The purpose of this study was to investigate the use of personal music players (PMPs) during exercise, including their purpose(s), how they affect exercise, and the most common music listened to. A representative sample of 184 undergraduate students from two separate university wellness centers completed a 17-item, content validated questionnaire containing demographic information and questions related to music and exercise preference and music player use. The most popular types of music listened to during exercise were hip hop (27.7%), rock (24%), pop (20.3%), and country (12.7%). The most common modes of exercise while listening to a PMP were free weights (27.2%), treadmill (26%), machine weights (19.6%), and elliptical trainer (17.4%). The most common reasons to listen to a PMP were "to work out harder," (22.4%) "make the exercise seem easier," (21.4%) and "to work out longer" (20.2%). Significantly more participants indicated they would work out more frequently while using a PMP (53.3% yes; 26% no, 21% unsure; X2 33.70, 2, p equal to or less than 0.001). In this sample, music appears to serve as a motivating factor, making exercise more pleasant and seem easier. These results may have positive implications for fitness professionals encouraging new exercisers. (Contains 2 tables and 1 figure.)