Do you have a melody stuck in your head but can’t find its title or artist? YouTube has developed some surprisingly effective tools for identifying songs, including the ability to hum the melody directly in the application. In this article, find out how you can quickly find any music on YouTube, whether you have the lyrics, the melody or even just a vague memory.
Use tools to identify a song
Today, there are several powerful applications and tools to help you identify a song. Shazam and SoundHound are excellent at recognizing music playing around you, while YouTube offers its own hum search function. These solutions are free and easy to use, even for beginners.
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Music recognition applications
Music recognition applications have become super-efficient. Shazam is probably the best known, and for good reason: it quickly identifies any music playing around you. Simply place your phone near the sound source, and presto! In just a few seconds, you have the title and artist.
But Shazam is not alone on the market. SoundHound also does a great job, with a little extra: it can recognize a song even if you’re humming it. Handy when you’ve got a melody stuck in your head!
If you’re looking for music while surfing the web, there’s a better solution. Browser extensions like AHA Music do the same job right from your computer. Install the extension, click on its icon when you hear interesting music, and it will tell you what song it is.
A practical tip: for best results with these applications, try to stand in a quiet place. Ambient noise can sometimes interfere with recognition.
YouTube search features
YouTube offers some really handy search tools, including the ability to find a song simply by humming it for a few seconds via the mobile application.
But that’s not the only way to search. To find a song, you can also use well-chosen keywords:
- The words you remember
- The musical genre
- Year of release (if known)
- The artist’s name (even if you’re not sure)
A word of advice: the more specific details you add, the more likely YouTube is to find the right song. For example, instead of searching for “80s pop song”, try “80s pop song for red-haired woman”.
Search for music by lyrics
Lyrics are often the best way to find a song. Simply type the lyrics you remember into Google, adding the word “song” or “lyrics” at the end. Sometimes even a few words are enough. If that doesn’t work the first time, try another part of the lyrics – the chorus usually works better.
Specialized sites like Musixmatch can also help. Their search engine is optimized to find songs based on lyrics. No need to remember the exact lyrics: even if you make mistakes, these sites often manage to find the right song.
Exploiting YouTube video comments and descriptions
Comments under YouTube videos can be a treasure trove of information for finding music. Often, other viewers have already identified the song and shared its title or artist. Take the time to browse this section: it’s not uncommon to find direct answers to your search, especially if the music is striking or popular. If you don’t find anything, you can also ask the question yourself. The YouTube community is generally reactive, and someone may be able to get back to you quickly.
In addition to the comments, be sure to check the video description. Many creators add details about the music they use, sometimes with links to the songs or the platforms where they are available. This tip is particularly useful for professional or well-crafted videos, where the music is often credited. A simple glance in these two places can save you a lot of searching!
FAQ
YouTube uses audio matching technology: when you hum a few seconds, the application compares your melody with a huge database of tracks to find the closest match. It’s fast and handy if you don’t have the lyrics.
No. Lyrics are often the easiest way, but if you only remember the melody, you can hum along on YouTube or use SoundHound. You can also try describing the musical style, era or approximate name of the artist for a more targeted search.
Ideally, for best results, isolate yourself in a quiet place or move the microphone closer to the sound source. Ambient noise can distort recognition. However, some tools (such as Shazam) are good enough to get by in a moderately noisy environment.
