Sega’s latest racing game, Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds, is out next week on September 25, and the company partnered with Spotify to curate a Sonic Racing-inspired playlist dubbed the Sonic Racing Mixtape.
The new playlist is available as of today on Spotify and features a mixture of 40 tracks ranging from actual Sonic games to other fast-paced music from popular artists that capture the same sense of intensity and speed as Sonic himself. This release even includes exclusive cover art by official IDW Sonic artist, Natalie Haines.
Music has always played a central role in the Sonic series. From Green Hill Zone’s instantly recognizable theme in the Sega Genesis original to modern remixes, soundtracks have helped define the franchise’s identity for more than three decades. Sega is highlighting that history with this curated playlist while also tying it directly into new gameplay features as well.
In the upcoming game, Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds, players can use the Jukebox feature to craft custom playlists drawn from more than 200 tracks in Sonic’s history. That mechanic makes the Spotify collaboration a natural fit, letting players take their personalized soundtracks beyond the game itself.
The playlist launch is one piece of Sega’s broader Racing Around the World campaign, a fan-focused program filled with racing-themed events, promotions, and media drops leading into the release of CrossWorlds. The campaign is designed to rally fans globally while spotlighting different aspects of the franchise’s legacy.
Sega’s partnership with Spotify highlights how publishers are increasingly leveraging cross-media collaborations to amplify brand reach and build awareness ahead of major launches. Sonic has a major presence across not only gaming, but music, blockbuster films, comics, toys, and much more. According to Inc., the Sonic brand generates over $1 billion in revenue per year from licensing alone and is one of the most popular and profitable game characters of all time.
Playlists have become a low-cost, high-engagement marketing tool, and pairing them with game-specific features like CrossWorlds’ Jukebox creates a loop between the product and external platforms. For Spotify, aligning with a global franchise like Sonic strengthens its positioning as not just a music platform, but a partner in gaming culture as well.