How can I tell what song is playing?

Introducing song identification technology

Song identification technology has become an incredibly useful tool for music lovers in recent years. This technology allows users to quickly identify an unknown song playing in the background. It works by using a smartphone’s microphone to capture a short sample of the song. This audio sample is then analyzed and matched against a massive database of song files to find the correct match (Source: MusicPlay Analytics Blog on Tumblr).

At a high level, song identification apps compare attributes like melody, tempo, chord progression, and more to find the closest match between the captured sample and their database. Many apps boast databases with tens of millions of songs, providing a very robust search capability (Source: Forbes).

Overall, song identification technology provides an incredibly helpful way for users to satisfy their curiosity and learn more about the music they hear around them.

Using Shazam to identify songs

Shazam is one of the most popular song identification apps. It works by using audio fingerprinting technology to match a short sample of music against its database of songs. Here’s a quick overview of how Shazam identifies music:

When you open the Shazam app and hold your phone’s microphone near a music source, it records a short sample of the audio (usually 5-10 seconds is enough). Shazam then creates an acoustic fingerprint of this audio clip based on specific audio features like frequencies, amplitudes, beats, etc. This fingerprint is unique to each song like a DNA profile.

Shazam compares this fingerprint against its vast database of pre-computed song fingerprints. When it finds an exact or very close match, it displays the song title, artist, album, and other metadata to you. Shazam’s algorithm for audio fingerprinting was pioneered by Avery Wang in the early 2000s and has been refined since then.

Some key advantages of using Shazam include:

Huge song database with over 40 million titles
Fast identification, usually within 5 seconds

Integration with Spotify, Apple Music, and other platforms to save identified songs
Can identify songs even in noisy environments

To get started using Shazam:

Download the Shazam app on your iOS or Android device
Open the app and hold your phone’s mic near the music source
Wait for Shazam to analyze the audio clip and display the song result

Tap on the result to see artist, album, lyrics, and options to play the song

The main limitation of Shazam is that the song must be present in its database to identify it. So it may fail to recognize obscure or lesser known tracks. But for most popular music, Shazam offers the fastest and most convenient way to identify songs.

Leveraging SoundHound to detect music

SoundHound is a popular music recognition app that can identify songs playing around you. It works similarly to Shazam by listening to a song through your device’s microphone and matching it against an extensive database of songs.

Compared to Shazam, SoundHound offers a faster and more accurate song detection engine according to some reviewers (source). It also provides additional features like singing or humming search to find a song. SoundHound’s interface is generally considered more intuitive as well.

To use SoundHound to identify a song:

Download and open the SoundHound app on your smartphone or tablet.

Allow the app to access your device’s microphone when prompted.
Hold your device near the music source to capture a clear audio sample.
Tap the ‘Listen’ button in the app and it will begin detecting the song.

Once identified, the app will display the song title, artist, album, and other info.
You also have options to view lyrics, watch music videos, create playlists, or share the song.

With its fast and accurate recognition, extra features, and user-friendly interface, SoundHound is a reliable way to detect music and learn more about what you’re listening to.

Trying Apple’s Built-in Song Recognition

Apple Music has a built-in song recognition feature that can identify songs playing around you. To use it, open the Apple Music app and tap the search icon in the bottom right. Then tap the microphone icon and allow access to your phone’s microphone if prompted. Hold your phone near the music source and Apple Music will listen and try to identify the song.

Apple’s song recognition works best in quiet environments when the music is clear and not muddled with background noise. The song also needs to be playing at a reasonable volume for your phone’s microphone to pick it up sufficiently. Apple Music seems to have an extensive catalog of songs to draw from, so quite obscure tracks can often be identified successfully. However, live recordings and remixes can sometimes stump the algorithm.

According to discussions on Apple support forums, some users feel Apple Music’s song recognition accuracy could still use improvement. The algorithm relies on digital fingerprinting and may struggle to identify songs with minor variations from the studio version [1]. Overall though, Apple’s built-in song detection provides a quick and convenient option for iPhone users.

Using Google to search by lyrics

One easy way to identify a song is by searching for lyrics in Google. Here are some tips to get good results:

Try to remember and write down a few lyrics you can clearly make out. The more unique or uncommon the lyrics, the better.
Put the lyrics in quotation marks so Google searches for the exact phrase.

If you only know a few words, try just searching those words without quotes and scan through the results for songs with matching lyrics.
Add details like “song lyrics” or the musical genre if known to help narrow results.
Browse through the search results to find songs with matching lyrics and play audio clips to confirm if it’s the right song.

Check multiple lyric websites like Genius, Musixmatch, or SongMeanings which may have more obscure songs.

