This music will completely change how you run.
We recently launched our first adaptive music experience — Weav Run — that syncs songs to your running tempo! Not only does this result in a seemingly magical running experience, but moving in sync with music also releases endorphins which are known to delay fatigue, help to fight pain, and increase performance. We’ve also developed a technology quite different from other apps attempting to create a seamless, synchronistic running experience.
Rather than just time-stretching & distorting songs to be slower and faster, as would happen with traditional tracks at a static tempo (ever heard the chipmunks singing?), our format combines arrangements of different Beats Per Minute (BPM) into a single auditory experience. In other words, every time your foot lands on the ground, our app senses it and then adapts the music to it match it.
Speed up — so do the songs. Slow down — so will they.
Once a runner slows down/speeds up to a BPM that over-stretches the current song, our player swaps the distorted arrangement with one similar to the desired BPM — all without stretching the music beyond its original composition. The tracks are recomposed on the fly and still sound the way the artist envisioned.
However, some styles of music are BPM-bound. For example, drum and bass ranges from 145-180 BPM and is rarely composed slower than that. Likewise, hip-hop which is music composed between 70-115 BPM. With this in mind, musicians ensure the preservation of core elements like chord progression, lyrics, etc., while simultaneously varying other elements such percussion, bass lines, etc., to fit the precise BPM context of the runner’s cadence.
We have been working with artists like Clean Bandit, Outkast, Imagine Dragons and many more, to develop this. Some of these artists have remixed their existing static tracks while others have created original adaptive tracks (songs exclusive to Weav) with our Weav Mixer (more on this to follow!).
Combining adaptivity with movement
We have put a lot of time into developing accurate cadence detection. We can identify and adjust to runners’ movements almost instantly. We’re seeking to create consistent sweet-spot of that magical feeling you get when things are in perfect sync.
Moving in sync with the music releases endorphins which are known to delay fatigue, help to fight pain and increase performance.
This fluidity in music and movement will become even more prominent in our next features: the interval & pace mode, where we’ll use tempo to dictate when a runner should speed up or slow down. You can imagine the effects this will have on training, and ultimately helping individuals push their limits!
But tempo is just the first phase of our larger vision, where we’ll introduce other elements such as intensity & energy levels to make the tracks even more adaptive! Additionally, we’re dreaming up a myriad of other potential applications of this technology (dancing, anyone?) So, stay tuned!
If you’re interested in creating adaptive music or would like to use this tech in your own projects, reach out to us at yourfriends@weav.io.
Good times,
Team Weav
Weav Run now available on App Store — download now!
