Spotify Debuts Playlist Mixing Tool Ahead of Apple Music AutoMix

[MacRumors]

Apple Music is getting a new Automix feature when iOS 26 is released next month, and in a strategic counter-punch, Spotify has now launched its own mixing feature, allowing Premium subscribers to create seamless transitions between playlist tracks.

Users can access the new functionality, which is still in beta, by opening any playlist and selecting "Mix" from the toolbar. An "Auto" option provides instant blending, or you can try manually customizing the mix to fit your style.

When customizing, you can select presets like "Fade" or "Rise," then adjust specific settings to fine-tune volume, EQ, and effect curves (the app displays waveform and beat data to help you identify the optimal transition points).

The key and beats per minute are also shown for each track whenever Mix is tapped. As you'd expect, the feature works best with music that shares similar tempos and keys, so expect lots of mixed house and techno playlists on the streaming platform.

Apple's upcoming Automix feature for the Music app differs slightly from Spotify's implementation – it creates DJ-style transitions automatically across the entire music library, whereas Spotify is focusing here on playlist-specific customization.

If you prefer more control over transitions, Spotify's approach is likely to be the more appealing option. Playlists you mix can also be shared with other Premium users and toggled on or off at any time. If you're a Premium subscriber and you're not seeing the option, make sure to update your Spotify app.

Article Link: Spotify Debuts Playlist Mixing Tool Ahead of Apple Music AutoMix

 

[MacUserFella]

Of course tho, when iOS 26 officially releases, everyone will say “Spotify had it first!”

 

[winxmac]

Promised Spotify Hi-Fi still nowhere to be found.

 

[contacos]

Is this US exclusive? I don't even have that toolbar as shown in the screenshot.

 

[hellosil]

Without time-stretching and beat-matching techniques it's not similar to Apple Musics AutoMix at all.
So for Spotify's feature to work you'd have to manually select compatible songs to make it sound good?
Wow.

 

[wbeasley]

they'll probably cut the artist royalties for the trimmed cross mixed part...

 

[19callum93]

Only if YouTube Music could be bothered to innovate. Instead they are leaving their platform behind. No cross fade and iOS widget is useless…

 

[aknabi]

Only if YouTube Music could be bothered to innovate. Instead they are leaving their platform behind. No cross fade and iOS widget is useless…

Sundar don't play dat innovate game... as one learns at Wharton, slow, steady ensh*tification is the way.

 

[bLackjackj]

If you're a Premium subscriber and you're not seeing the option, make sure to update your Spotify app.

Not in Australia either. The last update was 2 days ago. Is this US only?

 

[tomtad]

That interface looks a hot mess

 

[powaking]

I’m in the US and don’t see that feature in any playlists I’ve checked. Last app update was 2 days ago.

 

[jdawgnoonan]

I forgot how fugly the Spotify app is. People who use it seem to love it, but I remain happy with Apple Music. Prior to Apple Music I tried Spotify, but moved to Google Play Music instead. When rumors started that Apple was going to purchase Beats Music I tried Beats, and like it. I have used Apple Music since it started. I like Apple Music honestly because it overall works most like the old Music app on the original iPhones worked. Spotify, for me, sucked because I am an album listener, not a singles listener. But Spotify was always an ugly app.

 

[Selena Agna]

I don't use any music streaming service, but I don't like Apple coupling features to apps like Music or Safari to iOS upgrades.

 

[antiprotest]

Serious question. I am unfamiliar. This feature changes the songs (no matter how subtly) so they are not exactly as the artists intended. Does that create an intellectual property issue, or is that considered a non-issue? I know live DJs do something similar, but not to this verifiable and universal scale.

 

[racerhomie]

Still no AirPlay 2 or Lossless support? Insane

 

[tomtad]

I forgot how fugly the Spotify app is. People who use it seem to love it, but I remain happy with Apple Music. Prior to Apple Music I tried Spotify, but moved to Google Play Music instead. When rumors started that Apple was going to purchase Beats Music I tried Beats, and like it. I have used Apple Music since it started. I like Apple Music honestly because it overall works most like the old Music app on the original iPhones worked. Spotify, for me, sucked because I am an album listener, not a singles listener. But Spotify was always an ugly app.

