Spotify: We have the perfect beat for your run
The streaming music service unveils a feature that uses your smartphone to track your motion and determines the best soundtrack for your run.
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If Spotify has a say, the rhythm is gonna get you -- when you're on a run.
In addition to introducing short video clips to the Spotify streaming service, the Sweden-based company on Wednesday also unveiled a feature designed to find the perfect soundtrack for your run.
The Spotify app will use your smartphone's sensors to detect the tempo of your run, and choose a song based on your past preferences that has a beat that matches your footsteps and pace. Spotify Chief Product Officer Gustav Söderström touted that the right song can create a "euphoric feeling" during a run.
The feature could be a boon to anyone who has struggled to find the appropriate music for a short or long run, and potentially change the running experience. For Spotify, it targets a demographic of eager music users, and allows it to stand out at a time when multiple music players are competing for the same customers.
Söderström introduced six running "experiences," like "burn" and "the chase," for varying runs, which he said would be unique each time.
In addition, Spotify CEO Daniel Ek said his company has been working with Nike over the past year to better connect runners in the Nike+ Run Club to its music. Ek said the two have partnered to deliver music experiences to Nike+ customers starting in the summer. Customers will be able to access Spotify music through the Nike+ app at that time.
Wednesday's announcement comes ahead of a new rival: computing giant Apple is expected to launch its own subscription music service next month. Apple purchased a streaming service, Beats Music, as part of a $3 billion takeover of its parent, headphone maker Beats. The company is expected to relaunch the subscription service next month at its annual developers conference as a product ingrained in iTunes software and its iOS mobile operating system.
Ek doesn't seem worried. At the event, he called the announcements a "massive leap" forward for Spotify.