The reach of podcasts are not yet to outer space, but they have become 30,000 feet closer. Delta Airlines has struck a licensing deal with Spotify to craft an in-flight audio experience for fliers. In addition to popular music playlists, the lineup will include 42 podcast series including Crime Junkie, Science Vs, Start Up, The Dave Chang Show, The Hottest Take, and The Journal, among others. The deal expands a podcast content distribution deal struck between Delta and Spotify in 2019.
“Our customers expect the very best in-flight entertainment when flying on Delta and Spotify is the very best in music and podcasts,” said Ranjan Goswami, Senior VP of Brand Experience at Delta. “We are not only elevating the audio experience onboard, but best-in-class content also is the foundation for our vision of a more personalized travel journey in the future that customers won’t find anywhere else.”
Beginning in September, customers on Delta will be able to listen to podcasts as well as specially curated versions of Spotify’s most popular playlists including Mood Booster, Are & Be, Hot Country, Mint, Today’s Top Hits, Relax & Unwind, Rap Caviar, and Ultimate Indie.
Delta says in the same way the airline regularly refreshes Delta Studio with new hit movies and TV shows from top studios, the curated playlist mixtapes and podcasts will be regularly updated and expanded with new tracks and episodes to ensure customers always have the latest hits and new playlists during their journey – including selections from artists and genres they might not have discovered yet. That will be on display in October when three new music playlists will be added including Rock This, Roots Rising, and ¡Viva Latino!.
“There are currently more than 20 million flight-related user-generated playlists globally on Spotify, and this new partnership is making it even easier for listeners to tap into their favorite audio content while flying,” the streamer said in the announcement.
The new audio section lives within the familiar Delta Studio interface on seatback screens. Users will just need to tap the “Audio” tab on the left to browse and select from available options, plug in earbuds or headphones and listen.
Spotify says all of its content on Delta Studio will be free of charge.