MotoGP is high-speed, high-tech motorcycle racing. The fastest riders in the world compete on specialized, purpose-built motorcycles from companies like Ducati, Honda, Yamaha on the world stage in this series, which is considered the most prestigious in the game. Riders reach incredible speeds on their machines up to 220 miles per hour, and races can go 350 turns with gravity-defying leaning that scrapes elbows and knees. This Grand Prix is for the toughest of the tough on the moto circuit.

Behind the riders and the machinery is a boatload of data and technology; we’re talking massive amounts of data in numbers that make your head spin. As tech company Lenovo puts it, when it comes to MotoGP–a sport in which every millisecond counts–data can mean the difference between a first and last place finish.

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Lenovo and Italian motorbike manufacturer Ducati work hand in hand to create a champion racing team with information gathered by 50-plus sensors that track tire rotation, speed, grip, acceleration, and more. Motorcycle racing, at the highest echelon, has evolved way beyond just the machinery or even the skill of the rider. Without the technology, any team would be left in the dust.

The data journey

In the past, the only way to evaluate the outer limits of what a motorbike could endure was to disassemble a crashed bike. Today, a multi-pronged approach to data collection takes that process up several notches. Every time a bike enters the pit garage, an in-person team and a crew from the Ducati Lenovo Remote Garage at Ducati’s headquarters in Bologna, Italy analyzes performance.

No matter where the team is racing, data streams in from the motorbike sensors. Off-site engineers analyze information from the track, making tiny tweaks to the bike and its operation. That way, every qualifying lap may be reviewed and fine tuned for the best competitive outcomes.

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“We debrief after each session, aligning with the rider on the sections and corners in which we think that he can improve his performance,” says David Attisano, the data and performance analysis manager for Ducati Racing. “We review with the rider his maneuvers and what we can expect to improve and how. For example, if the data shows that the rider can brake two meters later than he is, that’s a huge distance in this race.”

For the MotoGP series, Ducati has three different teams with a total of six riders. Each Ducati rider receives the data not just about his own ride but for all the other riders, so they can track what the other five are doing. That’s a giant amount of data.

“We can push each other to the limit because we can see what the other riders are doing and comparing, then we can highlight and suggest some changes in their riding style,” Attisano explains.

Data leads to improvements for road bikes, too

Per official MotoGP rules, the sensors can’t transmit the data while the bikes are in motion. As soon as the bike gets to the garage, the engineers download the data. From this point, the data analysis process begins. At this point, the partnership is especially critical as the servers are developed by Lenovo specifically for Ducati. On top of that, there are data signals created with a custom algorithm and simulating based on engineering knowledge about the bikes. The team can even create a detailed “digital twin” of the course that maps each twist and turn, using 200GB of data per circuit.

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“If the rider tells us that the traction control is not working properly, our electronics engineers can adjust the ECU,” says Attisano. “In our competition, the human factor is very important. We rely on the data and the humans do the last mile to gain the result and to achieve victory.”

Sure, data clearly plays a big part, but human interpretation is still a critical aspect to translate the results. Even those who know nothing of motorcycles can create algorithms or artificial intelligence to offer some hints or tips, but without input from the team, the data has no context. The technology, Attisano emphasizes, is intended to augment the capabilities of human beings, not to replace them.

“The behavior of the bike is very complicated–it’s very difficult to understand if you have not studied it at university,” he says. “In our experience, the exchange of knowledge between engineers and data scientists is very important.”

Ducati’s data collection on the competitive side feeds into the safety and reliability for all riders, including those who like to take their motorbike for a spin on any given Sunday; not just competitive situations. Every time the bike emerges from the pit at a MotoGP race, the engineers strive to be sure it’s in good form and safe for the rider. Every improvement via the data collected from 50 tiny sensors on each factory-made racing bike leads to a better ride for casual street riders, too.

New York (CNN) — In recent years, people ranging from Taylor Swift and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to high school girls around the country have been victims of non-consensual, explicit deepfakes — images where a person’s face is superimposed on a nude body using artificial intelligence.

