Exclusive Press Release

A strategic music licensing partnership has just been announced between a British independent record label named Aardvark Records and a US-based Indoor Cycling/Spinning DVD producer, Global Ride LLC. This deal will make songs from Aardvark Records artists available for use in these dvd’s for cycling and spinning classes. This is a great example of a record label making a concerted effort to promote their artists in a variety of different formats and to place their music before end users that most likely would have never heard the artists.

Here is the entire press release:

Aardvark Records puts the pedal to the metal.
Aardvark teams up with fitness DVD production company Global Ride LLC.
PENRYN, CORNWALL

Aardvark Records and Global Ride Video Productions today announce a partnership which will see the British record label supply the US-based spinning/indoor cycling DVD production company with its extensive catalogue of rock and dance tracks. The music licensing deal will see the initial delivery of chart hits from dance acts Jason Sean, DJ Front and Liquid Factor; the folk/Americana act Satya Graha; and the Indie Rock-BritPop crossover act Little Spitfire available on the newly launched cycling fitness DVD series.

The Pennsylvania-based Global Ride started as a Spinning, Yoga and Pilates Studio serving the local community. It has since expanded into the health and fitness DVD market with the launch of its in-house production studio and DVD series. The spinning/indoor cycling series will be formally launched on 1 December 2008 with a Nationwide Tour in 12 American cities from the East Coast to the West Coast. Large, prominent Spinning/Indoor Cycling studios will be the locations for the DVD series’ premiere. Selected cities include Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Atlanta and Denver.

Gene Nacey, Global Ride Director, said: “We have spent over 18 months preparing our first DVD series. Aside from editing the videos, finding good music was the most time consuming process. I was committed to not using royalty free ‘canned tracks’.” When discussing sourcing music for the project, Nacey continued: “I spent a lot of time looking for something good. When I found Aardvark Records, it was like a godsend. The music was just what I was looking for, in an affordable range. Their website made it so easy to search and find the music as well as secure the license. I look forward to doing a lot more music licensing with Aardvark Records.”

Virtual riding used to be more like car paced videos from the travel channel, or videos of lots of cyclists in padded shorts set to music few would personally listen to if they had a choice. With Global Ride DVDs, all that has changed. Virtual cycling has now taken on more structure and is suited for both individual workouts as well as group classes. Between the commercial licensed music, the multiple coaching tracks and the live performance tracks, simulating the ‘ride outside’ has never been the same.

The Global Ride team will post daily blogs covering their road trip every day as well as uploading short YouTube videos from each location where the Global Ride DVDs are shown. What makes this fitness DVD series different? The Global Ride team believe that Spinning and Indoor Cycling is on the cusp of a change, where video will become a standard offering at every health and fitness club. Global Ride sees this as the best way to bring the two worlds of the committed outside cyclist and the dedicated indoor spinner together to share in each others experience – at least in part.

Stay tuned,
Erik
erikrostad.com