If you have a song in your head and it's driving you crazy, you can get help. There is software available for the computer and the phone that helps analyze the melody of the song and identify a list of options that you can choose from. You can also search for the song on the web efficiently and get a narrower list of options to choose from. Don't let it keep driving you crazy. Read on for specific instructions on finding a song you don't know anything about.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Use your phone
Step 1. Use Shazam or MusicID
These are popular applications that analyze sounds and identify songs from your recordings database. If you have Shazam on your phone and you hear a song that you can't identify and know nothing about, activate the app, hold the phone in the direction of the audio source, and wait for the result. You can also use MusicID or Google Assistant to identify songs that are playing in your environment.
- You can use Shazam on iPhone, Blackberry, Android, and most other mobile devices. It is also possible to use it on iPads and iPods Touch. MusicID costs a bit to have it on your iPhone and it can be used on other devices as well. Google Assistant is available on a wide variety of smart devices.
- While Apple Music bought Shazam in 2018, don't worry as it's still available for Android devices. In fact, the Android version even has features that iOS does not have (for example, a pop-up window with which you can identify the songs that are played in another application on your phone).
- These apps generally don't work as well with live performances. If you're watching a band play a version of a song but can't quite identify it, you may have to use another method to do so.
Step 2. Record the song on your phone and upload it to AudioTag
Although you can only record a short clip of the song that you like and want to identify, you can upload it to AudioTag to identify the song from its own database when you are on the computer.
At the very least, you will have a recording of the song that you can play for your friends or music fans and see if they recognize it
Step 3. Hum it in a song identification application (eg SoundHound)
On your phone, you can hum the melody in SoundHound, which is available for free. The application will analyze the melody you sing and give you a list of possible options. Midomi fulfills the same function on the computer.
- Generally, both apps are much more effective with contemporary songs. Trying to find the name of the song your grandfather used to sing when he was working in these apps is often more difficult, and other methods may be needed.
- WatZatSong is a crowdfunded option that works in essentially the same way. On this website, you can upload the clip (or upload yourself trying to sing and describe the song) and other people will respond with options.
Step 4. Play the song on a virtual keyboard
If you have an ear for melody and an elementary knowledge of the keyboard, you can enter the melody in Musipedia or MelodyCatcher to search for it.
These websites tend to work best for classical and non-lyric music and other types of non-pop music, as they usually have a slightly different type of material database to analyze
Method 2 of 2: Find Songs Effectively
Step 1. Google the letters you remember in quotes
Write the letters you remember either on Google or another search engine, making sure to put quotation marks between the letters. Thus, the search is limited to the words in that order. Therefore, if the only thing you can remember is "she said it would be mine", it will be easier to find if you put it in quotes.
Step 2. Find the context of the song to help narrow the scope
If you're looking for a song you've heard in the credits of a TV show, quickly search for "song at the end of The Sopranos episode 6 season 5" or "Mazda commercial song."
- If you heard the song on a TV show or movie, you could search iTunes for the soundtrack. If you find it, play free samples of each song on the album by hovering your mouse over the track number and pressing the blue play button that appears.
- You could also search YouTube once you've narrowed your search scope a bit.
Step 3. Find the artist describing him
Describe whether the song is by a man, a woman, or a group, and any other type of song description you can remember. Ask yourself if the song sounds familiar. Is the voice distinctive? Could it be someone you already listen to or like? If you think it sounds a lot like a singer or group you've heard, take a look at that band's website or fan websites to see if they've released anything new and listen to it.
Step 4. Listen to the DJ on the radio
If you are listening to the song on the radio, you could just stay there for a moment and listen. The disc jockey may go through the songs he has just played. Call the station or visit their website to see if they publish lists of the songs that have been played that day.
Advice
- Try to keep the letters you are looking for distinctive and not to use common words (for example, "the", "and", "or", "but", etc.).
- If you know the name of the radio station, you can look up the schedule and review the songs that played around the time you heard the song you're looking for.