You’re probably wondering about the Spotify Automix feature. We’re going to define what it is, compare it with Crossfade and Gapless Playback, and decide whether you need it or not.
What is the Spotify Automix?
Automix is a feature that allows smooth transitions between songs in a playlist. It does so by crossfading songs, skipping intros and outros, and even looping some end sections of a song.
To put it simply, turning on the Automix feature lets Spotify be the DJ to your party via artificial intelligence. The Automix feature even adds transition effects on some playlists.
However, not every playlist supports Automix. Only some exclusive Spotify playlists blend and auto-mix content so make sure the playlist you’re playing supports Automix.
How does Spotify Automix work?
Spotify Automix works thanks to an algorithm that can recognize the perfect moment to transition to another song in a playlist (it only works on select playlists made by Spotify).
Using artificial intelligence and/or algorithms with millions of calculations, the Automix feature will order a playlist in the best way possible based on tempo and harmonic matching.
The Automix feature allows Spotify to act sort of like a DJ in certain playlists and causes tracks to flow smoothly into one another with a seamless transition.
In fact, you can be an impromptu DJ at a party simply by turning on the Automix feature.
By using the Automix feature, you’re saving a huge amount of time and ensuring your DJ mixes will never sound mismatched again. It aims to deliver audio perfection to your audience.
However, the Automix feature is different from Autoplay, which is a feature that allows the Spotify app to continue playing similar tracks once your music ends.
Does Spotify Automix work on all playlists?
Spotify’s Automix doesn’t work on all playlists. Only some exclusive Spotify playlists blend and auto-mix content so make sure the playlist you’re playing supports Automix.
Spotify Automix vs. Crossfade
Spotify Automix will start the next song based on when the algorithm thinks is the best to transition, often skipping intros and outros, as well as looping some end sections of a song.
Crossfade, on the other hand, always fades in at the end of a song. It’s designed to remove the silence between tracks by overlapping 2 tracks, fading out of the first while fading in the next.
In other words, the Automix feature is like letting Spotify be the DJ, while Crossfade is a technique, often used by DJs, that creates a smooth transition from one sound to another.
Spotify Automix vs. Gapless Playback
Spotify Automix will start the next song based on when the algorithm thinks is the best to transition, often skipping intros and outros, as well as looping some end sections of a song.
Gapless Playback, on the other hand, is a feature that allows music to be played back continuously with the perfect transition as the artist intended on a live studio album.
Spotify’s Gapless Playback is different from Automix because it is the uninterrupted playback of consecutive audio tracks, which would sound best when listening to a live album.
Should you turn Spotify Automix on or off?
You should always turn on Automix when using Spotify. If you’re listening to a user-created playlist or your own liked songs, the feature won’t work so there’s no harm in turning it on.
However, if you’re listening to select playlists made by Spotify, the Automix feature will create a smooth continuous flow of music, almost as if Spotify is a top-notch DJ.
The only time you should turn off Automix is when you want to shuffle songs. Automix tends to mess with the Shuffle feature on Spotify because it plays songs that are similar to each other.
So, if you like to shuffle tracks and get random songs on a playlist, turn off Automix.
Personally, I think the Automix feature is perfect for chill-out playlists. The music blends so well together that I often don’t realize I’m several songs in a playlist already.
Kudos to the Spotify team for developing an algorithm that can recognize when would be the perfect moment to transfer to another song in a playlist.
The only downside is that the Automix feature only works for playlists made by Spotify. I hope they introduce this feature to user-created playlists as well as our own liked songs.
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