Now, after months of outcry, a federal law criminalizing the sharing of those images is finally coming.

President Donald Trump is set to sign the Take It Down Act in a ceremony at the White House on Monday. In addition to making it to illegal to share online nonconsensual, explicit images — real or computer-generated — the law will also require tech platforms to remove such images within 48 hours of being notified about them.

The law will boost protections for victims of revenge porn and nonconsensual, AI-generated sexual images, increase accountability for the tech platforms where the content is shared and provide law enforcement with clarity about how to prosecute such activity. Previously, federal law prohibited creating or sharing realistic, AI-generated explicit images of children. But laws protecting adult victims varied by state and didn’t exist nationwide.

The Take It Down Act also represents one of the first new US federal laws aimed at addressing the potential harms from AI-generated content as the technology rapidly advances.

“AI is new to a lot of us and so I think we’re still figuring out what is helpful to society, what is harmful to society, but (non-consensual) intimate deepfakes are such a clear harm with no benefit,” said Ilana Beller, organizing manager at progressive advocacy group Public Citizen, which endorsed the legislation.

The law passed both chambers of Congress nearly unanimously, with only two House representatives dissenting, in a rare moment of bipartisan consensus. More than 100 organizations, including non-profits and big tech companies such as Meta, TikTok and Google, also supported the legislation.

Firstlady Melania Trump threw her support behind the effort, too, lobbying House lawmakers in April to pass the legislation. And the president referenced the bill during his address to a joint session of Congress in March, during which the first lady hosted teenage victim Elliston Berry as one of her guests.

TexasSen. Ted Cruz and Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar first introduced the legislation last summer.

Months earlier, a classmate of Texas high schooler Berry shared on Snapchat an image of her that he’d taken from her Instagram and altered using AI to make it look like she was nude. Berry wasn’t alone — teen girls in New Jersey, California and elsewhere have also been subject to this form of harassment.

“Everyday I’ve had to live with the fear of these photos getting brought up or resurfacing,” Berry told CNN last year, in an interview about her support for the Take It Down Act. “By this bill getting passed, I will no longer have to live in fear, knowing that whoever does bring these images up will be punished.”

Facing increased pressure over the issue, some major tech platforms had taken steps to make it easier for victims to have nonconsensual sexual images removed from their sites.

Some big tech platforms, including Google, Meta and Snapchat, already have forms where users can request the removal of explicit images. And others have partnered with non-profit organizations StopNCII.org and Take It Down that facilitate the removal of such images across multiple platforms at once, although not all sites cooperate with the groups.

Apple and Google have also made efforts to remove AI services that convert clothed images into manipulated nude ones from their app stores and search results.

Still, bad actors will often seek out platforms that aren’t taking action to prevent harmful uses of their technology, underscoring the need for the kind of legal accountability that the Take It Down Act will provide.

“This legislation finally compels social media bros to do their jobs and protect women from highly intimate and invasive breaches of their rights,” Imran Ahmed, CEO of the non-profit Center for Countering Digital Hate, said in a statement to CNN. “While no legislation is a silver bullet, the status quo—where young women face horrific harms online—is unacceptable.”

Public Citizen’s Beller added that it’s also “important to signal as a society that this is unacceptable.”

“If our federal law is passing a law that says, this is unacceptable and here are the consequences, that sends a clear signal,” she said.

The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2025 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.

Let me tell you now, before the nitty-gritty, there are many who assume the Garmin Instinct 3 AMOLED is something it is not. It is not just a cheaper version of Garmin’s Fenix smartwatch — that watch is designed for your Indiana Jones heading on expeditions. The Instinct line is designed for outdoor enthusiasts who love hiking and backpacking on established trails and camping in lean-tos or state-maintained campsites. 

Deep sigh.

Now that I’ve gotten that out of the way, I am stoked to share with you what the last 6x weeks of my life have been like with the new Garmin Instinct 3 AMOLED. When people say, “It’s the little things in life,” they may very well be referring to what this smartwatch has to offer. And, in this case, the things it does not.

