Tuning in: Boarding music

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As passengers return to the skies postpandemic, many will bring new feelings of anxiety and fear with them. They may not have flown for many months and concerns over health and safety are now added to their boarding check-list.

It is important, therefore, to set the right mood as soon as they board and this is something boarding music can support.

Brad Power, creative director at Stellar Entertainment, thinks boarding music achieves several key objectives. “It should provide a welcoming atmosphere, induce and maintain a feeling of calm, and reflect the airline's brand strategy,” he says. “The music may reflect the airline’s home nation, or a destination.”

choosing a track

To meet these objectives, airlines can either license pre-existing songs, or create a bespoke track. Preexisting music – including songs from the charts, classic tunes or one-hitwonders – can create a sense of familiarity and tie into wider branding campaigns. For example, Jet2 used Jess Glynne’s chart-topping pop song ‘Hold my hand’ across its television adverts and online marketing, as the on-hold music for their telephone lines, and on repeat during boarding. It arguably became synonymous with the airline. However, the repetitiveness of the tune caused many passengers to reportedly call for a boycott of the airline, claiming it became unbearable after multiple plays - often five times on a single flight.

Using licensed music can also raise cost issues, as Power points out: “While pre-existing songs may provide a sense of familiarity, they can be expensive to license and are non-exclusive, so various airlines can use the same music which is not great for differentiating your brand.

“Bespoke music is exclusive and will save the airline a significant cost. One of the unique aspects of boarding music is that (apart from safety announcements) it is the only IFE music that every passenger hears, so it is a great opportunity to connect with the passengers. Bespoke music makes the most of that opportunity. A bespoke offering can also be as long as 30 minutes, giving the composer the freedom to take the listener on a seamless sonic journey. Existing songs are only about five minutes long.”

A bespoke process

Stellar Entertainment creates bespoke boarding music at its fully owned, state-of-the-art multistudio production facility with an in-house composer. “Our sound designers are producing inflight content every day,” says Power. “We love it and understand it. We always have a boarding track in production at any given time and have a great insight to sonic branding for airlines.” Most recently Stellar worked with Australian airline Regional Express (Rex) to create a bespoke track which has been flying

A lot of brands never since March 2021. There are give much thought to actually two contemporary the question: What does your brand sound like? tracks designed to create a comforting and relaxed ambience. Power says: “It is important to us to consult with the airline and manage their expectations. Some do supply examples of music styles for our creative team to review but others ask us to find a sound that reflects their offering. “One of my favourite projects was for Malaysia Airlines. Malaysia is such a melting pot of cultures – the Malay, Chinese, Indian and indigenous influences needed to be reflected in the composition. We were able to draw on the musical instruments and textures of each cultural group and entwine them in a 30 minute soundscape – it’s a lovely piece.”

Deeper meaning

Whilst it may be tempting to board the song of the moment, a bespoke track can bring added longer term value. Power adds: “A lot of brands never give much thought to the question: “What does your brand sound like?’ but I believe boarding music is a great way to reflect the cultural aspects of the company. Familiar instruments, melodies, and voices are timeless, where trends can come and go.” •

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Wireless inflight entertainment (W-IFE) is continuing to grow in popularity as a cost-effective, safe, and engaging way for airlines to offer entertainment services on board. However, many airlines can become overwhelmed trying to choose the best provider for all their needs.

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