How Feed.fm is Helping Digital Fitness Apps Win the Battle for Consumer Attention with Science-Backed Wellness Music

With user retention at an all-time low, fitness and wellness brands are turning to Feed.fm’s new Wellness Soundtracks product — a plug-and-play solution that integrates science-backed music for focus, relaxation, and recovery

Retention and engagement is a big challenge in an oversaturated market, and there’s no shortage of apps vying for consumer attention. With 3.8 million apps in the Google Play Store and 2 million in the Apple App Store, standing out is tough. Every month, 36,000 new apps enter the fray, competing for limited space on users’ home screens.

The fitness and wellness sector is just as competitive. Fifty-nine percent of smartphone users have at least one fitness app, and 42% have five or more. The global market for meditation and mental wellness apps is projected to surpass $7 billion by 2029, proving that consumers crave holistic well-being solutions digitally.

Getting a new user to download your app is just the beginning — keeping them engaged is the real challenge. Within 30 days, most apps are deleted, and only 7.5% of new users are still engaging after 10 days. Brands need sticky, engaging experiences to survive.

Feed.fm Wellness Soundtracks: A Solution Designed for Engagement

Music is one of the most effective tools for engagement and retention — but integrating music into a digital wellness platform has long been complicated, expensive and time-consuming.

For years, Feed.fm has simplified this process to power music for the world’s leading fitness brands. But, as the wellness movement unfolded, the company identified a major gap in the market. Now, Feed.fm has launched Wellness Soundtracks, a seamless, science-backed music solution for fitness and wellness apps.

With easy app integration, built-in personalization, and real-time analytics, Feed.fm Wellness Soundtracks is set to redefine how fitness and wellness brands use music to drive engagement and results.

Why does wellness music matter?

Millions of users are already streaming music for sleep, focus and relaxation on platforms like Spotify and YouTube. But when they turn to these platforms, your app loses their attention and valuable engagement data.

With Feed.fm Wellness Soundtracks, brands can now:

• Enhance existing apps quickly or launch new wellness features faster
• Automate streaming, reporting and compliance with low-code SDKs
• Gain valuable insights from the Feed.fm analytics dashboard, tracking how music impacts session length, engagement and retention

“If your app isn’t offering functional wellness music, your users will find it elsewhere,” says Lauren Pufpaf, President & Co-founder of Feed.fm. “While some people find focus with lo-fi beats, others prefer classical piano or nature sounds. In fact, 93% of users expect apps to tailor their music experience based on their genre preferences.”

The Science Behind Feed.fm’s Wellness Soundtracks

Music has proven to be a powerful tool that influences physiology and psychology. Studies show that the right music can:

• Reduce cortisol levels, lowering stress and anxiety
• Trigger dopamine, improving mood and motivation
• Enhance sleep quality by accelerating relaxation

Unlike typical wellness playlists, Feed.fm took a research-driven approach to building its music solutions. Feed.fm partnered with Stanford neuroscientist Dr. Daniel Bowling to analyze how specific musical elements — such as tempo, frequency and rhythm — impact relaxation, cognitive function and sleep.

Armed with these findings, they commissioned music from world-class musicians, ensuring that each track adheres to scientifically validated musical parameters. After testing curated stations across leading fitness and wellness apps, they refined the experience based on real user engagement data.

The results? Feed.fm Wellness Soundtracks — a plug-and-play solution for wellness brands to provide users with a wide range of functional music right in their app. From peaceful piano to chill beats, the Feed.fm music API allows brands to map expertly curated mixes to specific content, or enable end users to choose from multiple options across the wellness music spectrum including:

• Focus Music – Steady rhythms and repetitive melodies that minimize distractions and sustain concentration. 
• Relaxation Music  – Minimalist soundscapes ideal for stress relief, post-workout recovery, and cool-downs. 
• Mindfulness & Meditation Soundscapes– Ambient tones with minimal rhythm, designed to support guided meditation and mindfulness exercises. 
• Sleep Sounds– Soothing ambient tracks that foster sleep induction and mask environmental noise to support deep sleep

Personalization: The Key to Engagement

Simply offering great music isn’t enough — it has to be personalized.

“While some people find focus with lo-fi beats, others prefer classical piano or nature sounds,” says Pufpaf. “In fact, 93% of users expect apps to tailor their music experience based on their genre preferences.”

Feed.fm Wellness Soundtracks brings seamless personalization to fitness and wellness platforms, offering a variety of mixes to ensure that every user gets a music experience that enhances their journey.

Leading brands are already leveraging this technology:

• Aaptiv – Allows users to select their preferred soundscapes in its meditation program, enhancing mindful engagement.
• Aescape – Uses music personalization to optimize AI-powered massage sessions, creating an immersive relaxation experience.

Now, any fitness or wellness brand can integrate science-backed wellness music while gaining real-time insights into user listening preferences.

Why Music is a Must-Have for Fitness & Wellness Apps Looking for a Competitive Edge

Music isn’t just a feature—it’s an essential engagement tool.

“Apps that integrate personalized music see significantly higher retention rates and longer session times,” says Pufpaf.

Beyond engagement, Feed.fm’s analytics dashboard gives brands data-driven insights into how music influences user behavior.

“Feed.fm enables brands to track which music resonates with users, allowing them to refine their offerings for optimal engagement and retention,” says Pufpaf.

The proof is in the numbers. Music’s ability to enhance digital experiences isn’t just anecdotal — it’s proven.

• Ergatta users who listened to Feed.fm-integrated music had rowing session times 5.5 times longer than those without Feed.fm music.
• D90 retention skyrocketed — Sworkit users who listened to Feed.fm music while working out in the app were 2.5 times more likely to stay engaged for 90 days.

The Bottom Line: Seamless Integration, Instant Impact

Music is proven to boost engagement and retention, but until now, wellness brands struggled to implement it effectively.

With Feed.fm Wellness Soundtracks, brands can now:

• Seamlessly integrate science-backed wellness music
• Stream fully licensed, major-label, indie and exclusive science-backed compositions
• Deliver a personalized, data-driven music experience

“We are helping forward-thinking fitness and wellness brands stay ahead of the curve with plug-and-play integration, built-in personalization and real-time analytics, making it effortless for brands to bring science-backed soundtracks into their digital experiences,” said Pufpaf.

This article originally appeared in ATN’s 2025 State of the Industry Outlook Report, a go-to guide for understanding the next generation concepts that will shape the fitness and wellness industry in the upcoming decade. Download the free report.