I am your average outdoor enthusiast and have found the Instinct 3 to be well-balanced, well-built, and visually impressive. I also cannot say enough about how much of a lifesaver the built-in LED flashlight has been while the state of Connecticut has been covered in ice. Now, after 2 months with this watch, this is my take on this updated classic.

In short: With the release of the Instinct 3, Garmin has given its most practical watch line the AMOLED treatment. While it still doesn’t have a touchscreen or turn-by-turn maps, it doesn’t need them. If you’re looking for a rugged smartwatch with exceptional battery life for your active life in the great outdoors, the Instinct 3 AMOLED is the answer.

Looking for a new fitness watch? Check out how the Instinct 3 AMOLED compares to the rest of the market in GearJunkie’s Best Fitness Watches and Best GPS Watches Buyer’s Guides.

Review: Garmin Instinct 3 AMOLED Watch

Design & Features

The Instinct 3 AMOLED is part of Garmin’s Instinct line, which has three distinct models, each with submodels and color configurations. It is a full-featured GPS smartwatch that visually errs toward the Timex Ironman more than it does an Apple Watch.

This rugged aesthetic appeals to the outdoor crowd. Its long battery life and wide array of functions keep us tethered to modern society while supporting our day-to-day lives, be it indoors or outdoors.

The Instinct 3 AMOLED is lightweight and has a fiber-reinforced polymer body, aluminum bezel, and chemically reinforced glass. However, this loftiness does not impact the ruggedness of the watch. You can expect it to take on scrapes, bangs, and bumps with little to no signs of wear. Additionally, its silicone band is comfortable to wear in all conditions, year-round. 

This version of the Instinct is also significant because of its use of an AMOLED display. AMOLED is rich in color, vibrant, and crisp to the point where even a direct hit from the sun won’t impact its visibility. The Instinct 3 Solar and Instinct E still use an MIP LED display. Also, like previous models, all models of the Instinct 3 use five buttons to operate it. There is no touchscreen here, and that’s all right by me!

Smart Features

This is a multiband GPS watch. It uses SatIQ technology to help choose which satellite band will offer the best performance based on your location. It also has an altimeter, compass, and thermometer to keep you plugged in and informed. The watch also has an expanded series of activity trackers and health and wellness monitoring features. 

The Instinct 3 AMOLED uses the latest Bluetooth technology to pair with your smartphone and other smart devices. This allows you to receive phone notifications (Android and Apple) like texts, phone calls, and calendar alerts. Additionally, you can accept or reject phone calls with the watch and provide canned text responses.

Four features that have stood out to me in my day-to-day life have been the Morning Report, which gives you a summary of how you slept, weather forecasts, and Find My Phone, which I use nearly every day. It also has a Find My Watch feature that allows your phone to ping the watch. As I have worn the watch consistently, aside from the 3 hours the one time I had to recharge it, I’ve never used that feature.

The fourth feature, which gets its own segment below, is the built-in LED flashlight. This is a bit of fried gold that Garmin has pioneered on modern smartwatches, and I am blown away.

Beyond all of this, the Garmin Connect IQ store allows you to expand the possibilities of the Instinct 3 AMOLED. I’ll get into that more when I cover hiking and navigating with the watch.

Health & Wellness Monitoring

I blame my competitive nature for my adoption of things like knowing how many steps I’ve taken and what my heart rate is. However, I’ve never been one to monitor my sleep patterns. Well, that’s all changed now. During setup, I was asked if I wanted to enable the Morning Report (Sleep Tracking) feature. This puts the Instinct 3 AMOLED into a soft sleep mode (you still get smartphone notifications), and when you wake up, it gives you a report of how you slept.

If I wasn’t testing this watch, I might not have opted into this. But I am glad I did as I am more conscious of when I go to bed every night, which I now try to do at the same time every night — 43 is a great age to start being responsible about stuff like this.

