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!

[aribiker]

OK, that's it. I am leaving Spotify. Running Mode was the only reason why I went with it.

[epferrari]

Will be canceling my Spotify premium account if this isn’t restored. Extremely poor product roadmap decision.

[Caniz_lupuz]

This is just the worst thing that you could possibly do... I just signed up for my forst Marathon and was just about to go ut on a really long run when I discovered that my usual playlists were GONE! This was a really really good feature that I just can't understand why you would want to discontinue? I, along with many others used this feature A LOT and personally I can't really se how I can replicate the feature with seamless playback in the exact same tempo throughout the hole playlist. Like many other runners, I am very picky with my BPM to get the best result from my running, and now it's totally destroyed. Thank's for nothing, Spotify. Maby I'll just cancel my family account now and use some other service instead.

[Pinnelca]

I'm in the same boat. The running feature seems to have had a hugely positive impact on so many of Spotify's users. Their decision to remove the feature really blows my mind...

[jacoswart]

Well I think we can all agree that Spotify royally ** bleeped ** up here. I for one will give them a fair chance to rectify their obvious mistake.

If by the end of March 2018 the running feature is not back in the Spotify app, I will

• be cancelling my Spotify Family Premium membership
• be searching for an alternative option for my running needs
• be going out of my way to encourage as many of my fellow runners as possible to join me in making the jump

Maybe we can find a way to record each cancellation in order to show them just exactly how much this brain fart has costed them.

I genuinely hope that the feature will be back in all its glory by the time I will be at the starting line for the Manchester Marathon on April the 8th.

Previously I would record and also tell fellow runners about this feature and would also post my results and screenshots(can also be seen at https://ibb.co/eVjuFx).

I think it is clear that whoever came up with this latest change in the roadmap / development meeting, have no idea about running, cadence, music, tempo etc. and should maybe put on the bench for a bit.

[rnapii]

Curiously, I tried to point out on the ideas forum that other music services integrate more seamlessly with the devices I already own, to which I received the following, customer-orientated, response.....

[ChristianBlanch]

This feature is the sole reason for my premium membership.  Please bring it back or I suspect you will begin to lose an important part of your community

[bennydannybenny]

Dear Spotify,

Let's address the things how they really are:

You wrote: 

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.

---

Doesn't seem like that. What were your reasons, your motives? Did you really thought about it "seriously"? How it would affect the users who love this feature?

At least you should have warned us. Yes, a polite email saying "We are removing X feature..."

You proudly send emails saying: "Hey, we have added this awesome feature, check it out!!"

I'm going to be honest: if you did had noticed us, I'd be happilly (not that much happy, but, anyway) made 140bpm, 145bpm, 150bpm (and so on) four hour playlists based on my "running mix" so I could have an "archive" for my running sessions.

You've already have here 15 pages (150 comments) of people asking for this feature to return. And this is just a couple of days! And probably there is a lot more people bothered with this that don't take thime to login in and comment here. I'm sure it's not that hard. As simple and you "pushed a switch" to turn it of, you can turn it on.

A lot of companys say: "Our customers are more important than anything else". Are you one of those companys? If yes, please listen to your customers!

Spotify Running feature was the main reason I've signed up for premium, as a lot of people here. Will I stop using spotify? To be honest, no, because, for the momento, I don't have a better option, but as soon as I find out a better one, I will, sadly, move to that better option.

---

@meahtenoha wrote:

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 know it's not the same. A lot of users already said that the playlists avaliable doesn't help our workouts.

---

@meahtenoha wrote:

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

---

Well, does the team already received our feedback? I didn't read anyone answering our questions here.

So, Dear Spotify: what are you doing? Where are you? Are you listening to our complains?

Sincerly: 

An "once upon a time" happy running user.

[iyorgov]

Spotify team, can you at least pretend you care about your customers and post a reply? It's your call of course but 15 pages of comments seem quite a lot to me. An explanation would be nice for example; or any other message showing interest in what we all are saying.

[joeonetime]

I'll throw my comment on the pile as well.  I learned about the feature a couple of weeks ago, and it was a HUGE help to my run training, so much so that I signed up for a premium membership.  Removing it (without warning no less) was a really poor decision.  I hope that you decide to bring it back.  I'll be watching this space (and looking for alternatives at the same time).

[der_sud]

Please bring it back. Used this feature quite a lot and do not understand the rationale of shutting it down. Thanks

[FrankvD]

If I could give some feedback, keep the running feature as it was!

[Bryanensall]

Just like everyone else here, I was not pleased to see this feature gone from Spotify.

I have found a new app that, so far, fills my BPM need for a long steady run.

Check out the app called RockMyRun.

Like I said, so far, so good.  Free to start.  I've only used it once so not sure if there will be a usage limit where I will have to pay.  You can pick your music type/preference and adjust to the exact BPM you like (not just a range of BPM like the new downgraded version of running that Spotify haphazardly threw at us).   

Separately, because of Spotify's decision to do away with this running feature, I've already downgraded my membership from family to single (or whatever it is called) and plan to cancel my membership entirely as soon as I find a suitable all-around musical replacement.  

[crshirley58]

It really makes no sense that this feature was removed. Obviously it was used by many people, myself included. So, Spotify; what is there to gain by removing it? I can't see any feasible financial gains from removing playlists that don't even require upkeep.

This feature helped me tremendously with my weight loss, and I'll be sad to see it go as I'm training for a half marathon. As others have stated, playlist that vary 15 bpms are next to useless for pace training, or pacing in general. You guys should reconsider this move.

[dedwardsy]

Why would you retire it? It was by far the best part of spotify!!!

[jacoswart]

I have come across http://www.rockmyrun.com. I will be trying it out and let everyone know. Seems like it can do the trick. It is only $2.99 per month.

[tread-lightly]

This was my favorite feature in the app. (Or well the built-in lyrics on PC were, but they're **bleep**ing gone too aren't they?!) It's a shame you removed it and I too thing you should seriously reconsider that decision. Because right now I'm under the impression that this service just keeps getting worse and is not improving at all.

[KS257]

I regularly use the Spotify running feature when I workout (running or elliptical). As a musician myself, I have to run to a specific tempo. It’s just engrained in my system to match my bpm with the speed of the music, and I am extremely disappointed that this feature is no longer a part of Spotify. I’ve been a loyal Spotify premium member for about 5 years, but I would consider switching to another music service if I could use this feature elsewhere. Is there a specific reason why you are discontinuing this service? The public would like to know. Please reconsider your choices of what services to provide, and bring back Spotify Running based on BPM and recommended music.

[pleribus]

I wonder if this has anything to do with their decision to retire the running feature?

Spotify IPO Offering:
https://www.theverge.com/2018/2/28/16846064/spotify-ipo-public-offering-announced-music-streaming

[Fang146]

Bad idea!

Please revive it.