Finnair’s new soundscape: a soothing journey through Nordic skies

Music is an essential part of the Finnair brand experience. From the memorable sound at the end of our commercials to the soothing tunes playing as you board our aircraft, we’ve chosen music to make you feel welcome, safe and inspired.

We wanted to refresh this Finnair sonic experience, so we’ve created a brand-new 45-minute soundscape from which we can now choose samples for our different touchpoints. The music is available on Spotify, Apple Music, Instagram and TikTok. It’s free for everyone to listen to and use without any limitations.

The concept for the soundscape came from a team at Finnair's lead creative agency SEK, working with sound & music agency Vild Music and Finnish producer Perttu.

Soothing music for flying

The composition's foundation lies in four chords played by different instruments. This harmonic pattern is kept consistent throughout the entire soundscape. 

“The challenge was to create enough repetition in the music that it would feel familiar to the listener, yet still be interesting and not have any sudden loud moments that could cause stress,” says Perttu. "My approach was to make a minimalist composition with modern electronic synthesizers and percussion instruments.”

“I usually compose on piano, so it was natural to keep that as the main instrument for Finnair. The piano has a timeless sound that's familiar to most people. I also used the sounds of other classical instruments, like violin and flutes,” he says.

Perttu started out in Finnish heavy-metal bands when he was 14, soon touring Europe to play at big festivals. He moved to Berlin at 24 to learn how to produce electronic music, working with dance and indie-pop artists who took him deeper into the world of sound. He’s now expanding into composing music for film soundtracks too.

The sound of Nordic space

“We wanted to use music-industry talent for this project. We’re proud to have worked with Perttu, a pop and dance music producer who's collaborated with many international singers and songwriters,” says Sampo Hänninen, Lead Creative at SEK.

Hänninen says the team aimed to capture the essence of Nordic culture in the new Finnair music. This meant focusing on a minimalistic sound that incorporates space and room to breathe.

"The Finnair soundscape begins with a piece called Inspiration that sets the tone for the whole journey. When people board the aircraft, they need to settle down and breathe. It's like a meditative experience,” he says.

Before boarding your next Finnair flight, save our new soundscape and sit back to listen as we take you on a soothing journey through Nordic skies.