Regarding the heart monitor, I’ve read some complaints about it not being the latest and greatest that Garmin has to offer, and I did my due diligence and compared my heart rate during activities and while at rest. The numbers matched up with my Apple Watch Ultra. And, not for nothing, Apple Watches are the industry standard right now. That said, I couldn’t find any issues worth reporting.

One feature that I can’t use but that I think is wicked cool — especially with a preteen daughter — is the Women’s Health feature. This allows the user to track both menstrual cycles and pregnancy. As a dad, I can keep up with my daughter without prying into her life. For women, this is a wonderful benefit that keeps you from having to hunt down the right apps for your phone. 

LED Flashlight

If I could write solely on the LED flashlight, I would. It has come in handy for everything from navigating trails to my icy driveway at night. It also saved the day when I had to head into the basement to figure out why my solar battery backup didn’t kick in when the power went out during a storm a few weeks ago. Two clicks of the top left button allowed me to navigate through spiderwebs and snake skins.

Additionally, the Instinct 3 AMOLED has a Red Shift mode where you can turn the display to red to save your eyes and be a little less noticeable at night. Pairing this with the red light setting on the flashlight is an excellent experience. I’ve long used the red light setting on my headlamps when hiking at night. This is a nice feature to have when I don’t have a headlight or I need to read a map. 

Maps (Deal With It!)

In the last decade, aside from testing watches, I’ve never been concerned about detailed maps, turn-by-turn directions, or anything like that. Even when I owned a Fenix 7, I never used the watch as my GPS, and that was a major feature. That’s what my phone is for. That’s what your phone is for as well.

However, I do understand where people are coming from in wanting the convenience of using one device to track their activities and help them navigate. If you want that, you can buy a Fenix.

However, I guarantee that at some point, a majority of people who go that route will end up using All-Trails, Gaia GPS, or even Garmin Explore on their phones. It’s much easier to refer to a 5-inch-plus phone screen than a 1- to 1½-inch watch face. #facts.

The caveat to that is those folks running ultra-marathons and people going on trailblazing expeditions. You all are an inspirational yet different breed of human being. You keep doing what you do.

That all said, you can download maps to the Instinct 3 AMOLED from your smartphone. This is common with quite a few Garmin products. It requires you to think about where you’re going ahead of time, take a few minutes to find your trail, and download it to the watch.

Garmin recommends Wikiloc, and I have been using it since I started testing the watch. It’s a simple map app that shows you that you’re heading in the right direction on your path. $20 a year gives you access to a massive database of trails that you can use and even add to. You can also follow the trail markers on the trail, you silly gooses!

Battery Life Goes a Long Way

Coming from an Apple Watch Ultra, the battery life on the Instinct 3 is a real treat. At the time of writing, I have only charged it once, 22 days after I first put it on. Garmin claims that I could get 24 days out of a single charge, but you won’t catch me complaining.

For the first week, I was constantly fiddling with settings to get everything just right for my needs. I figured that alone would have drained a couple of days’ worth of juice, but it barely moved the needle.

When you consider the half dozen hikes I logged, the constant heart rate monitoring, and even the sleep tracking and phone notifications, that’s a lot going on. Even with Garmin’s 24-day claim, I wasn’t expecting to get 2 weeks out of it. So, color me surprised.

Charging

When it comes to charging the Instinct 3, Garmin doesn’t stray from its proprietary charging path. The brand has long used a specific four-pin cable for its watches. That hasn’t changed for the Instinct 3, and I have a love/hate relationship with it. It’s just another cable I need to keep tabs on; however, the upgrade to USB-C on the power source end is a bonus. 

Considering the watch’s overall height, I am not sure Garmin could switch to a standard USB-C cable. The plug is too tall, so it would still need to provide a specific cable. I only need to deal with it every few weeks, so it’s not a deal-breaker for me.

In Conclusion: Garmin Instinct 3 AMOLED

When it comes to watches, I go from being a casual user to being addicted to what it can do for me, like the moon phases. I found the Garmin Instinct 3 AMOLED to be easy to jump into. The buttons are clearly labeled, and after a few days, you understand what menus you can access through each button as well as what holding the buttons can do.

