UKActive
Discover how music can enhance workouts, boost motivation, support mental wellbeing and create engaging fitness experiences. Learn how to use music effectively in gyms, leisure centres and fitness classes, and find out which licences you may need.
The power of music
Music doesn’t just soundtrack your workout. It helps people get in the right mindset to perform, progress and feel good. Whether it’s playing in a gym, leisure centre or fitness class, music has the power to energise, motivate and enhance the overall exercise experience.
Before exercise, music can help people prepare mentally for the task ahead. Research has shown that athletes often use music to boost their mood, focus their attention and “psych up” for performance¹. It’s why so many professional sportspeople are seen listening to music before competition, helping them relax, focus and get into the zone. But you don’t have to be a professional athlete to feel the benefits of music when exercising or working out.
How to best utilise music when working out
Music and exercise: the mind-movement connection
- During exercise, whether in a class or individually on the gym floor, music can provide a powerful connection between the mind and movement.
- The rhythm and tempo of a track can help people regulate their pace, from matching the cadence of a run to staying in time during a group fitness class.
- Music creates a natural rhythm for the brain to follow, helping people stay focused, engaged and motivated throughout their workout.
How tempo affects your workout
- The tempo of songs can make a significant difference to a workout or exercise class.
- Example: in a spin class, warming up at a rate of 60 revolutions per minute (RPM) while listening to a song at 120 beats per minute (BPM), the tempo of many dance tunes. Meaning you can perform one cycle per two beats of music, providing a regulating system for our brain to hook onto.
- If we increase or decrease the RPM of our bike, or the BPM of our music, this will impact how fast (or slow) the exerciser goes.
- It is important to choose a tempo that suits the activity you are doing, and it’s best to bear this in mind when choosing the music for a workout.
- The beat someone would run to might differ in speed to a beat someone would listen to when lifting weights, so consider switching up your playlists and choose tracks you can keep on the beat with.
How music can benefit your customers
The impact is particularly powerful in shared fitness environments. Moving together to a common beat can create a sense of unity, connection and collective energy, helping participants remain attentive and encouraging them to keep going. Music can bring people together and help transform exercise from a task into an experience.
It can also make physical activity feel easier and more enjoyable. Research has found that music can reduce our perception of effort, helping us sustain focus, maintain motivation and reach a state of “flow” where movement feels more natural and immersive. That extra song on the treadmill, one more minute in a spin class or those final few reps can suddenly feel that little bit more achievable.
The impact it has on mental health
- Beyond its impact on physical performance, music can play an important role in supporting mental wellbeing.
- Familiar songs can boost mood, reduce stress and anxiety, evoke positive memories and help people feel more present in the moment.
- Before, during and after exercise, music contributes to a more positive experience that can support both physical and mental health.
- For gyms, leisure centres and fitness facilities, music isn’t simply background noise, it’s a powerful tool that helps create motivating environments, enhance wellbeing and inspire people to keep moving.
Our research found:
90%
of UK residents that we surveyed agree that music in other areas available in a gym, such as a café, changing room or reception, enhances their experience²
88%
of UK businesses that we surveyed said that music is enjoyable to staff and customers³
78%
of respondents said that music helps them to stay motivated during a workout or fitness class⁴
66%
of respondents said that they use music to support them through low moods or depression⁴
Licences you may need for your gym:
References:
1. Research on music in sport and exercise conducted by the University of Southern Queensland, Australia.
2. Survey conducted by PPL PRS via Attest with 500 UK participants in March 2025.
3. Research performed by PPL PRS in relation to TheMusicLicence, February – March 2020. Figures based on a group of 73 participants.
4. Survey performed by PPL PRS via Attest based on 500 UK Adults in October 2023.
Find out the cost of your music licence now
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