Recognizing a song is easy with audio fingerprinting services like Shazam and SoundHound. However, they only work when the song is playing somewhere near or when you know part of the lyrics. But what about humming? How do you identify the name of that one elusive song that you just can’t remember?
You remember the tune because it’s stuck somewhere in the soft tissue of your brain. You know you want it badly, but somehow, can’t pin it down. It’s like catching Big Foot? Elusive. Fret not for there are apps available in the market now that can recognize songs by humming its tune. The way it works is quite ingenious. They taking small snippets of humming waveform and compare it to every song in their database with similar waveforms. You just have to hum it correctly, and by that, I mean in rhythm. Bathroom singers will be okay. You don’t have to be Joe Jonas but it has to make sense, be audible, and clear. Let’s begin.
Also Read: How to Play Offline Music on Android Watch Without Your Phone
Apps That Recognizes Songs by Humming
1. Google App
In the recent October 15, 2020 update, Google added a “hum to search” feature to the Google App. In order to use this “hum to search” feature, you would have to update the Google app to the latest version i.e. 11.33.9.23. Once done, head over to the Google app and switch to the “Search” tab. On the search tab, tap on the Audio search button and you will an additional option called “Search for Song”.
Here, you can hum the lyrics or the guitar string stuck in your mind. I tried to find a couple of songs using this feature and the result was about 50% accurate.
Download Google App: (Android | iOS)
1. SoundHound
SoundHound was not the first music discovery app to come along, but it is definitely one of the best apps out there. One that can truly give Shazam a run for its money. It will pretty much recognize any song you hum or sing into your phone’s speaker. It’s really fast too, provided you have done a good job of humming the tune of the song or music you want it to discover. Other features include watching live videos of the song, lyrics that scroll automatically with the song playing in the background and connecting with like minded music lovers from across the globe.
During my test, it recognized Tarzan Boy from Baltimore but gave me two more options. Not bad, eh? It is also a good source to discover what other people are finding interesting or searching for, new and emerging tracks and singers/bands, and much more. All your searches will be saved for future reference. I like the biography feature. Hardcore fans will appreciate that. SoundHound also integrates with Spotify and YouTube. The pro version will remove ads and offer some extra features for $5.99.
Download SoundHound: Android | iOS
2. MusicPedia
MusicPedia takes things to the next level. You are going to love it, especially if you are a musician who can play piano or guitar. MusicPedia comes with a powerful voice recognition engine that can recognize songs by humming. But if you are a musician and know the notes, there is an advanced option just for you.
There is a music note search feature where you can enter the notes using Keyboard search, or use the Contour search if you are unsure and want to go with the general pattern. There is also an option to record your notes using a musical instrument. Using these three options will let you search for and identify a song using tune or rhythm of the song alone. The results comes with a play button so you can hear the song (in part thereof), and a YouTube link to the entire video song.
The site is free to use but ad-supported. The UI is kind of ugly but the harmony of codes behind it is melodious.
Also Read: 5 Music Sync Apps to Stream Music to Multiple Devices
3. AudioTag
AudioTag is another web app that will help you recognize songs by humming the tune or the lyrics. The UI is very basic and there isn’t much to write about. The method is not the most suitable either. You will have to record your tune or humming before you can upload it. You can use any audio recorder app for that but yes, using the microphone would have made life a lot easier.
There is also support for singing and like MusicPedia, you can play musical instruments too, if you know how to. The process is still too long and not exactly worth it, considering there are other options available.
Also Read: 8 Best Music App for Windows 10 Computers
4. Midomi
Midomi is a very popular site with a large fan following of music lovers from across the globe. The site is again not well-designed, but there is a beta version coming out soon. So, I am hopeful. Midomi makes it super easy. Just tap on the audio icon to start recording and then start humming those lyrics or tune. Midomi comes with an audio recorder and voice search engine built-in. Makes life that much easier.
It works pretty well and is blazingly fast. It is also a cool place to hangout, discover what other people are searching for, and listen to new songs. Search results also show you a video of the song with links to popular destinations where you can buy the music. What’s even more awesome is that Midomi supports a number of foreign languages too. And there is a text search, in case you remember the lyrics.
Also Read: 10 Best Music Composer Apps for Android and iOS
Recognize Songs by Humming
There are a limited number of mobile and web apps that have the capability to recognize any song simply by its tune or lyrics. I think identifying a song by its lyrics is easier since you know the words, and you simply have to match it against a given library of lyrics. However, identifying a song based on a tune or humming makes it more difficult as most people usually aren’t very good at humming. Either way, these apps will help.
Alternative, you can use forums like NameThatSong on Reddit or Identify that song on Facebook, if you have some clue with the songs like the movie you saw it in or a concert.
I would recommend SoundHound to everyone here because it is available on both Android and iOS platforms, and most of us carry a smartphone with us at all times. Then there are the web apps if you need something for your desktop or laptop.
