Make a road trip playlist together

Build around the people and the journey

Ask each person for a familiar favorite, a discovery and a quieter song. Use these road trip playlist ideas as a starting point and swap in your own. Listen to the full recordings and check lyrics and edits with your passengers in mind; this is not a selection for children.

These 24 suggestions won’t fill a long drive on their own. Add up the running time of your chosen recordings, then allow extra music for delays, breaks and the return journey.

Setting off: a bright start

Line up the first few songs while you’re still parked, before maps and conversation take over.

1. Here Comes the Sun · The BeatlesA gentle opening while everyone settles into the journey.
2. Mr. Blue Sky · Electric Light OrchestraA brighter lift after the softer start; choose the album recording you know.
3. Send Me on My Way · Rusted RootA rolling rhythm for a group that likes an earthy, playful sound.
4. Go Your Own Way · Fleetwood MacA guitar-driven change of pace before the pop picks.
5. Life Is a Highway · Tom CochraneTom Cochrane’s original; name Rascal Flatts if you mean their cover.
6. Shotgun · George EzraA sunny pop option to mix with the older favorites.

Familiar songs for passenger singalongs

Pick the choruses your passengers actually enjoy. Nobody has to perform.

7. Sweet Caroline · Neil DiamondA shared chorus if this is already one of your group’s favorites.
8. Africa · TotoAn expansive pop choice between the more energetic tracks.
9. Take On Me · a-haLeave the high notes to whichever passenger volunteers.
10. A Thousand Miles · Vanessa CarltonA piano-led singalong for friends who know this recording.
11. Livin’ on a Prayer · Bon JoviA bigger rock chorus before changing the pace again.
12. Everyday Is a Winding Road · Sheryl CrowA looser groove to ease out of the big singalongs.

Quieter songs for scenery and conversation

A good road trip playlist leaves space. Lower the volume or pause when people want quiet.

13. Holocene · Bon IverA spacious change after a run of familiar choruses.
14. Fast Car · Tracy ChapmanLet the story take center stage. This is Tracy Chapman’s original; name the cover you want if you prefer another version.
15. Big Yellow Taxi · Joni MitchellA lighter rhythm without returning to a wall of sound.
16. Rivers and Roads · The Head and the HeartA reflective choice for a trip that brings far-flung friends together.
17. Into the Mystic · Van MorrisonWarm and unhurried for a group that likes this sound.
18. Harvest Moon · Neil YoungA gentle finish to the quieter stretch; check which version you’re getting.

Arrival and the long way home

Save some favorites for later instead of using up every big song in the first hour.

19. I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) · The ProclaimersBack to singalongs when the group is ready for one.
20. Home · Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic ZerosA homecoming pick for a trip to see people you love.
21. Coming Home · Leon BridgesA softer soul choice as the journey winds down.
22. Homeward Bound · Simon & GarfunkelA reflective pick for the drive back rather than the way out.
23. The Weight · The BandOne more shared chorus if it fits your passengers’ taste.
24. On the Road Again · Willie NelsonA country closer; agree on which recording your group wants.

Collect everyone’s picks before departure

Send something like: “Add three songs for Saturday’s drive: a favorite, a discovery and something quieter. Add a note about why, and say which version if it matters. Let’s settle the list by Friday evening.”

1. Open a shared trip tapeStart on the homepage and open Tweak the rules. Under Who can add tracks, choose Everyone; under How can people add tracks?, choose Whenever they want. Friends can then add songs whenever it suits them before the trip.
2. Invite your passengersShare the link in your group chat. Friends join with a display name; they don’t need a Link Tapes account. For an invitation-only group, use Backstage and share its access code.
3. Agree on the final selectionRead the notes, drop duplicates and spread each person’s choices through the journey. Start with the same number of picks per person, then add enough music for the actual route.

With Add multiple tracks turned on, friends can add up to 20 individual track links at once; playlist links aren’t split into tracks. The song-request setup guide explains each setting, and the collaborative playlist guide covers mixing supported music sources.

Prepare the music for patchy signal

Collecting links and preparing audio are separate jobs. Link Tapes needs an internet connection to stream and does not provide offline audio or automatically transfer the list into another service. Build the final playlist in the service you will use in the car.

If your plan with that service allows downloads, download the chosen recordings beforehand; Spotify requires Premium for music downloads. Test offline playback on the actual device at home, and check your cable, adapter and car connection while parked.

On a tape, YouTube tracks play only when the video can be embedded. Spotify and Deezer may play only previews unless the browser playing them is signed in to a Premium account for that service. Traveling in several cars? Share the final list and set up playback in each car.

Give a passenger music duty

Set the first songs and the volume before departure. Let a passenger handle later changes. If you are driving alone, stop somewhere safe before changing anything. Keep the driver’s attention on the road; louder music is no substitute for a rest break.

After the trip, keep the picks and notes as a shared memory. Add the song you discovered along the way, or the one everyone asked to hear again.