Driving fewer miles and working from home has become the new normal for so many people during the pandemic. If you miss the sights and sounds of a morning commute as much as I do, then Erkam Şeker has just the app for you. Drive & Listen is an impressively chill way to simulate a drive through your favorite cities.
Erkam Şeker is an Istanbul-born student studying in Munich. He set up the app during travel lockdowns as a way for people to experience the outside world while stuck inside. From Lonely Planet:
I was missing riding around my city, even the traffic and the fuss of daily life, so I found myself watching videos of Istanbul [online].
It was so fun to see my city but I thought why not listen to some radio in the background to get the whole riding in cars experience? I realised that other people around the world must be missing that same experience of being on the road.
While this app has been around for a long time, I’ve only discovered it now. At first I thought it was a silly concept, but all it took was booting up the Chicago tour. I’m absolutely loving it.
How does it work? The app pairs recorded footage from YouTube or user-submitted videos with the sounds of the road and live radio. The end result is brilliant. If you weren’t sitting on your couch or at your desk you’d feel like you’re right there in the action. The only way it could be any more immersive would be with 360-degree virtual reality.
The app originally launched with 38 cities, but as of now it has around 50. I’m also finding it a neat way to experience the commutes of other countries right from home.
So if you’re stuck at home like I am — in recent months I have flown a plane farther than driving a car — boot up this app and enjoy some tunes in cities of the world. You won’t regret it.