Have you ever been in a bar, store or even on the street and heard a song you liked, but had no idea who the artist was or the name of the song? This makes it very difficult when looking for it. With this in mind, apps were created to help you find out what song is playing, music identification apps, and that's why we selected the best ones in this practical guide to help you in this search!
What are music identification apps?
Music identification apps are tools that use audio recognition technology to discover the music playing around you. Some of the most popular include Shazam, SoundHound and Google Assistant.
How to identify a song that is playing:
Shazam
Shazam is one of the most popular music identification apps in the world. With just a tap, Shazam can identify the music playing around you, whether it's in a cafe, a movie, a TV commercial, or anywhere else.
Once a song is identified, Shazam provides the user with the song name, artist, and other information such as song lyrics when available. You can then preview the song, watch it on YouTube, share it with friends, or even purchase the song through links to online music stores.
One of Shazam’s unique features is “Shazam Auto”. This feature allows Shazam to continue listening to and identifying songs even when the app is closed. This is useful, for example, if you are at a party and want to identify all the songs that are played.
SoundHound
SoundHound has the ability to identify a song in a few seconds just by listening to a snippet of it. The app then provides information about the song, including the name, artist, and lyrics if available.
Additionally, SoundHound also has a voice search feature, which allows users to find music by speaking or singing into the app. This can be especially useful if you don't know the name of the song or artist, but you know part of the lyrics.
SoundHound also offers integration with other music apps and services, such as Spotify and Apple Music, allowing users to play songs identified through these services. It also has an “autoplay” function, which allows users to listen to a sample of the identified song.
Google Assistant
Google Assistant also has a function that allows you to identify music playing in the environment.
To use this function, you need to activate Google Assistant and ask the right question. See how:
- Activate Google Assistant. You can do this by saying “Ok, Google” if you've set the assistant to listen for that phrase. If not, you can press the Google Assistant button on your device.
- When Assistant is listening, ask “What song is playing?” or “What’s the name of that song?”
- The Assistant will listen to the song that is playing and then try to identify it. This may take a few seconds.
- If the Assistant can identify the song, it will tell you the name of the song and who sings it. It can also show album cover and other information. In some cases, the Assistant may also provide links to music on streaming services.
Keep in mind that the Assistant may not be able to identify all songs. If the music is playing very quietly, or there is a lot of background noise, the Assistant may have difficulty hearing the music well enough to identify it. Additionally, the Assistant's music database may not include all songs, especially if they are very new, very old, or by lesser-known artists.
With these apps you will never have to wonder what song is playing again. Download the app you like the most now and start discovering new music from now on!
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