YouTube Introduces Search-by-Song Capability on Android
YouTube has announced a new experiment on Android devices that allows users to determine a song by humming. This feature seems like a major improvement compared to Apple’s music recognition app, Shazam.
The video-sharing platform is currently testing this search-by-song capability on the Android version of their app. It enables users to figure out a song on YouTube by either humming, singing, or recording a snippet of the song.
If you have access to this experiment, you can switch from YouTube voice search to the new song search feature, and simply hum, sing, or record the song for at least three seconds. The platform will then identify the tune and direct you to relevant YouTube videos featuring the searched song, which could be the official music video, user-generated content, or Shorts.
Currently, only a small portion of Android users have access to the search-by-song capability. However, if it rolls out more widely, it could become a very helpful tool since many people use YouTube as a go-to destination for finding songs.
Similarities with Google’s Feature, But with a Faster Response Time
This latest experiment by YouTube may sound familiar to some users. In 2020, YouTube’s parent company, Google, first introduced a similar capability on the Google app, Google Search widget, and Google Assistant. These features allowed users to figure out a song by humming, whistling, or singing into the microphone icon. However, one notable difference is that Google’s feature requires users to hum for 10-15 seconds before identifying the song.
According to Google, their feature uses machine learning models to match a person’s hum to a song’s “fingerprint” or signature melody. Interestingly, the new YouTube test utilizes the same technology as the Google feature, confirmed by the company to GamingIdeology.
Alternative Song Identification Apps
While there are other music recognition apps available like SoundHound and MusixMatch that can also identify songs by singing or humming, they aren’t as popular as YouTube and Google. Nevertheless, it’s worth checking them out too.