Gone are the days of burning a CD, downloading music illegally and spending hours searching for that next best playlist for your class! Welcome to the world of Music Apps and with so many to choose from, which one is the best for your next class? Well read on to find out the in's and the all about's of music we like to use in our very own Barre Intensity classes!
Apple music
Apple music
- Cost $9.99/Month for Individual Plans.
- Downloadable on all devices through iTunes.
- You can add songs, delete songs and rearrange your playlists.
- Remixes available but hard to find with original artists.
- Searchable by genre, artist or album but not BPM.
- NO option for continuous play, which is crucial in a Barre Intensity class.
- Takes anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour to create a playlist.
With Apple Music now taking the place of their limited music app, iTunes, you're now able to "stream" music in the same ability as the other apps we will mention like, Spotify. Apple Music gives you the freedom to create and arrange your playlists how you choose but it can take a lot of time searching for that right mix, song or genre you want. Unfortunately, Apple Music hasn't created an option for continuous play between songs which really keeps the flow going in a Barre Intensity class. They do offer a student discount, which requires verification, and it can save you up to $5/month!
RockMyRun
RockMyRun
- FREE to $4.99/month for Individual Plans.
- Downloadable to all devices.
- You can NOT add, delete or rearrange songs on your playlists.
- Club-inspired remixes with originals artists.
- Searchable by genre, exercise type, BPM and more.
- Continuous play is automatic on all their playlists.
- Takes only a few minutes to select a playlist.
With RockMyRun all music is found in mixes, either Playlists or DJ Mixes. Then there are Rockstar mixes, which are longer than 45 minutes, and not included in the FREE option for the app. All mixes are all pre-selected with no option to create your own, add songs or delete songs. You can however "skip" a song if you do not like it. Since a Barre Intensity class is 55 minutes, and usually conducted between 128-132 BPM, you would need the paid membership option in order to select playlists that are long enough and provide you with the option to adjust your BPM per playlist. With RockMyRun there aren't any options for "cool down" songs. You'd have to switch music apps at the end of class to something such as Spotify or Apple Music, for the appropriate music for our Stretch section of class. Overall, RockMyRun is a great app for the Barre Intensity instructor if you don't feel like spending a lot of time searching or creating your own playlist!
FIT Radio
FIT Radio
- $2.99/Month or a one-time purchase for $60 for a "life-time" membership.
- Downloadable to all devices.
- You can NOT add, delete or rearrange songs on playlists.
- Club-inspired remixes with originals artists.
- Searchable by genre, exercise type, BPM and more.
- Continuous play is automatic on all their playlists.
- Takes only a few minutes to select a playlist.
FIT Radio specializes in mixes specific for the type of workout you're looking for. You won't have the ability to set custom BPMs per playlist as you can with ROCKMYRUN, but you can search for playlists by your desired BPM. You also do not have the ability to reorder or delete songs on the playlists as with Apple Music or Spotify, but you can "skip" a song if you do not like it. With FIT Radio there aren't any options for "cool down" songs. You'd have to switch music apps at the end of class to something such as Spotify or Apple Music, for the appropriate music for our Stretch section of class. FIT Radio does offer a great mix of DJ's, original artist remixes, genres and exercise types all able to stream and save you time and effort! With FIT Radio you can find a playlist in a matter of minutes! The life-time membership option of a one time purchase of $60 make this a great value considering most apps cost you a minimum of $60/year when you add up those monthly subscriptions.
Spotify
Spotify
- FREE to $9.99/Month for Individual Plans.
- Downloadable on all devices.
- You can add songs, delete songs and rearrange your playlists.
- Remixes available but hard to find with original artists.
- Music searchable by genre, artist, mood, exercise type, BPM and more!
- Continuous play is available for all of their playlists.
- Can take 20 minutes to an hour to create a playlist.
- Access to ALL of the Barre Intensity playlists specific to our classes on BarreNow.
Not only is Spotify our number one choice for music in the Barre Intensity classroom, but The Huffington Post and Business Insider also named it one of their top picks for one of the best music streaming apps in the world! You can hand pick your favorite jams, collaborate with other instructors or friends and even personalize the playback for your listening preferences.
Spotify also has a cool feature called "crossfade" which helps with those smooth transitions in a Barre Intensity class to keep your classes moving! But, how do you find it?
- Click in the top-right corner and select Settings.
- Scroll down and click SHOW ADVANCED SETTINGS.
- Under Playback, switch Crossfade songs on (green).
- Move the slider to select the desired crossfade length. We recommend 12 seconds.
This option alone can change the game in your classroom if you're not already using it!
One thing to look out for in regards to your playback in the Spotify app is the "shuffle" 0r "repeat" option. At the bottom left of the current song playing, look for those little cross arrows. If they are green, you're in shuffle mode. You can also repeat songs or an entire playlist. At the bottom right of the current song playing, look for those circling arrows. If they are green, your entire playlist will repeat, when they are green with a little number 1, just the current song playing will repeat.
Music is the backbone NOT the background in a Barre Intensity class! Now that we've given you the background on all things music, we hope you find what works best for your next class! Click below to follow us on Spotify @barreintensity and listen to our most recent playlist, Barre Intensity 8_21_18. Happy creating, listening and changing one barre class at a time!