At Feed.fm, we power music for the world’s leading health, sports, fitness, and wellness apps. We know that developing and promoting fitness and wellness content—especially when it’s accompanied by motivating music—is a surefire way to connect with customers and build relationships that deepen with time. Named one of the Most Innovative Companies for 2024 by Fast Company, Feed.fm is well-placed to observe and identify fitness industry trends.
Of all the modern fitness trends, embracing a holistic wellness approach comes in at the top of the list. Let’s explore some of the latest trends and opportunities to tap into this growing interest in holistic health.
Modern fitness is for the whole person
The future of fitness is a multifaceted and integrated approach, taking into consideration not only exercise and fitness metrics, but all the many aspects of wellness, including sleep, stress reduction, and nutrition, as well as focus, energy, and performance outside of workouts. The members of Gen Z are more passionate about holistic fitness and wellness, including mental health, than any previous generation, and they’re leading the way for older and younger generations to follow. There is a growing recognition—within the fitness industry and in society in general—that good mental health is not just the absence of mental health disorders but is the result of ongoing attention to health and wellness practices.
Developing healthful habits such as regular sleep routines, meditation, yoga, relaxation rituals, breathwork, and gratitude journaling are some of the ways that people are managing stress and anxiety, and weaving holistic wellness into their days. Many of these activities can be enhanced and deepened by access to inspiring content and carefully curated functional music that supports the overarching goals of stress management and improved mental and physical health.
Fitness and wellness content supports healthful habits and builds loyalty
When brands offer high-quality wellness inspiration and support to their customers, the rewards are extensive, including a stronger, more lasting bond. Aaptiv, a brand that has always integrated both fitness and wellness components into its program, has enlisted Feed.fm since 2018 to curate a diverse menu of workout music stations for classes including running, yoga, strength training, meditation, and sleep.
Aaptiv’s Chief Marketing Officer, Jason Griesenauer, explains how intentionally designed fitness and wellness content creates a “virtuous cycle”:
“Evidence has shown that spending time improving the various factors of wellbeing creates a virtuous cycle. For example, the more people move, the better they feel; the better they feel, the more they move. Similarly, as people do things to improve mental well-being, it becomes easier to take care of themselves and the things in their lives that contribute to stress. With Aaptiv, our goal is to provide a comprehensive fitness and wellness solution for employers to help their associates live happier, healthier lives.”
Most recently, we were excited to launch a custom-curated station of science-backed meditation music that was commissioned specifically for this use case. Not surprisingly, Aaptiv found that this new meditation music station performed better compared to others that were not as well-matched to the vibe and style they were going for. Jason Griesenauer explains:
“At Aaptiv, we strive to create the perfect atmosphere for our members taking our on-demand classes. That's why we've partnered with Feed.fm to include a scientifically curated meditation station that seamlessly enhances the experience. This thoughtfully crafted station perfectly complements our best-in-class coaching, allowing our members to fully engage in their mindfulness sessions.”
Why music is an important part of fitness and wellness experiences
Music’s importance to a wellness program is due in large part to the observable and predictable effects of music on the brain. Music has the ability to enhance both mood and motivation; when intentionally curated functional music is paired with a fitness or wellness activity, the potential impact is magnified significantly.
It’s been proven that sports, health, fitness, and wellness brands can benefit from what we call “music-led growth,” a music strategy that results in increased product engagement and customer retention. The challenge is getting the right music to the right person at the right time, and doing so quickly, affordably, and legally. This is where Feed.fm and our new specialty music catalog, Feed Originals, can help.
Feed.fm & Feed Originals make music and audio easy for wellness content creators
Feed.fm is a unified music system that transforms the tricky task of music licensing into a walk in the park. Feed.fm manages every step of the process so your company can focus on its core mission. Feed Originals is our wholly-owned music catalog that allows us to offer custom-created functional music for maximum efficacy and ultimate flexibility in licensing.
As the world’s foremost B2B fitness music partner, Feed.fm is uniquely qualified to understand what type of music is most effective when paired with fitness and wellness. No other company has the data and market knowledge to expertly curate and commission functional music. We also took the time to educate ourselves with guidance from Dr. Daniel Bowling, a neuroscientist at Stanford University School of Medicine, so that we could build a music catalog aligned with the principles of auditory neuroscience and biomusicology. When it comes to creating holistic wellness content, it pays to understand how the brain responds to the effects of melody, rhythm, and tone, and how music can affect mood and motivation in ways that drive the desired health outcomes.
We are thrilled to evolve alongside our fitness customers and to finally be able to offer this highly specialized and optimized music catalog to any innovative fitness and wellness brand looking to create more impactful experiences.
Modern fitness companies and wellness brands need music
Fitness and wellness content can powerfully uplift both your customers’ health and happiness and your company’s success. The right music is the key to giving your content its maximum reach and effect. Talk with a music expert at Feed.fm about how to bring all the benefits of functional music to your brand.
2 min