Peloton is entering the world of music. The popular fitness startup, already known for using popular music during classes, announced today that it will be commissioning its own music, which can only be heard from within its app. For the new year, three new remixes of Elvis tracks will arrive on the Chromeo app, Big Boi and DJ Dillon Francis.
Peloton will have the exclusive rights to the songs, which will debut on the app today as part of a “definitive remix collection” that includes yoga, strength, core and outdoor running classes. As part of a new year promotion, the company is also extending its 30-day free trial to two months.
A spokesman said the idea behind starting with Elvis was to find a “new expression from the classic catalog in a contemporary way” – which for me reads how to find a way to make Elvis’s music something that you would really like to hear when knitting.
Exclusive music makes sense for Peloton. The company already has its own hardware and video content, in order to keep users trapped and keep competitors away. If people want to use a Peloton bike or take a class with a Peloton instructor, they need to stay in the company’s ecosystem – and now the same will be true for these tracks. Still, it is not clear how popular songs can become without appearing on streaming services, on the radio or in commercials.
In the long run, exclusive music also makes sense as a way for Peloton to cut its licensing costs. The company pays for music streaming, similarly to companies like Spotify, and has made deals with artists like Beyoncé to secure the rights to their music. Building a larger catalog of exclusive internal songs can be a way of containing these costs, as long as the company is able to make music that people want to hear during training.