6 Innovative Ways to Discover a Song Playing Near You – TK

6 Innovative Ways to Discover a Song Playing Near You

Imagine yourself at a restaurant or a party when suddenly, a song grabs your attention. In the past, figuring out the name of that song might have been a frustrating task, but today, thanks to advancements in technology, there are numerous apps that make this process simple and fast. With features that go beyond mere identification, these tools reveal information such as lyrics, artist history, album details, release year, and even options to save the song to your playlists. Check out below six of the best apps for discovering songs, packed with features and details to enhance your musical experience.

Advertisment

1. Shazam

When it comes to identifying songs, Shazam is probably the most recognized name. Launched in 2002, this app revolutionized the way people discover music. With a simple and intuitive interface, Shazam allows you to identify songs in your surroundings within seconds. Just open the app and tap the icon to scan the ambient sound, quickly displaying complete information about the track: title, artist, album, and release year. In many cases, it even shows a snippet of the music video directly from YouTube.

But Shazam goes beyond the basics: the app saves all identified songs in a personalized list, letting you access your history anytime. It also integrates with Apple Music and Spotify, making it easy to send identified songs to your playlists on these services. Moreover, Shazam offers suggestions for similar songs and artists, helping you discover new tracks in the same style. Shazam Lite is a lighter version of the app, ideal for devices with limited storage space.

2. Google App

Available for both Android and iOS, the Google App is a versatile tool that also features a music recognition function accessible directly from the search bar. A significant advantage of the Google App is that it offers various options for identifying songs: you can scan the ambient music, hum the melody, or even whistle a part of the tune you remember. This feature, powered by artificial intelligence and sound recognition, is particularly helpful for those moments when the song is no longer playing, but the melody is still stuck in your head.

Once the Google App identifies the track, it provides detailed information about the song and direct links to listen to it on streaming platforms. Another standout feature is its ability to offer contextual data about the song and artist, including historical background and suggestions for similar tracks, making it an excellent tool for deepening your musical discovery.

3. Google Assistant

While Google Assistant isn’t exclusively a music app, it’s incredibly convenient for identifying songs through voice commands. To activate this feature, simply summon the assistant with “Ok Google” and ask, “What song is this?” In seconds, the assistant analyzes the ambient sound and displays the song title, artist name, album, and even links to streaming services.

In addition to its practicality, Google Assistant integrates seamlessly with other Google devices and services, making it ideal for those who want a quick solution without installing additional apps. If you use Google Home devices, for instance, the assistant can identify songs in any environment, such as your home or car, and share the details directly to your smartphone.

4. Musixmatch

With a special focus on lyrics, Musixmatch is a comprehensive tool for those who not only want to discover a song but also sing along. Musixmatch stands out by offering real-time synchronized lyrics that follow the song as it plays. This makes it an excellent option for anyone who wants to follow every verse and immerse themselves in the song.

In addition to identifying songs, Musixmatch allows you to save and organize your favorite tracks in its own library. It also works as an extension for streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music, displaying lyrics for songs played on these apps. Recently, Musixmatch launched a real-time lyric translation feature, enabling you to understand songs in different languages as you listen.

5. Genius

Genius goes beyond simple song recognition, offering an in-depth experience with lyrics and the story behind each track. With a platform rich in information and trivia, Genius has become a reference for those who want to learn more about the context of songs. Upon identifying a track, Genius provides the title and artist but also includes annotations, detailed analyses, and fascinating stories about the lyrics and production of the song.

This approach transforms Genius into an interactive music encyclopedia. With annotations made by users and artists themselves, the app explores lyrical nuances, revealing inspirations and intriguing stories that enrich the musical experience. It’s particularly popular among rap and hip-hop fans, where lyrics often carry strong symbolism and cultural context.

6. SoundHound

Launched in 2005, SoundHound is another veteran and highly comprehensive app for identifying songs. It’s known for its accuracy and speed in recognizing songs and displaying real-time lyrics synchronized with playback. SoundHound also features a function that lets you identify songs by singing or humming, making it a great option for when the song isn’t currently playing but you want to recall its name.

SoundHound allows you to create personalized playlists and export them to services like Spotify and Apple Music. This feature is perfect for those who want to expand their music library without having to search manually. Additionally, SoundHound offers a feed with updates on popular artists and song recommendations, helping you discover new releases and keep up with music trends.

Each of these apps offers unique features that can enrich your musical experience in different ways. Whether it’s through Shazam’s quick and straightforward interface, Google’s hum-to-search capability, Musixmatch’s real-time lyrics, Genius’s detailed song context, or SoundHound’s playlist creation tools, you have plenty of options to make your music discoveries more complete and accessible. Choose the tool that best suits your style and dive deeper into the world of music with added detail and depth!

Picture of Aarushi Sharma
Aarushi Sharma

an editor at TK since 2024.

DISCLAIMER:

You will never be asked to make a payment to access any kind of product, including credit cards, loans, or other offers. If this happens, please contact us immediately. Always read the terms and conditions of the service provider you are contacting. We earn revenue through advertising and referrals for some, but not all, products displayed on this website. Everything published here is based on quantitative and qualitative research, and our team strives to be as fair as possible in comparing competing options.

ADVERTISER DISCLOSURE:

We are an independent, objective, and advertising-supported editorial site. To support our ability to provide free content to our users, recommendations appearing on our site may come from companies from which we receive compensation as affiliates. This compensation may affect the manner, location, and order in which offers appear on our site. Other factors, such as our own proprietary algorithms and first-party data, may also affect how and where products/offers are placed. We do not include on our website all financial or credit offers currently available in the market.

EDITORIAL NOTE:

The opinions expressed here are solely those of the author and do not represent any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved, or endorsed by any of the entities mentioned in the message. That said, the compensation we receive from our affiliate partners does not influence the recommendations or advice that our team of writers provides in our articles, nor does it in any way affect the content of this website. Although we work hard to provide accurate and up-to-date information that we believe our users will find relevant, we cannot guarantee that all provided information is complete and make no statement or warranty regarding its accuracy or applicability.