This New Spotify Feature Almost Made Me Ditch Apple Music - But Ios 26 Changed My Mind

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ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• Last month, Spotify launched Spotify Mix.
• Since trying Spotify Mix, I'm temped to move platforms.
• Apple Music is slated to get its version, AutoMix, adjacent week.

As a loyal Apple Music personification who has been curating playlists connected nan autochthonal app since my iPod Touch, nary of Spotify's flashy releases person ever been capable to person maine to make nan move -- aliases astatine slightest that was until Spotify Mix.

Also: iOS 26 conscionable solved 1 of my biggest symptom points pinch Apple Music

If you are a euphony enjoyer who, for illustration me, puts an unthinkable magnitude of thought into each playlist you curate (an art), you cognize location is thing much frustrating than erstwhile 2 songs connected nan playlist that shouldn't person played aft each different do. But also, if you are listening to euphony while working, you don't person nan bandwidth to spot songs adjacent to each other. 

Enter an AI-powered, on-demand DJ.

Apple's AutoMix

At Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) successful June, nan institution unveiled a caller AutoMix feature. This characteristic is meant to connection seamless transitions betwixt songs utilizing AI to lucifer nan tempo and hit of nan upcoming track, which is automatically selected utilizing Autoplay. This is not to beryllium confused pinch nan Crossfade feature, arsenic each that does is play 2 tracks truthful that they modulation into each other, but it doesn't relationship for nan existent songs' tempo and hit matching each other.

Also: Apple's iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 nationalist betas are here: How to entree and why you'll want to

Beta users instantly took to societal media to station results, and nan awesome transitions earned nan characteristic overnight net virality. However, nan characteristic is only disposable successful iOS 26, which is slated to beryllium released pinch nan iPhone 17 motorboat event. So, for now, users tin only entree it successful beta, knowing that it's not a afloat developed type of nan characteristic and could person immoderate bugs.

Spotify Mix

In August, Spotify launched its ain type of nan feature, Spotify Mix, successful beta. 

Like AutoMix, nan characteristic transitions betwixt tracks, accounting for elements for illustration volume, EQ, and effect curves. The characteristic is only accessible for eligible Premium users successful beta and connected playlists created by nan user.

My first clip trying nan Spotify Mix characteristic was a two-hour car ride, and contempt nan driver and maine being highly tired aft a agelong formation weekend, nan characteristic woke america correct up. While immoderate transitions were a spot anticlimactic, erstwhile executed properly, nan transitions were done truthful good that it felt for illustration an existent DJ was mixing nan songs, isolated from pinch nan guarantee that you will for illustration what songs are playing because you curated nan playlist. To quote my friend, "This is what smartphones were made for."

Also: Spotify's caller DM characteristic lets you chat pinch friends in-app now - here's how

Quick caveat: this characteristic is not to beryllium confused pinch Spotify's acold inferior AI DJ feature. This characteristic refers to a narrated acquisition that guides listeners done tracks, and honestly, I don't bask it.

Back to Spotify Mix, different nosy characteristic that AutoMix lacks is that users tin manually customize each modulation to their liking. In each my regular usage of nan feature, I person not recovered nan request to customize nan transitions, arsenic Spotify does a bully capable job, and I really person much assurance successful it matching nan tempos than I do successful myself.

Why americium I looking guardant to AutoMix?

Even though nan Spotify type is fantastic, arsenic an Apple Music personification for complete a decade, I for illustration nan UI and nan autochthonal app acquisition connected Apple devices. Beyond nan aesthetics, which I person mostly gotten complete successful nan past weeks for nan liking of really overmuch I bask this feature, is that I for illustration how, pinch Apple's version, you tin use nan AutoMix to immoderate playlist, sloppy of whether you made it aliases not.

Also: How to usage nan viral AutoMix characteristic connected iOS 26 (and which iPhone models support it)

Lastly, a abstracted entreaty to some streaming services is that location has to beryllium a measurement to make nan shifts betwixt some playlists. Having to SongShift for each individual playlist I person over, though a elemental process, gets tiresome erstwhile you person arsenic galore arsenic I do. Hoping nan characteristic that Apple Music tested erstwhile upon a clip comes backmost into development.