You’re on a quick flight. An hour to decompress before the start of the day. So you decide to relax with some new music. But you don’t want to start thinking about what to listen to. That’s what DJs are for, right?

Curation may be a buzzword in content circles but it’s basically what DJs have been doing since the invention of radio. And it’s what Spafax does across multiple media channels like audio, video and print. As an audio programmer for Spafax, programming audio for 20 airline clients, I’ve been in the curation business for longer than I’d care to admit.

But like any service, picking music for the world’s airlines is one, way harder than you might imagine and, two, needs to change.

A modern approach to music curation, much like the cocktail revival and slow food, relies on what many may consider a “throwback” method: begin with the finest ingredients, and assemble them with precision, passion and expertise. (Yes, I like to cook.)

Inflight entertainment is in a unique position as it lives in a place where aviation, the travel industry and 21st century technology meet.  With this in mind, Spafax introduced an additional option to audio-on-demand (AOD) systems, song libraries and seat channel offerings for our airline clients.  Dubbed “Custom Playlists” (or CP), this new short-form audio program is a versatile, bespoke music compilation.  CP’s have been a hit with passengers, who regularly inquire about playlists and ‘something I heard while flying from x to y’.

What makes a CP special? It can perform the following functions:

  • The Quantitative.  Focus on composers, instruments, themes, festivals.
  • The Qualitative.  Focus less on lyrics and verbal description and more on moods, sounds, vibes and inherent musicality: Blue Moods, Unique Voices, Scat Styles, Sunny Feelings. Music based on mood as opposed to “category.”
  • Depth.  Focus on areas not otherwise covered by other offerings: Goethe in Music; Classical Shakespeare; Original Blues Songs Covered by Rock Greats.
  • The Tie-In.  Focus on destinations, promotions, anniversaries, editorial coverage.

With CP we also wanted to offer a new take on typical inflight audio. When we offer this model to a client, we do so in addition (or as an alternative) to our traditional AOD model. Some airlines do not offer many CDs through their AOD system. Let’s face it, sometimes, entire CDs are not very good. A few good songs are surrounded by a lot of filler. With our help, or because of our “curation,” the airline helps the passenger narrow the choice in an otherwise vast and daunting sea of song. This way, we hope, a passenger on a short(ish) flight is guaranteed music they want to hear and that fits into the time of their flight.

As more and more of our clients take us up on CP, we’re hoping to revolutionize the way airline passengers enjoy music. And as music lovers, we hope this is a way for passengers to discover new music and musicians in a cool format.

Slow food, craft cocktails and Spafax Custom Playlists have one thing in common: attention to detail.  The Spafax audio team strives to provide “real” music programming that goes beyond a mere iTunes playlist or Amazon recommendation. Curation – like DJing – implies a personal choice. We believe no automated result or algorithm-generated product comes close!