Spotify and Strava team up to let people listen while they track their runs

Jake Wightman wins the IAAF Golden Spike 2020 in Ostrava (AFP)

Spotify and Strava are now integrated, allowing people to listen and track their runs at the same time.

The new update to Strava allows people to control their listening from within the activity tracking app, when they are running and cycling. Users can not only play or skip, but choose new songs to listen to, including playlists that have been specially selected for working out.

The feature is intended to allow people to only use one app, and not have to switch between the two different services while getting ready for a run.

The new tool should pop up to users when they start a new workout. It will offer to connect the two apps together, and then the music controls should appear.

The two will then sit alongside each other, meaning that the run tracking and song listening can both be seendn controlled at the same time.

Many runners, cyclists and other active people use other devices such as Garmin or Apple Watches to synchronise runs with Strava, removing the need for tracking them within the app.

At times, it has seemed as if Strava is moving away from supporting that app as a place to track runs, as when it removed the integration that allowed it to link with external heart rate monitors. But user outcry led the company to add that back into the app.

Strava said that it had launched the new integration in recognition of the importance of music in working out, and as part of a mission to allow it to connect to a range of different fitness platforms and accessories.

“Over time, the consumption of music has evolved dramatically from CDs to streaming, which has opened the door for audio to inspire us in ways it couldn’t before,” said Mateo Ortega, Strava’s vice president of connected partnerships, in a statement. “We’re excited to partner with a global leader like Spotify to seamlessly integrate music and movement on the platform.

“This new feature further solidifies Strava’s position at the center of connected fitness and continues to demonstrate the power of the global community of active people on Strava.”