Fantastic Google Maps mashup maps your musical memories

If you’re in any doubt that it’s worthwhile for web services to invest in APIs for their products here’s something that might sway you. It’s a great-looking ‘Memory Map’ that combines Google Maps with the We7 music database to create a map of users’ musical memories.

Designed to promote the UK release of Sam Mendes’ new film Away We Go the site (which you can find here) allows you to browse locations on the map, exploring locations and the musical memories associated with them.

Users can add their own memories to the map by selecting a location and then adding a song from the database of music streaming and download service We7. Although the map focusses on the UK you can actually browse and add memories around the world.

It’s a beautifully executed mashup with ‘hand drawn’ style animations and a nicely tilted map making it look a little classier than most projects built with Google Maps. It’s let down a little by the fact that it depends on We7 having your choice of song in its database. Upon testing the service I had to try a few times with different songs as We7 obviously found my taste in music a little obscure.

It’s a shame that mashups of this quality often come about only as a promotional tool. An ongoing musical memory map of this quality should be available to add to as a permanent resource. It would be interesting to watch it grow and develop over a period of years. Unfortunately this one will probably disappear once the marketing push for the film is finished.