by John | Jun 30, 2015 | Instructor Training, iTunes, iTunes & Spotify Training, Music, Spotify
iTunes 12.2 wasn't ready for the launch – so I have no idea how, or even if, it works 🙁
7/1 9:40am – could this be anymore confusing? Trying to save a streamed track to a playlist named 7/1 Test Playlist I created this morning. After exhausting all obvious methods, I tried first adding it to MY Music = success. Turns out that to add an Apple Music track to a playlist, it first needs to be downloaded to your computer like all of your local tracks…
BUT THEN I DISCOVERED THIS
You have got to be kidding me – really Apple? You won't allow me to transfer a playlist from my computer to my iPhone?
So it looks like the only offline usage of Apple Music is on a computer 🙁
I'm not wasting anymore time with this.
7/1 8:06am – seeing iTunes 12.2 is now available (link) and downloading it now. I will be posting my experiences shortly.
I'll be adding updates of my initial experiences above, as I have them… I'll save you some time by telling you that I already hate Apple Music.
Alright, I'm a little biased on the subject. I've developed a dislike for iTunes over the years and Apple Music hasn't done anything to change that opinion.
I was excited to try the new Apple Music Streaming Music service today. It went live at 11:00est and if you update your iPhone or iPad to the latest version of iOS 8.4 you'll see the new iTunes logo. Click it and (if you're lucky) the new Apple Music will open. I say lucky because it took 4 tries (opening and then closing the App) to get past the welcome screen.
I got kind of tired seeing this screen, and nothing more.
Once I had a functioning iPad App – I quickly realised that, like Spotify, building playlists will be easier from a desktop. Apple Music is part of iTunes 12.2… unfortunately at the time I posted this it wasn't available.
Err, no this isn't the most current version 🙁
Moving attempting to move a track into a playlist on my iPad requires a number of clicks; first click the track to play it > then click the “…” more icon for an option to move to a playlist. I prefaced this with attempted to move > after repeated tries I've yet to successfully see any tracks added to my test playlist. So I can't tell you how it works, because it doesn't.
No Cross Fade
This is a deal breaker for me. Apple Music doesn't appear to offer a crossfade > Just the EQ and volume limiter you had in iTunes.I love the crossfade feature in Spotify and can't even consider delivering class music without it. The one exception would be when I used one of Dennis Mellon's premixed class MP3s, which he's already fully mixed, so it's a non-issue.
I'm going to wait to see if Apple can sort out their issues, and release iTunes 12.2 so I can try the desktop version.
Stay tuned – but don't hold your breath. Spotify doesn't appear to have a competitor here for Indoor Cycling Instructors.
by John | Jun 29, 2015 | Audio PROfiles, Instructor Training, Latest News
We just completed an update of the ICI/PRO feed to make it more user friendly.
ICI/PRO members get access to a special “Super Secret iTunes Feed” that will deliver a condensed listing of all of our downloadable Audio Profile Podcasts + full class mixed .mp3 playlists to iTunes or the Podcast App on your phone.
This latest update striped out everything but the important bits = now you'll easily find the audio profiles and mixed mp3s in iTunes or your favorite RSS feed reader.
To take advantage of this update you'll want to delete your old ICI/PRO feed and then re-subscribe using the RSS link shown below if you're logged in.
[wlm_loginform]
NOTE: This is a separate Podcast feed from the free Podcast. So you'll want both 🙂
If you need some help > here's a tutorial for iTunes or you can quickly setup your iPhone /iPad using this method.
Another way to access this RSS feed is directly through your browser. I know that Firefox will display the feed if you click the RSS link above – not sure about Safari. Chrome will work after you install this free plugin.
by John | Jun 27, 2015 | Instructor Resources, Latest News, Your Fitness Business
SoulCycle is preparing to go public with an IPO later this year.
Indoor cycling fitness chain SoulCycle Holdings LLC has hired investment banks for a U.S. initial public offering expected to come later this year, according to people familiar with the matter.
SoulCycle's IPO preparations underscore the growing popularity of boutique chains that cater to specific workout methods such as spinning, yoga and barre. The chains, which often charge per class rather than a monthly membership fee, have been taking market share from traditional big-box gyms.
SoulCycle has more than 42 U.S. locations, and plans to open 50 to 60 studios worldwide by next year, according to its website.
So would you purchase shares in SoulCycle?
After watching SoulCycle for years and seeing what a money machine they've become, I'm thinking I will. In fact I'm going to compare them to Starbucks and predict that SoulCycle will make investors a lot of money for the same reason Starbucks has been such a solid investment* > both their customers admit to being addicted to their products.
WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE $16,000-A-YEAR ADDICTED TO BOUTIQUE FITNESS
A few weeks ago, while mindlessly trolling Instagram, something stopped me in my tracks: My friend from high school, Michaela Miller, who is currently working on a master's degree in public administration from NYU, had screenshot her upcoming SoulCycle schedule. “475 rides in 365,” she boasted of her “SOULiversary,” the birthday of her inaugural class. “Stepping it up with an even STRONGER starting lineup.” After gawking at the fact that she was planning a Wednesday triple–as in three, 45-minute classes in a single day–I shamelessly pulled up my calculator app. Some quick math revealed that my friend's dedication to cult-loved $34 spin sessions (before the price of shoe rentals and water) could easily run her $16,000 in a single year.
Despite all the negativeness directed at SoulCycle, they have shown the rest of the Indoor Cycling industry how to be successful. Not to mention positively changing the lives of thousands of participants…
For Miller, the benefits of being die-hard include daily clear-headedness, a built-in support system, and being held accountable. “I'm definitely less flaky as a person,” she says of committing to ten or more classes a week all over Manhattan, New Jersey, and Brooklyn. “I used to be notorious for missing trains, planes, parties, dinners, but since I started doing Soul, I'm early to things. I show up on time. It sounds silly, because we all should do that, but I was late a lot.” To minimize the financial impact (she says she's only on the hook for half of the classes she takes), Miller buys packages and nabs free rides via a group of instructors who now make up her inner circle. She even gave up a pack-a-day habit. “I would never have quit smoking if it wasn't for Soul,” she says with a laugh. “It was between SoulCycle and the cigarettes.”
NOTE: This is not intended as financial advice, only to alert you to this future opportunity.
by John | Jun 26, 2015 | Instructor Training, KEEPING IT FUN, Music
When building a playlist, I spend the most time selecting my BIG FINISH track. At times I'll use a song that's obviously the close of the class – typically one that hammers right from the start. Other times, I like to be a bit sneaky. [wlm_private ‘PRO-Platinum|PRO-Monthly|PRO-Gratis|PRO-Seasonal|Platinum-trial|Monthly-trial|PRO-Military|30-Days-of-PRO|90 Day PRO|Stages-Instructor|Schwinn-Instructor|Instructor-Bonus|28 Day Challenge']Today's free track No Way – The Naked and Famous is a great example of a song that will lull everyone into a sense of calm and then BAM!!! The music suddenly changes and there's no possibility of missing how you should respond.
Tune-mapped, No Way has two very intense segments. The first hitting at apx 1:00 for 40 seconds. The second comes at the 2:45 and runs for 1:45. I'll cue the Hit#1 as a kind of practice. Here we'll get our resistance set so a 90RPMish cadence has us above the Best Effort wattage (or HR) we established earlier in the class.
STAND & WALK is my cue to recover, without making any changes to load, during the quiet that follows. Then it's a simple standing acceleration @ Hit #2 and you can decide to keep everyone up – or – return to the saddle. Either way we maintain our cadence/wattage/HR until the end 🙂
https://soundcloud.com/joeywilburn/no-way-the-naked-and-famous-bassnectar-remix
Let me know if you use this. [/wlm_private]
by John | Jun 23, 2015 | Instructor Training, Your Fitness Business
I'm a huge fan of Amazon Prime because it makes me feel super productive and efficient. When I realise I need something, rather then adding the item to a shopping list (I'll probably forget to bring to the store), I take 30 seconds to order it on Amazon. Then I hear my dog Maxx bark when the UPS guy delivers the package two days later.
Now they're offering business owners a similar service called Amazon Business. Similar that it offers free two day shipping… different because it's free to qualified business owners!
About Amazon Business
Amazon Business is a new marketplace on Amazon .com that gives businesses of all sizes access to hundreds of millions of products in a shopping experience built for businesses. New features include FREE Two-Day Shipping on orders of $49 or more, business-pricing on select items, multi-user accounts, and approval workflows. Businesses can now shop on Amazon and use purchase orders to improve recordkeeping. Amazon Business also makes it easy for businesses to compare multiple offers on products, and is integrated and certified for punchout with leading purchasing systems.
You can apply here for your Amazon Business account. To qualify you need a Fed ID number, which you should already have as a business owner.
There's options to establish a line of credit directly with Amazon. Your Amex card doesn't offer 55 day net billing… but Amazon does 🙂 Why can they offer this “free” money? You're aware that credit card companies charge fees, right? By bypassing Amex, MC or Visa, Amazon's costs are lower = they'll pass on the savings to you! If you prefer to pay over time the revolving rate looks competitive to any other business card and Amazon doesn't charge any annual fees.
So, what can you purchase? Just about anything, except they don't appear to have actual IC repair parts. Here's a few that came to mind.
