Spotify just launched a new feature designed to turn you into a DJ.
That allows users to adjust the transitions between tracks in a playlist, to craft it to perfection.
As a kid, I always dreamed of being a DJ. It didn't work, of course – I lacked the required skills and cool factor, and redressed my creativity from the language of music to the language of reviewing technology.
Fortunately, it doesn't matter, as Spotify is rolling out a new feature which is going to make even the most tone-deaf, beat-evasive folk a top DJ. The function works within your own playlists, and allows you to modify the crossover between tracks.
The feature – which is available in beta as soon as you're reading this – can be used in two different modes. Auto does the hard work for you, with the system suggesting and implementing the best method it sees for getting from one track to another.
If you're feeling even more exotic, though, you can make manual adjustments to take you from one track to the next. The app will give you control over the volume and EQ, as well as offering a range of effects to help smooth out the transitions.
To help make the process smoother, Spotify is introducing more information about the tracks, too. That includes a beats per minute indicator, which will allow you to match tracks with similar bpm's for an easier mixing experience.
While it might be a little more dumbed down than grabbing some decks and doing it for real, the promise here is undeniable. Perfecting the playlist – whether it's for a summer barbecue, a long road trip or for smashing PBs at the gym – is a crucial part of modern life.
These days, people take pride in their playlists in the same way your Granny took pride in her display cabinet full of unused plates. And where she may have spent Sunday morning polishing each piece of Royal Dalton, the modern music lover will almost certainly spend their time crafting the perfect cadence in their playlist, offset with the perfect transitions.
I like this feature a lot, and I can't wait to give it a go.
