Running without some motivational music playing in your ears is practically blasphemous, something that the people at Nike clearly understand. That’s why the company has joined forces with the king of music streaming, Spotify, to grant users of the popular Nike+ app access to the more than thirty million songs on Spotify. This partnership will give users access to playlists that have been put together specifically to motivate runners.
When it comes to running, music is motivation – just ask the earbud-wearing athletes pounding sidewalks, tracks, treadmills and tree-lined trails. Likewise, an ever-growing body of research has confirmed music’s performance-enhancing effects: it can reduce a runner’s perception of exertion and fatigue as well as increase happiness and excitement. Nike+ Running’s newest app update, developed in partnership with Spotify, integrates these findings and builds upon the success of the Nike+ Run Club playlists already on Spotify by enhancing runners’ overall in-run music experience. Notably, the update introduces Nike exclusive Pace Stations, which invite users to input their pace goal and musical preference. This data then informs a target BPM (beats per minute), which in turn creates a personalized 100-song playlist designed to push the runner’s pace. The first-of-its-kind instructive experience then guides runners to their goals when they step in-beat to the prescribed songs.
