Competitive Analysis

Pace Mate is a program that uses motion-sense technology to gauge a runner's stride and pace. The program then selects songs of a matching tempo and generates a playlist. Pace Mate ensures the songs listened too actually match the tempo of the run, creating a more effective, enjoyable workout.

Competitor #1: SynchStep

http://synchstep.com/

SynchStep is probably the closest competitor to Pace Mate. It matches a runners music to his or her pace using a step-detection algorithm. SynchStep pulls songs from the individual's library that match the pace, but not all songs in the library will necessarily work. Pace Mate is slightly different in that it collects songs from a master library of music rather than the runner's own library, preventing a runner from getting sick of their songs. In this way Pace Mate has the benefit of providing more musical options and exposing the listener to new songs. Additionally, Pace Mate has a shoe-chip-type component that makes the application more accurate in terms of measuring BPM and provides the opportunity to develop the product further to include a heart rate monitor and other features. On the other hand, Pace Mate could benefit from SynchStep's step-detection algorithm and could also provide the option the choose songs from a runner's iTunes or the broader library.

Competitor #2: PaceDJ

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pacedj-sync-your-running-pace/id446225183?mt=8

PaceDJ is similar in that it selects songs from those on a user's phone. However, it is slightly different in that it alters the BPM of songs in a playlist to match the runner's target tempo. It also measures a runners strides per minute, and this information can be uploaded to a website to find other songs that match that pace. PaceDJ provides more musical options in this way, and being able to track strides per minute could be a useful training tool. However, once again the runner is limited to the songs they actually find and place on their device.

Competitor #3: JogTunes

http://jogtunes.com/

JogTunes helps runners create playlists based on a chosen tempo. The user determines his or her "favorite pace" based on samples of music. They then browse a "Tunes List" to buy and download songs of that particular BPM. Finally, the user creates a playlist of the songs they have picked. The process is much more manual than the other competitors, and it seems time consuming and even expensive to buy and download enough songs for a quality playlist. Pace Mate is superior in that the measurement of pace and finding of music is automatic, which also makes it more accurate and effective. It is more conducive to active individuals with busy schedules looking to just run out the door and have an appropriate running playlist with one tap of their finger. Taking ideas from JogTunes, Pace Mate could increase its setting options to allow a user to have automatic BPM measurement and song selection or to let the user select a desired BMP manually.