There’s no touchscreen here, nor does there need to be. The only reason I would want a touchscreen on this phone is to wake it up, as sometimes raising the watch to view it doesn’t work (usually when lying down). But after wearing an Apple Watch Ultra for 2 years and switching over to the Instinct 3, there was little to no adjustment for me.

I would also like to add that a majority of what I have written in this review pertains to the 45mm version of the Instinct 3 AMOLED. I am a bigger guy, and I like big watches, but you might prefer a smaller version.

Overall, I am pleased with the watch. Considering how much smartwatches are going for these days, $500 is right in the middle. For what you’re getting out of it, I believe the price of the Instinct 3 AMOLED is justified.

If you’re looking for a rugged GPS-enabled smartwatch, I think you’ll enjoy what the Instinct 3 AMOLED has to offer. It’s easy to use, it looks fantastic, and that LED flashlight is going to spoil you rotten.

IFC investment supports VUZ’s international expansion, following precedent in scaling telecom and media ventures across the world.

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, May 20, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — VUZ, the world’s leading immersive media company, has secured the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, to invest in its $12M Pre-Series C funding round. This strategic investment positions VUZ for accelerated global growth in immersive live streaming and content, AI-driven streaming technologies, and live spatial experiences, building on the next generation of media, the creator economy, sports, and entertainment.

Khaled Zaatarah, Founder of VUZ

The IFC and the World Bank Group collectively manage over $1 trillion in global assets and investment commitments, operating in more than 100 countries. In fiscal year 2024, IFC committed a record of over $56 billion to private companies and financial institutions to drive sustainable development through the private sector.

This round also includes participation from Al Jazira Capital, Crosswork VC Success fund (a pre-IPO venture capital fund), multiple existing investors, and several high-profile Saudi family offices, bolstering VUZ’s presence in key markets across the world.

IFC’s Strategic Role in Telecom and Media Expansion

The investment marks a pivotal collaboration between VUZ and IFC, which is known for its selective backing of global winners, including Souq.com (acquired by Amazon). With over 100 investments in telecom and communications companies across Africa, Asia, and Latin America, IFC brings unmatched expertise in market entry and infrastructure scaling across frontier economies.

Through this partnership, VUZ will scale further in Saudi Arabia and the UAE and accelerate expansion, particularly in Africa, the USA, and Asia, where demand for immersive experiences and next-generation media is rising rapidly. The move aligns with IFC’s mission to advance digital inclusion and economic growth through media innovation and connectivity.

A Profitable, Scalable Media Powerhouse

In 2024, VUZ achieved EBITDA profitability, with 80% year-over-year gross profit growth, a significant milestone for a tech streaming scale-up. The company’s platform – home to 30,000+ hours of premium immersive exclusive content – blends XR, VR, AR, and AI-powered media across sports, entertainment, and creator ecosystems. VUZ has a pipeline of partnerships with some of the largest football clubs, giga projects, and global athletes, as well as A-list artists, creators, and ambassadors.

“We are honored to welcome IFC as a strategic investor, said Khaled Zaatarah, Founder of VUZ. With IFC and the World Bank Group’s track record in scaling telecom and digital media companies globally, and over $1 trillion in assets under management, this partnership sets the stage for massive global scale. Together, we’ll bring immersive media to the world’s fastest-growing markets.”

Key highlights:

• 3 billion+ screen views to date; targeting over 5 billion by 2026
• Exclusive immersive content partnerships with LaLiga, Serie A, PFL, and more
• The largest exclusively owned immersive premium content library of over 30,000 hours
• Over 40 global telecom integrations, with 20+ in progress
• Strategic launches across TV Devices, Apple Vision Pro, Oculus, and VUZGo, a new web-embedded immersive tech layer
• 4 global patents powering proprietary streaming technologies

“This investment reflects IFC’s commitment to creative industries as a driver of jobs and income in emerging markets. VUZ’s tech edge and global reach align well with our mandate to support scalable platforms that empower creators”, said Farid Fezoua, IFC Global Director for Disruptive Technologies, Services, and Funds.

