Run, jog, or power-walk at a comfortable pace. Count your steps for 30 seconds. Multiply by 2. That's your Beats Per Minute (BPM). Download Podrunner mixes at that BPM. You can always use a faster or slower Podrunner mix if that doesn't feel right. Have fun!
Changes in contract terms have made it necessary for Podrunner to start from scratch several times. Unfortunately, mixes prior to January 1, 2009, are no longer available.
Licensing fees from the major music labels are outrageous. More importantly, Podrunner is founded on the idea that music should be a partner to your workout, not a distraction from it. Because electronic dance music is groove-oriented rather than melody-oriented, it's ideal for working out. See my essay Why We Move to Grooves for more on this.
Currently Podrunner offers mixes at nearly every BPM from 120 to 185, giving 66 mixes in rotation (not including the Recovery Series, which goes from 100 to 120 BPM). This means over two years before a particular BPM can come around again — and that doesn't even count the many varied-BPM mixes that are offered. Adding to that, or playing favorites in any BPM range, also adds to the time other listeners will have to wait for a new mix in their preferred BPM range.
I try to be as even-handed as possible in the range of speeds that Podrunner offers.
I'm flattered that you want to! Unfortunately, the music in Podrunner is not mine; it's the intellectual property of many artists and labels, and I don’t have the right to grant such permissions. Per the copyright notice on podrunner.com and on the ID3 tag that downloads with every mix:
Music copyright © the respective artists. All other material ©2022 by Steve Boyett. For private use only. All rights reserved. Any unauthorized copying of, editing, exhibition, renting, exchanging, public performance, or broadcast of this audio is strictly prohibited.
The release of iOS v8.in June 2015 broke some major functions. The app never earned out its hefty investment, and the additional cost to conform it to new OS versions was prohibitive, so I removed it from sale.
I'd love to offer a much-improved Shift app for iOS and Android, but the cost to develop vs. Podrunner's current funding levels makes it seem unlikely.
If there is an updated Shift app, I'll definitely announce it on the intros, the website, and the newsletter. Meantime, there are literally hundreds of Podrunner mixes available at all BPMs. Enjoy!
Podrunner was in the first wave of podcasts on Spotify and was growing popular there. In October 2019 Spotify removed all music podcasts, without notice or explanation. Later I learned that Spotify decided that music podcasts compete with their revenue model, because they aren't simply playlists of music that Spotify offers.
I don't like Spotify and I don't miss being there, but I do miss those listeners, and I feel bad that, for them, Podrunner was suddenly gone without warning or a chance to be redirected.
I'm glad you asked! This page describes the hardware & software I use, and my weekly process for creating Podrunner.