A new partnership takes Spotify’s streaming experience into the skies, giving United passengers free access to curated content while they fly.

Spotify has announced an exciting new partnership with United Airlines that brings curated playlists, podcasts, and – for the first time – audiobooks and video podcasts to passengers mid-flight. According to a statement published by Spotify today (June 5th), the streaming platform will now be available for free through over 130,000 seatback screens across United’s fleet.

This isn’t Spotify’s first time taking to the skies. The platform has previously teamed up with Delta Airlines and Virgin America to offer in-flight audio experiences, showing a growing trend of music streaming services expanding into travel entertainment.

The new United offering includes more than 450 hours of Spotify content, including popular shows like Good Hang with Amy Poehler, The Dave Chang Show, and The Comment Section with Drew Afualo. Many of the seatback screens are equipped with 4K resolution and Bluetooth connectivity, allowing for a high-quality, personalised experience for travellers—especially music fans and creators who want to stay connected with new content on the go.

As shared in Spotify’s official release, Richard Nunn, CEO of MileagePlus, said, “Spotify has a huge audience and people love their content. And now our customers can enjoy it all in a simple and easy way, at 35,000 feet.” He added, “Together, we’re giving millions of customers an entirely new way to experience and explore premium content from the world’s most popular artists, authors, and podcasters, all while flying with the latest technology in the sky.”

Travellers flying on aircraft fitted with Starlink Wi-Fi can also stream Spotify on their own devices from gate to gate completely for free. All they need to do is log into their MileagePlus account and accept the Starlink terms. After that, Spotify will work just like it does at home.

To mark the launch, there’s a bonus on offer for MileagePlus members who are new to Spotify Premium Individual. By signing up, they can receive up to 1,000 bonus miles. Full details can be found at spotify.com/ppt/united.

Spotify plans to expand the service in 2026, letting passengers log into their personal accounts via seatback screens to continue their favourite content mid-flight.

Ian Geller, Spotify’s VP of Business Development, said, “As a regular United flyer myself, it’s really exciting to see technology being rolled out on the world’s largest airline.” He added, “I couldn’t be more excited to add an even more personalised app-streaming experience to the seatback next year.”

For independent artists, this creates fresh chances to reach new audiences – your next fan might be streaming your track from 35,000 feet.

Make sure United passengers hear your music during their flight, and distribute your music to Spotify (plus all other major streaming platforms round the world). Sign up to RouteNote to get started.