A Magnet for Global Creators and Partners

VUZ empowers a creator network with a combined global reach exceeding 100 million, offering monetization tools, immersive production capabilities, and a deeply engaging fan experience. Its technology now sits at the center of conversations with device manufacturers, sports federations, and media conglomerates seeking to deliver content that transcends physical limitations.

“This is the scale-up stage we’ve been building toward for years,” Zaatarah added. “With a solid foundation, patented tech, and profitability achieved, we are ready to scale globally and define the future of media.”

World-Class Investor Backing

In addition to the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, and other recent strategic investors, VUZ is backed by a distinguished and globally diverse group of institutional partners. These include e& capital, KBW Ventures, Al Jazira Capital, DFDF, SRMG Ventures, Caruso Ventures, Shorooq Partners, Plug and Play Ventures, Hala Ventures, Vision Fund, Knollwood Investment Advisory, Panthera Capital, Faith Capital, WIN, Elbert Capital, Yasta Partners, AlTouq Group, Impact46, Media Visions, 500 Startups, DAI, Al Falaj, and DTEC Ventures (Oraseya Capital), along with notable tech leaders including Magnus Olsson, Samih Toukan, and Jonathan Labin – reflecting strong international conviction in VUZ’s vision, performance, and global growth potential.

A message deleted by someone else can still be retrieved, under certain conditions.

The notification “This message was deleted” that sometimes appears in WhatsApp chats can be quite annoying for many users. Whether it’s out of simple curiosity or the need to follow a conversation thread, the disappearance of a message often leads to frustration. Many users then wonder: is it possible to recover a deleted message on WhatsApp?

Although the primary purpose of deleting a message is to permanently remove it from the view of chat participants, there are certain scenarios and specific techniques that might allow the retrieval of such messages. It’s important to note right off the bat that the “This message was deleted” notification cannot be removed from a chat, whether it’s a group or individual chat. However, there are a few methods that can reveal the contents of the deleted message.

Firstly, it’s still possible to rely on message quoting. If the deleted message was quoted by someone else in the chat, it can be retrieved within the quote. This allows, at least partially, to see what was written. Note that WhatsApp developers are currently working on removing this feature, so take advantage of it while it’s still available.

For those who own a Samsung smartphone, a built-in feature of the device can also help you recover a previously deleted message. This feature is the notification history, which is available in the phone settings under the “notifications” tab. If the message you’re trying to retrieve was visible in a notification on your Samsung device, then it’s possible to find this notification in the history.

If a backup of the chat was made before the message was deleted, you can even restore the conversation, including the deleted message. However, since chat messages are usually deleted in the short term, such a recovery option is very rarely available.

Lastly, there are apps available on the Google Play Store (and across the internet) that are developed by third parties which claim to make deleted messages visible. However, it’s crucial to note that these apps are not affiliated with WhatsApp and typically require access to your conversations. The use of such apps is strongly discouraged due to significant risks to the privacy and security of your personal data.

From studio floors to digital classes, FITRADIO blends curated playlists, licensing peace of mind and AI innovation to deliver a consistent audio experience at scale

When a new Burn Boot Camp opens, coaches don’t just press play — they launch a signature FITRADIO mix that delivers the high-energy, curated sound members know and love. That familiar mix then powers a digital class later in the day, reinforcing a seamless, brand-aligned experience across every touchpoint.

This is the power of sonic consistency — and FITRADIO is helping fitness brands master it.

“Music is more than background noise,” says FITRADIO founder and CEO Rusty Greene. “In our latest survey of over 7,000 gym members, 95% said music is just as important as the instruction itself. That’s a massive signal to operators. Music isn’t just part of the experience — it is the experience.”

