Spotify seem to be road-testing a new ‘auto-mixing’ feature on certain playlists, the software acts similar to the current crossfade option but on top of just crossfading the levels of both tracks, will also beat match the audio, removing any weird and out of time mash ups that might interrupt the flow of a playlist.
Music Ally posted a clip to Twitter of Spotify’s Drum & Bass Fix playlist (see below) which is one, or perhaps the only, playlist with the feature. We tested it out on the same playlist and it works perfectly, creating a seamless transition from one track to the next.
DJ software developers Pacemaker – who have worked with Spotify since 2014 – could be responsible for the update as they are currently refining an already-working AI DJ program. Though no official information has been released so this is currently just hearsay.
The team at Pacemaker recently put their software up against American EDM artist Steve Aoki in a DJ battle, and while the AI program came in behind Aoki, it was apparently very close.
If Spotify successfully brought the software to every playlist, it could cause concern for DJ mixes and radio shows, where the advantage of seamless transitions is a big selling point.
Spotify is testing a feature that auto-mixes playlist tracks together, even if you’re listening on shuffle. Listen and watch below: note the bar at the bottom during the transition... Full story: https://t.co/woZ6MkE94i - this ISN’T the existing ‘crossfade’ mode pic.twitter.com/v67S1XFiTR
— Music Ally (@MusicAlly) 8 March 2018