Please Don’t Stop the Music: Playlists and Packages in the Digital Age
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APEX Insight: “More is more” has been the ethos propagated by the plethora of music streaming services, but, to help listeners face the wall of music, savvy entertainment providers are creating smart and dynamic playlists for high impact and long-lasting engagement.
In celebration of its 40th birthday on April 5, Apple Music released a commemorative playlist that features songs from Apple ads over the years, from “Can’t Feel My Face” by The Weeknd” to “All You Need is Love” by the Beatles. According to Claudius Boller, vice-president, Digital and Business Development, Universal Music MENA, Apple’s deployment of playlists goes far beyond marketing.
During his presentation at APEX MultiMedia Market in Amsterdam, Boller cited a change of Apple’s interface as an indicative sign of where digital music consumption may be headed across platforms – including in flight. “In the past you could see the top downloads, albums and recommendations,” he said. “Now it starts right away with playlists.”
“The ‘search’ feature is not state of the art anymore,” he said. “People are lazy,” and playlists offer listeners an opportunity to discover music at ease, he added. But in order for playlists to be effective, they have to be smart. Algorithms that understand a users listening preferences and experts that can tailor to taste are key to Apple’s model of success.
“Your experience on in-flight entertainment could be so much better than your experience on YouTube.” €” Claudius Boller, Universal Music MENA
Several airlines have already successfully employed music to enrich the passenger experience and define their brand. And there’s room for airlines to go beyond music, too. “Your experience on in-flight entertainment could be so much better than your experience on YouTube,” he said. “Imagine Justin Bieber describing a guide of Canada to passengers as they fly to the country.” Packaged around music, an airline could produce engaging original content, while at the same time benefiting from the Canadian pop star and his reach with the Beliebers.
“The idea is to create a unified experience for the traveler,” added Johary Ratsimbazafy, managing director, Mondia Media GmbH, who presented after Boller. By packaging music offers and making engagement more interactive, airlines and brands have the opportunity to extend the experience beyond the flight – through concert tickets, city guides and more.
Digital platforms can also allow for music to be consumed in lounges, at check-in on shuttle services or as incentives for loyalty programs – so that passengers don’t have to stop the music, which would be especially unfortunate if they were in the middle of this song.