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The Ultimate Workout Music for Fitness:
Easily Create the Best Playlist for Spinning, Pilates, Yoga, Zumba, HIIT and more
On the hunt for the ultimate workout music? Look no further. If you’re planning a fitness class, music is essential: in fact, A recent study found that music can reduce the perception of how much effort you’re putting into your exercise by around 10%. This means the right music can help people get more exercise without even realising!
But how can you get exercise music right? Easy: the key to keeping everyone moving and engaged is to match the music’s beats per minute (BPM) to the desired heart rate for your chosen type of workout.
A well-respected study found that music can act as a metronome to keep participants moving synchronised with the beat. Choosing the right tempo therefore means you’ll create more engaging fitness classes, and you’ll encourage participants to push themselves further and beat their personal best, whether that’s reps with the weights or trying a more difficult motion in Pilates.
Music therapist Marianne Rizkallah helps us advise you on the best music for your class, whether it’s Zumba, spin or anything in between!
In this article:
The best spin class playlist - Varied BPMs
When picking the best songs for your spin class, you need to have a music tempo that will push participants to keep up – and enjoy the cardio experience! So, what does this mean for song choices for spinning music?
Understanding BPM vs RPM for spinning music
Unlike other workout activities, spin instructors have to consider revolutions per minute (RPM). RPM is the speed at which you pedal.
In a spin class, you need to match your RPM to the BPM. A study found that indoor cycling is better with music that people can synchronise with. This means you need a playlist of songs with around 120 to 150 beats per minute. This will help keep heart rates up and participants pedalling to the beat.
Spin classes are best with a little variety. So, choose a slightly slower BPM track to combine with higher resistance – then change it up to a pacey tune when you switch to low-resistance, faster pedalling. Look out for songs with an obvious drumbeat to follow. If the track would get you dancing at a party, chances are it’ll be great motivation for indoor cycling!
The best music for yoga class - BPMs for hatha, yin & vinyasa
Music and yoga can harmonise to create the right mood for meditation. As an instructor, you can use tracks with different BPMs to guide your fitness class through their meditation and yoga poses. For example, using a track with a slower BPM can help participants prepare to find their shanti.
A study showed that the average heart rate when doing yoga is 93 BPM, so using music to mirror will help you maintain it during your workout class.
We’d recommend adding songs between 60 and 100 BPM into a playlist. Marianne Rizkallah suggests halving and doubling the BPM of the music you use to help aid your workout, and frontload the track list with lower BPM songs, building up to 100 and then winding down again to follow the flow of your class, using the music to guide your movements from start to finish.
Optimal BPMs for different yoga practices
Different yoga practices move at different paces, so different BPMs are best to guide your workout.
Vinyasa is a practice linked with breath control, so let your students’ breathing guide how fast or slow their flow is. With vinyasa yoga, there’s no rest between movements – they flow into each other – so use music to help guide the length of your students’ breaths.
Vinyasa is sometimes called power yoga, as it tends to be a faster workout, with some instructors using music with a BPM of 175 to guide their classes.
Hatha yoga is the opposite, focusing on mastering one movement at a time. You’ll want to play your class music with lower BPMs as it’s a slower yoga practice that needs time to hold a pose and rest afterwards. A slower BPM can help participants keep a pose for more beats than if they were to work out to faster-paced music.
Yin yoga is similar to hatha, focusing on holding poses. However, it is a more passive practice, where poses are held for up to five minutes. Therefore, you will want slower BPM songs with a longer runtime to help your class move through their workout. This more meditative practice focuses on deep relaxation in the moment, which can help reduce any stress your class members are feeling.
The best high intensity training music - BPMs for HIIT & CrossFit
High-intensity interval training (HIIT) can seem daunting for rookie gym goers, as it’s a high-energy class with intense bursts of exercise and short rest periods for recovery. The practice aims to elevate heart rates, to intensify the workout. Fast-paced music with a BPM between 140 and 180+ will encourage participants to keep up.
CrossFit is a hybrid training method that combines HIIT and strength building. As an instructor, you’ll want to maintain a quick pace for the HIIT elements, looking for 140 to 180 BPM tracks.
How to match music BPM with your MHR
Experts at CrossFit Journal explain that during HIIT or CrossFit workout sessions, the target heart rate should be between 80-95% of your maximum heart rate (MHR) in your intense intervals, and 40-50% in recovery periods.
To enter your ‘fat-burning zone’, your target heart rate should be between 60-70% of your MHR.
Finding their maximum heart rate (MHR) may benefit new class members, so explain how they can calculate this to find the right energy level in a high-intensity training class and prevent overexertion.
The most common formula to find your MHR is as follows (the Fox Formula):
220 – age = your maximum heart rate
Match the target heart rate for your workout (e.g. 90% for intense intervals during HIIT) with your maximum heart rate to find the best BPM for the exercise.
