Safran Partners with WalkMix to Bring Sony 360 Reality Audio to RAVE IFE

15 June 2022, Hamburg, Germany

Safran Passenger Innovations, a leader in inflight entertainment experiences, is pleased to announce an exclusive partnership with Audio Futures, Inc. and its WalkMix Service introducing 360 Reality Audio, a new immersive music experience using Sony’s 360 Spacial Sound technologies.  Safran Passenger Innovation’s best-in-class RAVE in-flight entertainment and connectivity (IFEC) system with 360 Reality Audio will offer more immersive realism for music and other audio content delivered on headphones during flights.

Compatible with all connected headphones, 360 Reality Audio will support consumer adoption. RAVE’s exclusive Bluetooth technology also maintains Safran Passenger Innovation’s lead in a new era of diverse audio innovations and services for premium class passengers.

With plans that go beyond music, WalkMix will offer airlines capabilities for branded content and third-party sponsorship along with exclusive digital collectables for music fans. Included are popular audio therapies from leading health and wellness content creators. These are especially significant for the airline industry, as many recent studies suggest therapeutic audio can have a positive effect toward alleviating traveler anxiety and stress.

All content will be sourced exclusively via WalkMix.com and content providers can create new offerings in 360 Reality Audio and contribute other creations such as digital merchandise with delivery on Safran Passenger Innovation’s RAVE in-flight systems.

“RAVE spatial audio is the next frontier for inflight multimedia and can take a passenger from their seat and virtually transport them into the middle of a concert hall. We believe this immersive experience powered by WalkMix and Sony 360 Reality Audio will be a compelling point of differentiation for RAVE customers by offering premium content and an elevated passenger experience”, said Ben Asmar, Safran Passenger Innovation’s Vice President of Products & Strategy.

Phil Quartararo, President of Audio Futures, Inc, further explained, “Creating and listening to music mixed in 360 Reality Audio is the next great experience for all music fans. As significant as when the world moved from analog to digital recording, or when television first started to broadcast in color, it is simple to use, accessible on all listening devices and notably a different and better way to listen. As the father of modern multi-track recording technology, Les Paul, brought recorded sound to life in a way that forever changed the music industry, the new 360 Reality Audio listening experience is simply the best available sonic delivery on earth”.

With expected testing in 2023, the first product made in collaboration between Safran Passenger Innovations and WalkMix.com will be marketed as “WalkMix” on RAVE.

About 360 Reality Audio and WalkMix.com:

https://electronics.sony.com/360-reality-audio

https://www.walkmix.com

360 Reality Audio is a new immersive music experience that uses Sony's object-based 360 Spatial Sound technologies. Individual sounds such as vocals, chorus, piano, guitar, bass and even sounds of the live audience can be placed in a 360 spherical sound field, giving artists and creators a new way to express their creativity. Listeners can be immersed in a field of sound exactly as intended by artists and creators.