It was going to be a perfect afternoon. I had just met a big deadline and planned to celebrate with a long trail run. In preparation, I devoted time to making a playlist. I grabbed my running shoes and headed to the park.
But, when I reached the trailhead, the running app wouldn't connect to Spotify without cell service. And then, the app wanted to share the details of my workout on social media. I lost precious minutes fussing with the settings.
I log 30 to 40 miles a week, usually alone, so I rely on music and running apps to keep me going. Sadly, though, the two do not always work well together. To avoid that buzzkill—because nothing halts a runner's high faster than bad tunes—here's how to find harmony while counting the miles.
Running Apps With Built-In Music Controls
If you want the convenience of a seamless experience, these apps are a good way to go. In addition to tracking your workouts, they offer music features. In some cases, they even match the tempo of the songs to your pace.
Nike+ Running
Price: Free
For iTunes or Spotify Premium Users
This app has something for everyone: goal-setting options for each run, audio feedback to check your speed, and, yes—for Spotify Premium subscribers ($10/month)—music selected to suit your stride. You specify an artist or a genre and Spotify curates a streaming Pace Station. It's a cool idea and generally works well, but you don't get much input when it comes to "tuning" the stations or song selection. As for the in-app music controls, they work with iTunes and Spotify, but the connection to Spotify is spotty without cell service.
RunKeeper
Price: Free
For iTunes or Spotify Users
This app is very similar to Nike+, but you don't need Spotify Premium to get a pace station. Just select Spotify as your music source and the streaming service lets you choose "Spotify running" (as well as any one of your playlists). The in-app music controls work with iTunes, too. Another cool option lets you set running goals for the week. And, in my opinion, the audio feedback on RunKeeper trumps the one on Nike+ because you can choose to hear your average pace or your split pace for each mile.
MapMyRun
Price: Free
For iTunes Users
MapMyRun is also similar to Nike+ Running, but it offers this bonus: It records your route for every run, storing the info in a database. It can suggest nearby routes others have used. And the MVP version ($6/month) generates personalized routes based on your desired distance, altitude gain, etc. One drawback: The in-app controls are limited to your phone's music library. But you can run most other music apps in the background.
The Two-App Solution
If those one-stop apps don't fit your needs, you can double-team the problem. The options above, for example, are perfectly capable of working in concert with other music apps.
But, for simple mileage and pace tracking in conjunction with any music service, this next app can't be beat.
Strava
Price: Free
A favorite among competitive types, the app offers leaderboards that show how fast others ran segments of the trail or road you're tackling. The free version provides a very user-friendly mileage and pace tracker, but the $6-per-month premium version, designed for more serious athletes, features advanced analytics, complex training plans, and in-workout voice feedback. It doesn't, however, have in-app music controls, which is a bummer.
But, hey, here's what you can pair Strava with...
TrailMix Pro
Price: $4
For iTunes Users
If you keep most of your music in iTunes, this is the app for you. You choose the music and it adjusts the tempo. You can set a desired beats-per-minute (BPM), too. The app even has a "Magic Shuffle" feature that finds music in your library to suit your running speed. One slight drawback? That $4 pricetag.
RockMyRun
Price: Free
For Everyone
This app has a selection of playlists grouped by BPM. It can also adjust songs to match your steps and even your heart rate. And, if you'd like, you can set the music to play at a certain tempo and try to keep up. But if your music tastes are outside the mainstream, you may have a hard time finding playlists that work for you. One more caveat: You must have cell service to stream RockMyRun's playlists.
Pandora
Price: Free
For Everyone
The original streaming music service is great for running tunes as long as you confine your workouts to places with cell service. You don't get to select specific songs, but you can create stations based on your favorite artists or choose from dozens of other pre-programmed workout options.
Bottom Line
My preferred set-up is Nike+ Running or Strava for mileage, and Spotify Premium for music. I like Spotify because it has a nearly infinite song library, I can share music with friends, and with Premium, I can save playlists offline for trail runs.
I use Nike+ Running when I'm in a funk—running slower than I want—because the voice feedback helps keep my pace up at every mile. I use Strava when I want to listen to music without the distraction of voice feedback or that dreaded interruption in the connection between Nike+ and Spotify that occurs when I'm on the run in the world beyond cell service.