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Tech how-to: Identify any song using your phone
We’re sure that there have been many instances where you hear a song that pique’s your interest but don’t know who the artist is. You want to add the tune to your playlist but can’t figure out what song it is.
Luckily, technology is here to help, allowing you to identify songs quickly and easily by only using your smartphone. SoundHound has been one of the most-used apps to do that since its founding in 2005. Tap or click here to see where Spotify beats Apple Music – and where it doesn’t.
But several others leverage the power of your mobile device and an internet connection to have you singing along in no time. Keep reading to find out how to identify any song just by using your phone.
How to ID songs on iOS
One of the easiest ways to identify a song through an iOS device is to ask Siri. When the music is playing, say, “Hey Siri. What is this song?” The virtual assistant will jump into action and search for an answer.
She isn’t doing it herself, as she has help from one of the biggest music ID companies. Shazam was launched before SoundHound and was eventually bought by Apple in 2018. This paved the way for Shazam to be integrated into Siri, and it’s this technology that she utilizes to identify unknown tracks.
If you prefer not to use Siri, you can always use the standalone Shazam app. Open the app and tap on the big icon in the middle of the screen to start the listening process. To quickly ID songs, you can add Shazam to your iPhone’s Control Center.
- Open the Settings app
- Tap on Control Center
- Scroll down the list of available controls and tap on the plus-icon next to Music Recognition
When you need to ID a song, swipe your finger down diagonally from the top right corner. Tap on the Shazam icon and your device will start the ID process.
How to ID songs on Android
Android uses similar technology for song identification. While it can also be used on an iOS device, the easiest way to do this on Android is through Google Assistant.
Unlock your device and hold down on the Home button. Then ask, “What’s this song?” and the Assistant will do its best to name it for you. If a result is found, you can share the song, tap on the screen to watch the music video on YouTube, or add it to a playlist on YouTube Music.
iPhone tip: How to identify a song with just a tap of your finger
There were so many cool features rolled out with iOS 14 that it’s hard to keep count. Thanks to the update, iPhone users now have widgets, shortcuts for emoji and a slew of other new features to play with, too.
Apple products have always been super popular, but this new iOS really took iPhones and iPads to the next level with fun and productive features. You can even use Apple Maps to avoid red light cameras and speed traps thanks to the OS upgrade, which completely overhauled the way iPhones work.
3 music recognition apps to tell you 'What's that song?'
You’ve got a song stuck in your head, but you can’t place the artist or name. Or, you’re out and about and you hear a great song and you must add it to your library … but what’s the name? There are several apps for that, and we’ve vetted three of them for you, that will identify songs based on your question, by tapping and listening, or by searching lyrics.