With some careful listening and targeted Google searches, you can often track down a song when you have a few lyrics. Search a phrase in quotes, look through results for lyric snippets, and use lyric sites to find less mainstream hits.

Searching Musixmatch’s lyrics database

Musixmatch has one of the largest databases of song lyrics, with over 8 million tracks indexed. Their mobile app and website allow you to search for lyrics by artist, song title, or by typing in a sample of the lyrics. This makes Musixmatch a great option for identifying songs when you only remember a few words.

To use Musixmatch’s lyrics search, first download their app or go to their website www.musixmatch.com. Then tap the search icon and enter the lyrics you know. Musixmatch will show results based on matches to their database of lyrics.

One of the advantages of using Musixmatch is that even obscure, lesser-known tracks may be in their database. So you have a chance of identifying a song even if other services don’t recognize it. Their lyrics archive is continually updated by a community of users too.

However, the lyrics search relies on you remembering the exact words, so it may not be as effective if you only vaguely recall lyrics. There is also still a chance the song could be missing from their database if it’s very new or obscure. But overall Musixmatch provides a helpful lyrics search to aid song identification.

Using your voice with Alexa, Siri, etc

One convenient way to identify songs is by using your voice with digital assistants like Amazon Alexa, Apple Siri, Google Assistant, Samsung Bixby, etc. These assistants have built-in song recognition abilities that allow you to identify music by simply asking. For example, you can say “Alexa, what song is this?” or “Hey Siri, what is this song?” The assistant will begin listening to whatever audio is playing and attempt to match it against their database to provide song information.

Voice commands work well when the song is clearly audible to your device’s microphone. Hold your phone near the speakers or say your request while the music is playing. The assistants can often detect songs even with background noise, but accuracy improves when the song is recognizable. Using your voice is quick and hands-free, making it ideal if you need immediate song info. However, it requires an internet connection for the assistants to match against their cloud databases.

According to Wired, Siri can identify songs playing through the phone’s speakers, while Google Assistant works on external music as well. Check your assistant’s capabilities to see if song recognition is supported. With the popularity of smart speakers, identifying songs via voice continues improving.

Trying detection apps like SoundHound

In addition to the major players like Shazam and Apple Music, there are some lesser-known song identification apps worth trying as well. One popular option is SoundHound (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.melodis.midomiMusicIdentifier.freemium). SoundHound can identify songs just by listening to a short sample, similar to Shazam. It claims to have the world’s fastest music recognition technology.

Pros of SoundHound include its quick and accurate song detection, ability to identify songs even when loud or distorted, and large database of over 100 million songs. You can also hum or sing to SoundHound to identify tunes stuck in your head. It’s available for both iOS and Android.

Cons are that the free version contains audio ads between searches and lacks some convenient features like Spotify integration. There is a paid version to remove ads and unlock additional capabilities. While the detection works well, the overall user experience and interface is not as polished as Shazam.

Other options like MusicXmatch (https://www.musixmatch.com/) leverage crowdsourced lyrics databases to identify songs. While these apps can work, results may be more hit-or-miss compared to the audio fingerprinting used by Shazam and SoundHound.

Using online forums to crowdsource

If you’ve tried everything else and still can’t identify a song, turning to online forums and communities can help crowdsource the answer. Here are some popular places to post details about the mysterious song and get help identifying it:

Reddit:

r/NameThatSong is a subreddit dedicated to identifying songs. Post details about the song like lyrics, genre, year, etc. and the community will try to name it.
Other subreddits like r/tipofmytongue can also help.

Online forums:

WatzatSong has a community focused on naming songs.
Music forums like Steve Hoffman Music Forums have active communities.
Genre-specific forums like punk or metal forums are options too.

Tips for getting responses:

Give as many details as possible – lyrics, genre, year, where you heard it, etc.
Hum/sing/recreate the melody if you can.

Be patient as it may take time to get an answer.
Follow up and confirm if someone names the song.
Thank those who help you!

When all else fails, try contacting the venue

If unable to ID a song elsewhere, venues may provide DJ/playlist info to help. Best practices for asking include:

Be polite and explain you’re trying to identify a song heard at their venue.
Provide the approximate date, time, and location within the venue.

Describe any details about the song or artist that could help pinpoint it.
Ask if they have a playlist or could contact the DJ from that night.
Thank them for their time assisting you.

Follow up if you don’t hear back within a few days.

Venues want to foster positive experiences, so many will happily assist patrons with post-visit requests if able. Just remember to be patient and courteous when reaching out.

For examples, see this Reddit thread on reaching out to venues or this template for booking inquiries.