Merlin, the global rights agency for the independent label sector, has teamed up with fitness app Supernatural, allowing Meta Quest VR headset users to work out to tracks by thousands of indie artists.
Through the alliance, Meta Quest users using the Supernatural app on their smartphones will be able to listen to indie songs by artists signed with Merlin partners as they work out, box or meditate, according to a press release on Thursday (December 8).
Merlin’s member partners span more than 20,000 labels and hundreds of thousands of artists from across the world, which the company says account for more than 15% of the global music market share.
Merlin’s partners include UK-based distribution and services provider for indie artists and record labels Absolute Label Services; Madrid-based independent music and technology company Altafonte; Nigerian full-service artist agency AfricaGent; UK-based independent label group Beggars Group; Los Angeles-based record label Dim Mak Records; South Korean independent music distributor Fluxus; and !K7 Music, a multi-faceted music company based out of Berlin, London, and New York.
“At Merlin, one of the things we love most about independents is their enthusiasm about harnessing the latest platforms and technology to find new ways to connect with and create new fans,” sayid Jeremy Sirota, CEO, Merlin.
“We’re thrilled to bring our members’ repertoire to the wide array of digital workouts and activities on Supernatural.”
Jeremy Sirota, Merlin
“That excitement is one of the factors that drives us to partner with companies on the cutting edge of music discovery. We’re thrilled to bring our members’ repertoire to the wide array of digital workouts and activities on Supernatural,” Sirota adds.
Founded at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in April 2020, Supernatural claims to be “the world’s first subscription-based, full-body fitness service for virtual reality”.
The app is designed for Meta Quest, providing users guided daily workouts, detailed fitness tracking, and a catalog of music.
It has a library of more than 500 workouts, with new workouts added every day, according Supernatural’s Oculus page.
“At Supernatural, connecting our members with music that moves and motivates them is the heartbeat of nearly everything we do,” Chris Milk, co-founder and CEO, Supernatural, said.
“Our partnership with Merlin goes beyond the confines of popular culture, engaging a world of independent sound.”
Chris Milk, Supernatural
“Our partnership with Merlin goes beyond the confines of popular culture, engaging a world of independent sound. We are thrilled for what it will unlock for our members: Thousands and thousands of artists and songs, and the opportunity to discover even more music you love.”
The alliance comes as music integration in the fitness sector continues to gain traction.
In 2021, Universal Music Grouplicensed its catalog to Equinox Media’s Variis digital fitness app, while Tuned Global, a B2B company that helps companies launch and run their own music streaming service, partnered with British fitness brand Psycle London to deliver a licensed playlist app to over 70 instructors for use within its digital fitness classes.
