There are two licensing bodies SOCAN and Re:Sound and as a business owner, you have to pay both to play music legally at your gym. You can use the calculator on the SOCAN website to calculate the licensing costs with information for all types. Find the relevant information on the Re:Sound license page, choose the "Background music" option, not the “fitness activities” option as this option is meant for active fitness classes which need a very different licensing (read below).
Using any of those services at your gym doesn't cover your licensing fees, even if you are using the premium versions. In fact, all of those services are for non-commercial use only and you shouldn't use them at your gym.
Please be aware, that background music licensing can't be used for active fitness classes. It can be used only "background music" in the open gym areas. You have to request a separated licensing where the licensing fees depend on the number of people and number of classes.
It is clear that a better workout experience leads to higher retention. Hospitality is a great example. The hospitality industry is all about experiences that keep retention high. They think about all the aspects of the customers’ journey, including the smell of the shampoo and the music in the lobby. Have you thought about your music as well? It's quite important.
Marketing is most of the time focused outside the gym, and most of the budget is spent on member acquisition. And I totally understand why, you need to hit the new members' KPIs. But acquisition is just the beginning of the funnel, not the end, and some of the budget should be spent on engagement and retention.
It’s almost January and your gym will be flooded with new members again. You’ll probably experience a flow of different groups with different characters, your music should change to fit the group(s) currently in your gym.
