Running to the Right Beat: Tips for Tuning Your Run

There’s nothing worse than hitting your stride — only to have your playlist fall out of sync. When you’re using a Tuned Run playlist, every song is chosen to match your pace, cadence, and distance. To make the most of that precision, a few small setting tweaks on your Apple Watch or iPhone can go a long way in keeping everything in perfect time. 🕺🏽🪩

Below, we’ll walk you through a couple of essential adjustments so your run feels seamless from start to finish.

1. Auto-Pause Music When Your Run Pauses

Why it matters:

Tuned Run playlists are built around a target average pace — the one you choose before you hit “start.” That means every song is carefully timed to keep you running in sync with that pace from the first step to the finish line.

If your Apple Watch keeps tracking when you’re not moving (like waiting at a traffic light or stopping to stretch), it will record slower segments and throw off your average pace reading. That can make it seem like you’re behind when you’re actually right on track — and it can break the connection between the music and your stride.

Enabling Auto-Pause ensures that both your workout and music stop when you do, so your pace data stays accurate and your playlist keeps perfectly aligned with your pre-set pace.

How to enable Auto-Pause:

On your Apple Watch:

1. Open Settings → Workout.

2. Find Auto-Pause (sometimes listed as “Pause running and cycling workouts automatically”) and toggle it on.

On your iPhone:

1. Open the Watch app.

2. Tap My Watch → Workout and toggle Auto-Pause on.

💡 Pro tip: When you stop, make sure to pinch your AirPods to pause the music too — that way, the beat restarts exactly when you do.

2. Turn Off Autoplay and Shuffle in Apple Music

Why it matters:

Tuned Run playlists are carefully crafted to build with your run — in order and within a set duration. Autoplay or Shuffle can throw that off by adding extra songs or mixing up the sequence, which breaks the rhythm and timing.

To disable Autoplay and Shuffle (on iPhone):

1. Open Apple Music and start playing your Tuned Run playlist.

2. Tap the mini-player at the bottom to expand it.

3. Tap the Up Next icon (three stacked lines with dots).

4. Look for the Autoplay (∞) and Shuffle (crossed arrows) icons — if they’re highlighted, tap them to turn them off.

To disable Autoplay (on Apple Watch):

1. Start your playlist directly from the Music app on your watch.

2. Tap the Now Playing screen (from the Workout app, swipe left or press the Digital Crown).

3. Tap the Up Next icon.

4. If the ∞ Autoplay or Shuffle icons are highlighted, tap them to disable — they should appear dimmed or outlined when off.

Ready, Set, Sync 🎶🏃🏽‍♂️💨

That’s it — two simple tweaks that make a huge difference. With Auto-Pause enabled and Autoplay/Shuffle turned off, your playlist will start, stop, and flow exactly how it was designed to — matching your stride from warm-up to cool-down.

Now lace up, press play, and let Tuned Run do the rest. 🪩🔥