It's got 3 things going for it, the algorithm for finding new music is legitimately better and something Apple seems incapable of replicating for some reason. I can go on Spotify and play a few songs and suddenly it's suggesting stuff I mostly like. Apple Music has known me for years and generally churns out playlists with a couple of songs I like max.

The second are it's more social, it's free so more people use it basically.

And the third, Spotify Connect. For some reason I can hand off from my Mac to my iPhone and continue playing, meanwhile king of the ecosystem Apple can't. Weird

 

[dlondon]

Is this US exclusive? I don't even have that toolbar as shown in the screenshot.

View attachment 2539237

I can see the toolbar in the UK but no mix option yet. I can only see the toolbar on my own playlists though, not the playlists Spotify creates.

 

[subjonas]

The basic function I most wish Spotify (and Apple Music) had is being able to resume playlists where I left off. I usually shuffle play my playlist so it’s very frustrating having to start over from the beginning every time I leave a long playlist, play something else, and come back to it. Even if I didn’t shuffle play, it’s annoying to have to try to find the song I played last (if I can even remember it). I want the app to remember my position in every playlist indefinitely, as well as the same order of songs if it was on shuffle, so that I can always have the option to resume that playlist where I left off no matter how long it’s been since I played that playlist. Like a movie in the Apple TV app, it should ask if I want to resume or start over.

 

[rafark]

Of course tho, when iOS 26 officially releases, everyone will say “Spotify had it first!”

I’m not sure about that. It went viral on tiktok when iOS 26 was announced

 

[GioGiusi]

Does the iOS 26 version of AutoMix only work with Apple Music tracks? I tried it every beta with specific tracks I have for mixing and it does nothing.

 

[CapitalIdea]

Hey Spotify, pay the artists.

 

[jdawgnoonan]

It's got 3 things going for it, the algorithm for finding new music is legitimately better and something Apple seems incapable of replicating for some reason. I can go on Spotify and play a few songs and suddenly it's suggesting stuff I mostly like. Apple Music has known me for years and generally churns out playlists with a couple of songs I like max.

The second are it's more social, it's free so more people use it basically.

And the third, Spotify Connect. For some reason I can hand off from my Mac to my iPhone and continue playing, meanwhile king of the ecosystem Apple can't. Weird

I have heard that their recommendations are awesome, and I wish Apple was better at that. When I create a station with Apple sometimes I am shocked by how bad the suggestions are. For instance, I have been on an Electric Light Orchestra kick lately and love “Mr. Blue Sky” and “Don’t Bring Me Down”. For some really awful reason, if I create a station based off of either of those songs, it is not long at all until “Comfortably Numb” comes on. Now I love Pink Floyd, but the mood I am in when listening to either of those ELO songs is far different than the mood I have to be in for Floyd. So that feature of Spotify sounds cool. I am not too big of a fan of social media in general, so I would likely not use social type features in a Music player.

 

[diskrisk]

they'll probably cut the artist royalties for the trimmed cross mixed part...

“Technically, by mixing part of a song with another, it becomes an original work by Spotify, therefore the royalties should go to us!”

-Spotify, probably

 

[dankron]

Whats the point of this when Spotify can't even have a proper shuffle on their app... People have been complaining about the lack of proper shuffle on Spotify for more than 5 yrs and they don't do anything about it.... this new mix feature only means you will be able to hear the same songs seamlessly....

have a look at how many people complain about this:

[All Platforms] Option to have a true shuffle

So I’ve been noticing more and more recently that Spotify’s default shuffle feature doesn’t fully shuffle your songs. It does some sort of grouping to try to get similar songs together based off of what I’m sure is dozens of factors. Every time I shuffle a playlist (the one I noticed this with...

community.spotify.com

 

[svish]

Good to know about this. I don't use Spotify. However I like Crossfade feature of Apple Music and looking forward to trying out the new Automix feature soon.