Interrail Turns Rides Into Your Personal Montage With Adaptive ‘SoundTracks’

Train rides provide the perfect opportunity to kick back and watch as the countryside and cityscapes pass you by. And nothing beats a killer playlist to accompany you on your journey.

Europe’s Interrail Pass—which has opened Europe up to youths aged 21 and under to over 33 different locations across the continent—is now creating playlists for each individual passenger that adapt in real-time to the listener’s surroundings.  

The initiative, called ‘SoundTracks’, was created to help the ticketing company celebrate its 50th anniversary with some great tunes. 

So, how does an adaptive playlist work? Well, the SoundTrack responds to the listener’s location, weather, and time of day. So whether you’re watching the rolling hills of Switzerland pass by you or zooming through Prague, the playlist will adapt to your environment and play music to compliment it.   

Weather and time of day are also taken into account. Whether it’s snowing or sunny outside, night or day, each different combination of your environment will present a unique mix of music. 

Passengers just need to scan a QR code located on the window of each seat to access SoundTracks.fm. With permission, it will then track the user via GPS. Interrail has created a software that has the map of Europe integrated into it, so it knows just where the train is and through what terrain it is traveling through. 

The project was brought together by advertising agency Fitzroy and installation designers Circus Family. 

While you won’t need a train ticket to listen to the playlists, they are still best listened to against the backdrop of Europe’s majestic scenery. 

[via Creative Boom and LBB Online, cover image via Interrail]