Learn how to turn on and use AutoMix in Apple Music to seamlessly blend songs and create smooth, DJ-style transitions between tracks.
AutoMix is one of two Song Transitions features in the Music app; the other is Crossfade.
But unlike Crossfade, AutoMix requires an Apple Music subscription. And it doesn’t work when AirPlaying music or when playing albums in order or certain genres.
Turn on and use AutoMix on Apple Music
1) Open the Music app on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac and play a song from your library or playlist.
2) On the iPhone or iPad, pull up the Now Playing screen and tap the Up Next icon. On the Mac, simply click the Up Next icon at the bottom of the Music app.
3) Hit the AutoMix icon (it resembles two overlapping turntables) to turn it on. While you’re here, make sure you have at least one track queued to play next. You can also tap the AutoPlay infinity icon (∞) to have Apple Music automatically play similar songs.
4) Wait until the currently playing song is about to end (or manually drag the progress bar to the right), and AutoMix should seamlessly mix it with the next track in your queue, creating a perfect DJ-like transition. While this is happening, you’ll see a “Mixing” message below the scrubber. At the same time, cover art for both tracks will fade into one another, creating a visually pleasing experience.
The AutoMix feature works the same way on the Mac. As evidenced by the screenshot below, you’ll see a tiny AutoMix icon at the bottom of the Now Playing floating bar when AutoMix is performing a transition.
Manage AutoMix in settings
Aside from the in-app control, you can also toggle AutoMix in the Settings app.
iOS: Go to Settings > Apps > Music > Song Transitions, turn on Song Transitions and select AutoMix.
macOS: Open the Music app, click Music > Settings from the top menu bar and select the Playback tab. Now tick the Song Transitions box and set Transition Style to AutoMix.
The difference between AutoMix and Crossfade
The crossfade feature ensures there’s no gap between two songs. You can set the crossfade duration in the Music app between 1 and 12 seconds. However, certain tracks that start or end with a long silence won’t work well with the crossfade function. In contrast, AutoMix leverages AI and machine learning to blend the end of one song seamlessly into the start of the next track for a smooth DJ-like transition.
According to Apple, AutoMix “crafts unique transitions between songs with time stretching and beat matching to deliver continuous playback and an even more seamless listening experience.” Importantly, AutoMix requires an Apple Music subscription. On the other hand, the crossfade function also works with your personal music collection that you have synced from a computer to your iPhone.