5 Best Free Services to Identify Songs

There's little that is more infuriating than having a song stuck in your head for an extended period of time. Just about the only thing that's worse is when you can't figure out what it's called or where it is from. Luckily, the internet has provided plenty of options to help you get over that second issue. Whether you are trying to remember something you saw on TV, have a file on your computer that is totally lacking in tags, or simply need to hum into a microphone to figure out where a melody comes from, there's a perfect option available for you. This video was made with Ezvid Wikimaker.

The Best Online Song Identification Sites

  1. what-song.com: Useful for songs from television or films
  2. Lyrster: Search lyrics websites
  3. Audiotag.info: Upload unidentified files
  4. Watzatsong.com: Join an online community
  5. Midomi.com: Sing it yourself to find out

How To Identify A Song While It's Playing

Sometimes, it isn't memory that's the problem. Occasionally you'll want to identify a song as it is playing. Fortunately there are plenty of apps available to do just that.

Service Hands free option Android IOS Spotify Integration
Shazam
SoundHound
MusiXMatch

Tips To Remembering A Song

  • Try to remember as many lyrics as you can, avoiding any mondegreens
  • If you have any musical talent, try to pick out the most identifiable melody
  • Consider how you would describe it in terms of theme, genre, and more
  • Remember the situation in which you first heard it

The Best Way To Memorize Song Lyrics

Conclusion

Everyone has those moments where the name of a song simply passes them by. Maybe it was announced on the radio ahead of the song, and you didn't bother paying attention, not knowing what you were about to get. Or maybe it was on a friend's playlist, and they can't figure it out from your description. It could even be an old favorite that you've had on a computer for years, but there's no identifying information. The best thing about these options is that there isn't a best answer. It all depends on what information you have, and the skills you can bring to the table to turn it into knowledge.

In Depth

It's not uncommon to hear a catchy song that you want to listen to again. But for whatever reason, you fail to identify it. In the worst cases it can get stuck in your head for so long that it becomes frustrating. To successfully identify that ever elusive song, here are the best free online services to aid you in your quest.

Our #1 option is what-song.com. If the song you are looking for came from something you have watched from the cinema or from your television, you can go to what-song.com. Simply search for a movie or a TV show on the site. It will then list the songs that have been used in them. You can even play those songs on the site itself. It also has a list of songs that have been played during particular episodes and seasons. Type the name of the TV show to search for it, then choose what season and episode the song you are looking for were used in. It then shows you the songs from that particular episode.

Coming in at #2 is Lyrster.com. Another option for identifying songs, if you remember the lyrics, is through Lyrster.com. A better choice than Google, it searches thru over 450 Lyrics Websites for the song that you want to identify. The search results are quite accurate and present a wide array of results for you to choose from. It also gives you an option to search through Google and YouTube.

Another option for identifying songs, if you remember the lyrics, is through Lyrster.com.

#3 is audiotag.info. If you have a recording of the song that you want to identify, you can use audiotag.info. This is useful if you were able to record it from the beginning, or if you have any old cassette tapes or vinyl discs lying around. You can upload the file from your computer to the website. Using that, audiotag.info will identify your song. The site accepts a wide array of music files and can handle everything from WAV and MP3 to FLAC. Upload the file to the site, and click verify. After a few seconds, it will identify it using the audio fingerprint.

At #4 we have watzatsong.com. Online communities can be a great option for figuring out what song you are thinking of. watzatsong.com is a community geared precisely toward doing just that. Plus, they make it easy to access. You can log in to the site using your Facebook account instead of creating a site specific profile.

In contrast to others, this puts human minds to the task rather than leaving it to artificial intelligence. Once logged in, you can post a sample of the song you want to identify. Whether you record the song on the site in real time or upload a music file is up to you. You then pick the song's genre and language, post any comments about it, then click confirm. In comparison to audiotag.info, watzatsong.com is limited to only a few file types.

Whether you record the song on the site in real time or upload a music file is up to you.

Rounding out the list at #5 is midomi.com. Using the options within the site, you can record a song that you want to identify. This means that it won't just be able to identify something using a recording of the music itself. You can sing, hum, or whistle the tune and it will attempt to figure it out. If the file isn't on your computer, you can also play it back from a phone or radio into your microphone, as well.

The front page might make it look very out of date, but it can still identify the latest music from current artists. It also offers a platform for people who want to get their musical talent out. After registering on the site, people can go to the studio tab, choose a song they want to sing, sing and record it, and upload it. By doing that, other people can come across it when they search for a song.