FITRADIO is a fitness-first audio platform designed specifically for movement. With over 40,000 DJ-crafted, tempo-specific mixes and new playlists added daily, plus a team that curates and designs custom mixes for partner brands, the platform ensures workouts stay fresh, engaging and performance-optimized. The service also takes the stress out of compliance: every mix is licensed for commercial use, and FITRADIO supports its partners with full public performance licensing.

“Instructors spend hours programming workouts but may only spend 30 minutes a week on music,” Greene says. “The reality is that most don’t have time to curate fresh playlists. That’s where we come in —  with clean, diverse, fitness-geared music that’s built to scale.”

Personalization at Scale

For growing fitness franchises, consistency is everything, and music plays a bigger role in brand identity than many operators realize. FITRADIO empowers brands to create a unified audio signature across locations, platforms and markets. It allows instructors to focus on coaching, not curating, while ensuring every member gets a seamless, high-quality experience that reflects the brand’s ethos.

“Once a brand starts scaling, music can become a real problem,” says Greene. “Letting every instructor choose their own playlist doesn’t work when you’re running hundreds of locations. It’s not just about legal compliance —  it’s about sonic identity. What does your brand sound like?”

Burn Boot Camp provides a strong example. Working with FITRADIO’s music team, they’ve developed custom playlists aligned with all of their specific formats from HIIT to strength training and more. The goal? Ensure the music intensity matches the physical intensity —  across a wide demographic.

One of the core challenges FITRADIO addresses is the diversity of musical tastes among members. What works in an OrangeTheory studio in Georgia might not land the same way in Portland. To meet that need, FITRADIO blends DJ experience with data, using open-format mixes that touch on Top 40, hip hop, rock, EDM and more, cycling through tracks quickly to keep everyone engaged.

“My background in nightlife helps us understand how to keep people energized across genres,” Greene says. “If you don’t like a song, it’ll be gone in two minutes. That’s how you keep the room moving.”

And FITRADIO isn’t stopping there. The company is currently testing an AI DJ tool that allows instructors to plug in class formats, BPM, and energy levels to generate real-time, studio-ready playlists tailored to the workout. Launching this summer, the new technology is designed to enhance instructor control without sacrificing quality or consistency.

In addition to elevating the brand experience, FITRADIO also supports member engagement through analytics. Operators will soon be able to track what stations perform best, how members interact with music and how sound influences satisfaction – making music a true retention lever.

“Music is an emotional connector,” says Greene. “It should be part of your feedback loop. If your members aren’t loving the music, they may not say it, but it can absolutely affect how often they show up or how long they stay.”

He recommends treating music as a measurable part of the member journey. “There should be a moment in every class where someone thinks, ‘This is my song.’ That’s stickiness. That’s ROI.”

The Infrastructure Behind the Experience

One of the biggest compliance blind spots for gym operators is music licensing. Many don’t realize that personal Spotify or Apple Music accounts aren’t licensed for commercial use. FITRADIO solves this problem through its own licensing structure and supports broader compliance through a sister company, GetMusicLicensing.com.

See Also

“Every gym is legally required to have a public performance license,” Greene explains. “We make that process simple. No paperwork, no confusion – just full legal coverage for ASCAP, BMI, GMR and SESAC.”

This allows facilities to operate with peace of mind while focusing on member experience.

For partners with hybrid or virtual fitness models, FITRADIO’s SWEATBASE platform extends the value of its audio catalog. The white-label solution enables fitness brands to livestream and host on-demand workouts with professionally curated, fully licensed music.

“It’s turnkey, scalable and purpose-built for fitness,” says Greene. “We help brands show up professionally and consistently, no matter the platform.”

In a crowded market where member experience is the biggest differentiator, music is a surprisingly overlooked asset. Yet as operators navigate retention challenges, brand-building pressures, and the complexity of scaling, FITRADIO offers a streamlined way to amplify impact.

“Everyone knows music is important,” Greene says. “We’re here to help operators use it strategically to energize members, protect their business and scale their brand.”

From studio floors to digital streams, FITRADIO is turning sound into a strategic asset for modern fitness —  and giving brands a way to scale their vibe, one beat at a time.