Music and Exercise Apps

As we draw near the conclusion of our inaugural Music and Exercise series, I would like to share some additional resources that you can use to improve your exercise experience through music. This week I focused my research on finding exercise music apps. My list isn’t exhaustive or meant to endorse any particular app, but it does showcase features that many exercise music apps share. Read on to learn about some of the most popular apps and see if any of them are right for you.

The iTunes Store has a number of music and exercise apps available for download or purchase.

Cruise Control

Cruise Control is an app that automatically selects music based on your exercise goals. It reviews your music library to determine each song’s energy level and tempo, and it creates a collection of music it deems appropriate for exercise.[i] Each time you work out, you can select a goal (in pace, heart rate, or cadence), and the app will play music with the appropriate BPM.[ii] In addition, the app can alter the BPM of your music without changing its timbre and pitch.[iii] Cruise Control costs $4.99 on iTunes and is compatible with any iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch with iOS 5.1 or later.

FIT Radio Workout Music

FIT Radio Workout Music allows you to stream workout music specially chosen by a number of DJs. You can use it to listen to music from many genres, including hip hop, rock, top 40, and electronic dance music.[iv] Its streaming channels play songs with a consistent beat, and there aren’t any gaps or ads between songs.[v] FIT Radio Workout Music is free for people with Android 2.3 and up, as well as individuals with iOS 6.0 or later on an Apple device. You can download FIT Radio on Google Play and iTunes, and you can also buy a premium version with additional features for $2.99/month.

Pace DJ

Pace DJ helps you choose exercise music at the same tempo as your stride. Once you tell the app your pace, it finds workout music with matching BPM from either your personal library or the online Pace DJ library of songs and playlists.[vi] Pace DJ also has a feature that will let you modify the BPM of your music to achieve any exercise goals.[vii] You can buy Pace DJ for $2.99 on iTunes if you have an Apple device with iOS 5.1 or later. If you have a device with Android 2.2 and up, you can purchase Pace DJ for $0.99 on Google Play.

Tempo Magic Pro

Like Cruise Control and Pace DJ, Tempo Magic Pro allows you to change the BPM of the music in your personal library without affecting pitch.[viii] It also lets you create seamless albums and playlists without gaps in the music.[ix] Since it doesn’t choose music for you, you might consider using Tempo Magic Pro if you have some knowledge about selecting appropriate exercise music and want the freedom to curate your own playlists. Tempo Magic Pro costs $4.99 on iTunes and works on Apple devices with iOS 5.0 or later.

Let us know if you use any of the apps listed above. We’d love to hear some firsthand feedback about how they work, and we’d also love to hear if you have another favorite app you’d like to share with our readers!