (or maybe it was?), but I will be much happier listening to CD's in the car during those long hours I have no service. This is getting ridiculous.....

Maybe I should make a twitter account so I can reply to this too?

<MODERATOR EDIT>

Or someone with an account could point out the 750 mostly bummed/angry former customers who replied to this thread and tell him to reconsider.

Well, off to find some sort of app that can calculate bpm from music I actually enjoy! Cheers!

[icypolar0507]

Disappointed to know that this feature died. It was the only thing that encouraged me run a bit further every single time. I was off membership for a while and only came back for this feature. Please bring it back.

[Martzw]

Check out RockMyRun and FIT Radio. Both have BPM playlists. You might get
frustrated with RockMyRun because a lot of the playlists build (increase
BPM) as you go and I still can’t figure out how to tell if they do or not
ahead of time - Thought I had it but found myself well into a run tripping
over myself finding the pace. And sometimes the FIT Radio is just awful
music.

Neither have the quality of music but let’s be honest - important thing is
the pace. These work.

[Martzw]

This is so weird. I mean, I get it - not dumb people running Spotify and
this must make business sense. Just seems like such a weird marriage and a
gut punch of a reason to lose the feature.

[geowizzacist]

I just noticed a handful of new playlists at specific BPMs: Pop warmup 130BPM, Eat Sleep Run Repeat 140BPM, Power Run 145BPM, and more at 150, 160, 175, 180. Nothing specific for 165 or 170. I guess we have to use the 160-175 lists for those 😞

I usually run at 175 so it would be good to have more variety. That was one of the great strengths of the Running feature before Spotify murdered it.

Spotify might actually be listening to us. A bit. More playlists please Spotify.

[Martzw]

Yeah I need 165. Fingers crossed. 

[zolthanrodiak]

I just paused for the winter season and now searched for the feature that seperated Spotify from all those other streaming services like Apple Music, Deezer, Napster, that Google thing, and so on. 

I‘m just really disappointed and am also thinking about canceling my family membership. 

*** Please Spotify... bring back this feature ***