“I I want you to feel like I’m the only girl in the world. ” The voice is similar to Rihanna’s, but thinner and less emotional, and the original song’s groovy bassline is replaced with a generic backbeat.
This is a cover song created using the Power Music app. Some gym goers may never hear the real Rihanna or any other famous artist ever again. That’s because GLL, the social enterprise that owns and operates Better and its 250 leisure centers across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, has decided to revoke its music license and instead play royalty-free songs from its Power Music app from 1 March.
GLL said the decision came after music licensing costs were set to “increase significantly, well above the rate of inflation.” Abolishing the license is expected to save the group £1m a year.
But instructors and gym members alike are upset about the change, saying it’s taking away their energy from training. It could also be part of a broader shift in the public sphere, particularly as AI becomes more pervasive, where cheaply produced music could start to drive popular artists out of gyms, shops, pubs, and more.
For Rachel, who teaches classes in body conditioning, power pump and aquabics at Better Centers (names changed) across London, the switch meant coming up with new choreography and new playlists on the fly. “We had to build everything from scratch,” she says. This change is scheduled to begin January 1st and was communicated to instructors on December 11th. But after some backlash, it was postponed until March 1 to give instructors time to adjust.
Rachel said Power Music has a “very limited” selection of songs, which limits creativity and has a negative impact on classes, causing attendance numbers to “significantly drop.” Classes may be cut if attendance is too low.
“I’ve spent my life finding music that inspires me and creating good choreography. Now, thanks to power music, I have flat music and flat classes,” she says. “I chose this profession because I like creating atmosphere and moving people. I’ve been dancing since I was five years old. I feel sad when classes end.”
In response to such criticism, Power Music, which produces new songs and cover versions, said, “Everyone has the right to be heard,” and that there are many instructors who “love our music and our diversity.” The company also said its music is not generated by AI.
Jackie Lewis, 51, who has been attending Betters Clissold Leisure Center in Stoke Newington, north London, for the past 10 years, said the changes had made classes less fun. Previously, her Ukrainian Zumba instructor supplemented the Latin dancing in her classes with flamenco, ballroom, Irish dancing, pop, and even Ukrainian polka.
“The instructors are still professional, enthusiastic and inspiring, but they can’t do as much as they used to,” she says. “Having us all dance to Ukrainian folk songs meant a lot to her, and it meant a lot to us.”
Gabby, 34, who didn’t want to give her last name, feels the same way. Since March, the British dance, garage, old-school rave and drum and bass music her instructors have “stunningly choreographed” has been replaced with “junky” American hits, such as Rihanna covers, that don’t reflect the community that uses the gym. Instructor Gabby says she would rather “play the music that she grew up listening to and is still passionate about. It’s an oversight to try to force her to play music that doesn’t represent people.”
“That’s rude [of GLL] “They don’t seem to realize how much effort it takes to plan a class, and they’re not paying instructors more for it,” she added.
Several petitions have been registered on Change.org protesting the move to Power Music, the largest of which currently has over 4,500 signatures. And a website called Better Scrap the App has been set up to “coordinate next steps to persuade GLL to rescind this policy.”
When I criticized GLL, a spokesperson said: “Music plays an important role in creating an engaging and enjoyable classroom environment, but these increased costs will inevitably impact on the resources available for wider community programs. Therefore, we must carefully balance how we allocate funding to continue to deliver maximum social value.”
GLL says it is expanding the range of music genres available, adding Afrobeats, Bhangra, and soon soca tracks. “We will continue to listen to feedback and explore ways to further enhance our music offering over the coming months.” It also says it is following in the footsteps of other gym chains.
When a cover version of power music is performed at a gym, the songwriter receives songwriting and composition royalties, but the performer of the original song receives no performance fee. A spokesperson for PPL UK, which along with PRS for Music issues licenses and collects royalties from UK performers and rights holders, said: “Ultimately, moving away from licensed music means less money in the pockets of music creators. When companies move away from licensing music, creators are no longer paid for their use.”
PPL UK this month reported a 5.6% year-on-year increase in revenue from fitness and dance class licenses as “an increasing number of employers are recognizing the value of licensing music – songs from real artists”. The company added that fitness and dance prices have not increased above inflation since 2018.
“This is much deeper than just dancing to music in the gym,” says Lewis, a regular at Clissold Leisure Center who has actively opposed the changes. “I don’t go to clubs anymore. This is the closest I can get to that amazing feeling of a room full of people bouncing up and down and being united by the same thing. That’s important, but power music is so characterless and flat that you don’t get that – the real joy of music.”
For now, Lewis and Gabby are keeping their gym memberships, but Gabby said she would consider quitting if her favorite instructor leaves. Meanwhile, Rachel is looking for a replacement job. “I have such hope. [GLL] “I’ve been teaching for over 20 years, and I can’t imagine doing anything else. But without musical freedom, I don’t know how long I can continue like this.”
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