Spotify Rolls Out Running Mode on Android in 7 Markets, Adds User Notes

Q: Does altering song speeds to match your running cadence destroy the audio quality of your favorite tracks in Spotify's new update?

Not necessarily. Spotify’s new Running Mode includes an optional setting to “adjust song speed to match BPM,” but the company has not said that it degrades audio quality, and there is no clear evidence from the rollout that it “destroys” tracks. What is more likely is that changing playback speed can subtly alter how a song sounds, because any tempo shift changes the original recording’s timing and feel. In many modern audio systems, speed changes are processed to keep results reasonably clean, especially for small adjustments. That said, the listening experience may still feel less natural than the original version, particularly if the BPM shift is large. Early hands-on reporting suggests the bigger issue so far is not obvious audio damage, but inconsistency in how the feature works. One reviewer said they turned on exact speed matching but were “not sure what this was supposed to do exactly,” while also noting that one cooldown track landed at 210 BPM, an apparent pacing error. That points more to playlist logic quirks than ruined sound quality. Spotify also gives users control here. If you want a steady cadence, you can enable speed adjustment. If you care more about preserving each song’s original feel, you can leave it off and still use Beat Matching to select tracks near your target tempo. For runners attached to how favorite songs normally sound, that is the safer option.

3 articles · Updated · 9to5Google · Aug 18

Android users in seven countries can now access Spotify’s Running Mode, extending the workout playlist feature beyond its earlier iOS-only release.
Running Mode builds mixes around workout type, duration, beats per minute and music preference, and can add optional audio cues during a run.
User Notes are also rolling out to free and Premium users in select markets, letting people add track-level captions visible in their library and in shared playlists.
Spotify said the notes feature is already evolving into Playlist Notes, which will surface comments from the platform’s own playlist editors.
The update broadens Spotify’s fitness and personalization push, though both features remain limited by region, and notes require users to be at least 16.