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!

[_m_x_c_]

Yes. This is a clear example of decision-makers being completely out of
touch with their customer base.

[PauloJf]

Well, no more Spotify premium in that case.... this was the only thing that made Spotify standout...

Found Fit Radio a perfect replacement, cheaper more precise... and they won’t turn off features like this....

#spotifyrunningrefugee

bad, real bad call on your part Spotify...

[SamuelVan]

Dear Spotify, 

please bring that feature back, as you can see, many people are disappointed with your idea to retire it.

Thank you

Your very concerned customer. 

[TheLoraxis]

Thanks jacoswart for info on why Spotify may have done this evil deed. The whole thing is baffling, and the ever so sweet “Spotify cares” and „Have a nice day“ spiel is truly infuriating.

[ChrisBurmester]

Just logging my huge disappointment. I had been a long time Pandora user and switched to Spotify for this feature. Looks like I'll be switching back. At least explain your thinking around discontinuing this feature so the community of people can understand your reasoning on this. Tempo matching plus music library is a killer feature to have!

[bworkie]

This is very very disappointing indeed. Why do this, spotify? wh? what is your reason for taking away the most popular feature. For me and many others, this was the main reason for paying for premium service. Are you saving money by taking this feature away?

Please bring it back or you will be loosing many of your customers.

[OZchoirboy]

This is a major disappointment.  I subscribed to Spotify because of the run feature. The pre-made tempo run lists are just not the same.  With the Running playlists, I could vary my running pace throughout my run, depending on my training, with just a flick of the up / down arrow.  Very sorry to see this feature go.  Deeply impacts the enjoyment of my training sessions.

[Flandora]

It really annoys me that the feature vanished so silently.  I'm not sure I noticed it in any changelogs. I simply went running, and tried, in vain, to find the feature.
Like, wth?! Spotify! What do we pay you for?! I'm getting the feeling that I should also start considering switching to a different streaming platform.

[WouterP]

Dear spotify team,

It was a very unpleasant surprise to figure out that you discontinued this service in such a way.

As a premium member (that also used this service quite frequently) I would at least expect to get a notification from you... What happened with your customer service?! Especially in such a highly competitive market you cannot afford such mistakes...

Since there are approximately 70 pages of disappointed customers, could you please let us know why you have discontinued it and if we can expect features like this back in the (near) future? If not, then we might as well look for alternatives, such as fit radio!

[Tomchan08]

I used this feature a lot until I started just hearing the same 20 or so songs again and again. Is there a way for you to let us make our own playlists based on BPM? Thank you. 

[Márinho]

What a f* shame!!!

[ecumali]

I am very disappointed! This was one of the best features of spotify, you are supposed to make a feature better, not just remove it. Alternatives you are suggesting are not the same thing. 

[jvdhorst]

This is very disappointing! I would choose a fixed BPM for running which would really help me with my pace. The current option for the running playlists with this wide range just isn't the same.

[aclsound]

Why do you constantly take away features??? You took away the lyrics feature, then the ability to shuffle folders, now you take away the running feature? This makes no sense! Every single time that you take away a feature you always give the same canned message that you are making room for new features. Well where are all these new features?

[cignusman]

Absolutely dissapointed... I need to change from 180-185 to 190 from time to time and this is not possible now. I will consider the app with the feature and drop Spotify, if I am able to find it.

[BaileyTCT7]

Why would you do this?! 

[kickooyoo]

Please bring this back! This was one of my favorite Spotify features, and one of the only reasons I hadn't gone with Apple Music (even after buying a HomePod). The preselected bpm range mixes are not even close to the same thing. 

[Fenias]

My only recommendation to any runner still paying for a subscription - stop immediately. The running functionality is *never* coming back. Based on the earlier message from Customer Support, Spotify either sold or never owned the intellectual property rights that made it work and will certainly not admit it here, as that would jeopardize their upcoming IPO.

[Howatkr]

I’m very upset by this. The running feature is the only reason I have Spotify premium. Guess I’ll cancel my subscription. The running feature was amazing and I recommended to everyone I knew. I’m extremely disappointed in the decision to discontinue the running feature. 

[Canggi]

Why not tell potential investors whats going on here?

https://www.ft.com/content/e0e57248-2376-11e8-ae48-60d3531b7d11