This morning at about 5:30, as is my normal routine, I check to see that my playlist is ready for my 6:00 AM class. The frustrating notice above appeared when I clicked one of the local tracks in my playlist.
I've seen this before
Amy has been having this same problem with her iPhone 6. Best we can tell, this started after she updated to the latest version iOS 8.1.2. Playlists that have worked perfectly in the past now have local tracks that won't play.
But not all local tracks are MIA – which is very confusing to me. For some I figured out that Spotify was substituting one of their tracks. Others work just fine. When I checked the folder location on my computer and compared working tracks vs. nonworking tracks – I can't find any difference. Unfortunately many of the remixes Amy and I like to use aren't available to use with Spotify = we're SOL.
So far I don't have a solution
We tried everything we could think of on Amy's iPhone; rebooted the phone, checked for a Spotify update, copied all the tracks into another playlist, toggled the Available Offline off and on multiple times… nothing has worked.
The folks at Cycling Fusion are offering their complete Global Ride series of Indoor Cycling videos at a 20% discount between now and the end of the year. Enter discount code VeryVIPDVDs at checkout. This might be a great time to stock up so you're ready with new virtual rides for the craziness that's coming in January 🙂
Here's a sample from from their latest Hawaii series – you'll find all the others here.
Quick question: what do you feel is missing with (or should be added to) Spotify or Deezer, that would make it the complete music delivery package we need as Instructors?
From where I'm sitting, having the option to include non-Spotify/Deezer tracks in playlists I share – and then have those tracks play for whoever I shared with.
I'm not sure yet, just getting a feel for it – but bop.fm maybe a service we can use in the future. bop.fm connects to many of the popular music sites and their iPhone App allows you to assemble a playlist from multiple sources like; Spotify, Deezer, SoundCloud, YouTube, etc.. and then you can share the playlist with anyone. As long as you have a premium subscription, the bop.fm playlist will stream & play the songlist accuratly.
The trouble with local files > you can't share them
When I create a playlist with the purpose of sharing it, I'm either super careful not to include any of my local files – or – I make sure to include a download link for any tracks that aren't in Spotify/Deezer. But this is still really limiting because there are lots of awesome remixes and mashups that can really complete a playlist.
The trouble with SoundCloud > no option to download many of their tracks
You might search SoundCloud for a specific root track and find dozens of great quality remixes. Which is great except most don't offer any download option = you can only stream them. So you could build and stream a SoundCloud playlist as your class music, but there's no option to include any tracks from anywhere else.
So bop.fm maybe a solution?
Yes bop.fm will aggragate tracks from multiple sources. Which solves the initial problem of sharing a playlist with you. Unfortunately there isn't an “offline” option to download all of the tracks to your device – placing your and your class at the mercy of your Internet service. If you've got a great wireless signal you might give bop.fm a try. I don't, so I say bop.fm might be an option for us in the future if/when they include an offline mode in the future. Spotify's early iPhone App didn't at first, it was added later.
So I've got to record a video of myself teaching the new Evolution class format at Life Time Fitness. This isn't appreciatively different from how I teach my normal class. LTF is looking to bring some consistency to each class, which makes sense for a large club.
My recommendation for private studios is that they offer a variety of styles/formats as long as you; match the correct format to time slot + clearly label the class for what it is and provide a short description.
The work portion of an Evolution class are a series of “challenges” that are between 5 to 12 minutes. I like to do a “Best Effort” 4 minute PTP assessment as my first challenge. I add on a longish slow climb (80% of observed PTP) directly after we complete the 4 minute PTP test.
Next week I'll be using this 90 RPM remix of No rest for the wicked – it's a perfect 4 minutes if you use the initial intro to ramp up. I'll be following it with this new remix from Peter G.
While I was in NYC last month I rode in two classes lead by Instructor Julie Jarrett. The first class was sold out, which was cool considering Julie has only taught for a few months + the studio Prime Cycle opened in September of this year.
After Julie's class I had the chance to sit and learn about her Reality TV production company Jarrett Creative and how she uses her time teaching as a inspirational break from day job. During our chat she explained to me how beneficial teaching has been to her marriage with business partner/husband Seth + how it has motivated him to start exercising after years of inactivity.
So why is Julie having so much success, so quickly? There's a lot of reasons; Julie and I explore them during my interview below.
