WE NEED TO RETHINK ONE OF OUR MOST VALUABLE ASSETS

Few things shape the atmosphere and experience of a gym quite like its soundtrack. But, asks Andy Pickles, CEO of Pure Energy Music, as the fitness market has evolved, have operators’ assumptions about what members actually want to hear kept pace?

or decades, the fitness industry has transformed almost every aspect of the member experience. We’ve embraced advances in exercise science, programming, technology, recovery and wellbeing because operators understand that competitive advantage comes from continually challenging old assumptions. Yet when it comes to music, I believe we’re still making decisions based on assumptions that no longer refl ect today’s market. Music is one of the most influential elements of the fitness experience. We know it shapes motivation, energy, perception and emotion, yet many businesses still view it primarily as a licensing requirement rather than a strategic asset. I believe that’s a missed opportunity.

I’ve spent more than forty years working in the music industry and have watched vinyl become cassette, cassette become CD, CDs become downloads, downloads become streaming and now AI begin to reshape the creative process. Every shift changed how music was created, distributed and discovered - and where value was created.

The music industry has always understood that music creates commercial value. That is why copyrightexists and why commercially released music is licensed for use in fitness clubs, hotels, restaurants and retail. That principle remains absolutely right. Artists and songwriters deserve to be rewarded.

What has changed is the world around that principle. When I started producing music, there was no shortage of great records. What was scarce was the ability to create them. Professional studios, equipment and distribution required significant investment. Today those barriers have largely disappeared. Professional production tools are available to independent creators across the world, digital distribution is open to everyone and AI is accelerating creative workflows.

More than 106,000 new tracks are uploaded every day. There are now more than 250 million tracks available on streaming services. The challenge is no longer creating music. It is discovering it.

Much of the fitness industry’s thinking about music still reflects another era. Whenever I speak with operators, I hear the same comment: “Our instructors want commercial music”.

I understand why. For years, commercial music represented the benchmark for quality, while production music often struggled creatively. That perception became deeply embedded. The industry changed. The perception didn’t.

Every commercially successful record was unknown at one point. Every anthem started life with zero streams. Commercial music isn’t better because it’s commercial. It’s commercial because enough people discovered it.

This is why I believe we need to move beyond thinking about music simply as a licensing decision. It is an investment decision. The question isn’t whether commercial music is worth paying for. The question is whether every part of your business requires the same music investment.

Commercial music will always have an important place in fitness. Equally, today’s music landscape offers operators more choice than ever before. Different environments demand different musical outcomes. That’s strategy.

Research by Dr Costas Karageorghis has consistently demonstrated the influence music has on motivation, enjoyment, perceived exertion and exercise performance. We know music changes behaviour. We know it shapes experience.

So why do so few operators have a music strategy? Every fitness business has a growth strategy, a digital strategy and a retention strategy. So why not pay music the same attention?

After all, every operator already invests in music. So, are they really extracting its full value?

The next competitive advantage may not come from another playlist or another piece of equipment. It may come from recognising music for what it really is - not simply a cost to be managed, but a strategic asset capable of shaping member experience, strengthening brand identity and creating measurable commercial value.

ANDY PICKLES Andy has spent more than four decades working across the global music industry as a producer, songwriter, DJ, record label founder and entrepreneur. His work now focuses on the intersection of music, technology and fitness, helping operators rethink the strategic role music can play in shaping member experience, strengthening brands and improving commercial outcomes.