Spotify’s new mixing tool lets users customize playlist transitions

Spotify has launched a new feature that allows Premium users to create custom transitions between playlist songs, arriving just weeks before Apple Music’s similar AutoMix feature debuts in iOS 26. The timing suggests Spotify is proactively responding to Apple’s AI-powered DJ-like transitions by offering its own take on seamless playlist mixing.

What you should know: Spotify’s transition feature is now rolling out in beta to Premium subscribers, focusing specifically on playlist customization rather than system-wide functionality.

• Users can access the feature by selecting a playlist and tapping the new “Mix” option in the toolbar.
• The tool offers both an “Auto” option for instant blending and manual controls for volume, EQ (sound equalization), and effect curves.
• Unlike Apple Music’s AutoMix which works across the entire app, Spotify’s feature is limited to individual playlists.

How it works: The feature provides detailed control over how songs flow together, with visual aids to help users find optimal transition points.

• Users can choose from presets like “Fade” or “Rise,” or make granular adjustments to audio parameters.
• The app displays visualized waveform and beat data to help identify the best spots in each track for transitions.
• Spotify describes it as giving “music lovers and playlist experts alike” the ability to “easily create unique playlists.”

The competitive angle: This launch appears to be a direct response to Apple Music’s upcoming AutoMix feature, though with a different strategic approach.

• Apple Music’s AutoMix is designed to work automatically across the entire platform.
• Spotify is emphasizing manual customization options over automated intelligence.
• The feature’s beta launch timing—just before iOS 26’s release—suggests competitive pressure from Apple’s innovation.

What they’re saying: Spotify positions the feature as empowering user creativity in its official announcement.

• “Premium users can take their creativity to the next level with the ability to add and customize transitions between tracks,” the company stated in its blog post.
• The feature allows users to “seamlessly transition between tracks, customize how they flow together, and enhance your mix.”