My Very Favorite App Right Now for Running

I’m sure I’m about eight years late on this but I don’t even care. If I enlighten even one person with this blog post, I will consider it a victory. Why? Because I wish somebody had told me about this sooner, so here I am paying it forward. You’re welcome, universe.

Without further ado, my very favorite running accessory right now is: Songza. Never heard of it? Phew! I’m not alone. I only learned about the best music streaming app ever a few weeks ago during a visit to the Apple Store’s Genius Bar. My iPhone was on the fritz so one of the geniuses took a look at it. Noticing that I had the Pandora app on there, he asked, “Ever use Songza?”

Uhh, what now?

It’s free, he told me, and unlike Pandora, which interrupts your playlist every half hour or so with a commercial, Songza is audio-commercial free (there are popup ads in the app that pay the bills, but they don’t interfere with the streaming). Plus, you can use the Concierge feature to suggest playlists by your mood or activity—there are categories for everything from “Working Out” to “Unwinding After a Long Day,” and subcategories within categories to get more specific—which means I don’t have to listen to the same old Katy Perry-Gaga-Britney lineup Pandora gives me when I want to listen to good pump-me-up workout music.

As I’m a total sucker for the music of my youth, I’m digging all the 90s playlists on this thing. I would be lying if I said that didn’t totally rock out to Let Me Clear My Throat on my run on Sunday. Because I did. On Kelly Drive. Out loud.

And that, my friends, is what a good run is all about.