The best music for aerobics – BPMs for all ages
Crafting the perfect aerobics class can be challenging, as you’re incorporating exercises for those of all ages. Picking the perfect practice for your aerobics class can vary depending on the session type and your style as an instructor.
Whether conducting a water aerobics class or getting participants moving on dry land, instructors should aim to make a playlist that is between 120 BPM and 140 BPM, as one study showed the benefits of music in this range in boosting performance in step aerobics particularly.
But, like with HIIT, if your class has an older demographic, you should use a MHR formula to tailor your tracks to ensure your class gets the most out of the aerobics class without worrying about going too fast or slow.
The best music for Pilates class - BPMs for focus
Pilates can range from a relaxing and meditative practice to vigorous exercise, depending on the class.
For all Pilates practices, maintaining balance and holding poses during motions is key. Music can help synchronise your class members’ moves and help them hold counts, elevating the experience for your class. You’ll want to pick music between 60 and 90 BPM, according to Marianne Rizkallah.
When dealing with a more energetic class of Pilates fans, you may opt for a faster-paced session or play songs with a bit more energy, requiring a faster BPM.
How to select music for a calm and focused Pilates class
We’ve analysed thousands of playlists made for Pilates to find out what makes an instructor—and their participants—tick when it comes to music. Here are the common ingredients:
Pop music (48%) is the most popular genre for Pilates playlists, but mellow, indie, or RnB songs currently account for almost a quarter (23%) of all songs chosen. If you’re aiming for a calm and relaxing class, we’d suggest picking tracks with a more mellow and tranquil vibe. For an upbeat class, crank up the pop.
When looking into the BPM of the most popular songs, Pilates lovers are choosing 70 to 180 BPM. So, for a more meditative but impactful session, select a mix of tunes in the lower BPM range, to help motivate your class to hold poses for longer.
To help time your session, you’ll want to use a mix of short and average-length songs to help denote when to change your moves or to help differentiate which body part you exercise. For example, you can combine a mellow song for abs, followed by a one-minute instrumental for your recovery, before picking up the pace with an RnB pop song for stretches that work your arms and legs.
The best music for Zumba dance
Zumba has a reputation as one of the more entertaining workout classes out there. Merging dance and fitness; music choice is at the core of a good Zumba session. As an instructor, there may be a genre you specialise in during classes, but Marianne Rizkallah suggests a good base BPM for a Zumba class is 130-170. This keeps the energy high and your class moving.
Don’t forget to line up some slower songs for your cool-down, though!
Music for Zumba rhythm: salsa
If salsa is your go-to style for a Zumba class, Marianne Rizkallah suggests opting for tracks with a BPM between 160 and 220 for a fun and high-energy salsa workout experience because the tempo of this style of music tends to sit in this range.
Music for Zumba rhythm: reggaeton
Reggaeton has rocketed in popularity as a Latin American music genre, with 5,500 monthly online searches* from UK music lovers. If you plan on using it for your Zumba class, you’ll want to add songs from the genre with a BPM between 90 and 100. It is not fast or slow, so it is perfect for a starter class.
Music for Zumba rhythm: merengue
Merengue offers a good mid-level speed Zumba class. You’re looking at using music with a BPM of 120 to 170 as this is the average BPM for music in this genre, faster than reggaeton but slower than salsa. Perfect for those looking for a challenge
Keeping a steady beat for fitness classes: always better with a music licence.
Planning for an impactful class can be challenging but rewarding, but did you know you need TheMusicLicence to play music in your exercise class?
If you’re renting space, check with the gym, studio or leisure centre owner to ensure they have a licence , which will keep you moving and shaking, regardless of your go-to fitness class.
Just like a great workout session, putting in the effort for a music licence is worth it. A recent study found that athletes reported ‘positive affective states (e.g. happiness, alertness, confidence, relaxation) in relation to music in sports’ – essentially, music can help you power up your workout!
If you don’t choose the right music for your class, participants can find it demotivating. In fact, in 2024, certain gym-goers made headlines when they found fitness classes to be less enjoyable because they did not recognise the music.
For more information on how to get a music licence now, call 0800 015 6455 or get TheMusicLicence online.
All Beats Per Minute recommendations have been confirmed by music therapist Marianne Rizkallah.
*ahrefs estimation of the average monthly number of searches for a keyword over the last 12 months (February 2024-January 2025).
Author
Marianne Rizkallah
Marianne Rizkallah is PPL PRS’ Music Therapist Expert.. She offers expertise on how music therapy affects the brain (specifically how listening to music affects mental wellbeing, both at home and work - from improving mood and motivation, to building relationships).
Marianne praises music for avoiding or alleviating symptoms of more serious mental health conditions like stress and anxiety. She is the Director of North London Music Therapy and Music Therapy Outreach and Enterprise Tutor for the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. An experienced music therapist, Marianne has worked with people of all ages, with clinical groups supporting psychosis, dementia, autism and more, and for the NHS, the education sector, the third sector and in private practice.
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