How do I add Google Sound Search widget?
What is the Google Sound Search widget?
The Google Sound Search widget is a handy tool that lets you easily identify songs playing around you. It uses advanced audio recognition technology to listen to music and match it against an extensive database of songs.
To use it, you simply tap the floating microphone icon that the widget adds to your home screen. It will begin listening to the environment and within seconds display the title and artist of the detected song. The technology works similar to how services like Shazam can detect music.
The widget eliminates the need to manually launch an app whenever you want to identify a song. With the floating microphone icon always accessible on your home screen, Google’s music recognition is at your fingertips.
Some key features of the Google Sound Search widget include:
- Quickly recognizes a wide variety of music genres and songs
- Provides song title and artist name match
- Links out to YouTube for music videos and additional song info
- Logs your recent song searches for easy reference
- Compact, non-intrusive widget with floating mic icon
Why add the Google Sound Search widget?
The Google Sound Search widget allows users to easily identify music playing around them. By tapping the floating microphone icon, users can record a short audio sample which will be sent to Google’s servers for analysis. Within seconds, Google will return the name of the song and artist. This provides a really cool and useful feature for any website or app.
According to an article on Droid Life, “Google’s very own music recognition widget is now on Google Play, allowing users to instantly recognize music which will then link you to Google Play for purchasing or downloading that track.” (https://www.droid-life.com/2012/12/12/google-sound-search-widget-now-available-through-google-play/)
Having this built-in music recognition can be a huge perk for users. It satisfies curiosity when a song is playing, and makes it easy to identify and save songs they like. Overall, it provides a fun and engaging feature that users will appreciate.
Where to get the Google Sound Search widget
The Google Sound Search widget can be downloaded directly from the Google Play Store. Just search for “Google Sound Search” and install the official app developed by Google. There are also some third party apps on the Play Store that provide similar functionality, like “Shortcut for Google Sound Search” and “Music Search” but it’s recommended to use the official Google version for the best experience.
Before installing the widget, make sure your Android device meets the minimum requirements:
- Android 4.1 or later
- Google App installed (usually comes preinstalled on most Android devices)
The widget is also available on GitHub for developers who want to build it into their own apps. The source code can be found at https://github.com/google/audience-engagement-android.
So in summary, the easiest way to get the widget is to install the official Google Sound Search app from the Play Store. Just make sure your device runs Android 4.1 or later and has the Google App already installed.
How to Install the Google Sound Search Widget
To install the Google Sound Search widget on your website or mobile app, you will need to add some JavaScript code provided by Google. The setup instructions can be found on Google’s support site: Add & customize your Search widget – Android.
Specifically, you will need to add the following JavaScript code snippet somewhere in your page:
<script src="https://www.google.com/uds/api/search/1.0/eb2d687633c94c9a108ec5b146933318/default+en.I.js" type="text/javascript"></script>This code will load the necessary widget files from Google’s servers. Make sure to replace the ID in the URL with your own unique one provided by Google when you register for the widget.
Then follow the rest of the setup instructions on Google’s site to initialize and customize the widget. This includes calling the google.search.CustomSearchControl() method and setting any options you want, like layout, theme, and language.
Proper setup is crucial for the widget to function correctly on your site. So carefully go through Google’s documentation and ensure you have added the JavaScript snippet and initialized the widget properly.
Customizing the Widget
The Google Sound Search widget offers various customization options to fit your preferences and match the look and feel of your site or app. You can customize the widget’s size, theme, layout, and more:
- Size – Choose between a 1×1, 2×2, or 4×2 layout.
- Theme – Select a color theme like white, black, pink, or green.
- Shape – Pick between square or rounded corners.
- Icons – Toggle display of microphone, search, and profile icons.
Customizing the widget allows you to seamlessly match it to your brand, website design, or app aesthetics. You can preview changes in real-time to get the look just right.
For optimal user experience, make sure the customizations align with your overall visual identity. Consider proportions, spacing, fonts, and other elements on your site. A cohesive design creates a professional unified look.
Integrating with your site or app
To properly integrate the Google Sound Search widget into your website or mobile app, you’ll need to add the embed code in the correct place in your code. The key things to keep in mind are:
Properly embed the widget code – You’ll want to place the embed code provided by Google within the HTML of your site, likely in a sidebar or content area. Make sure it’s included wherever you want the widget to display. Refer to Google’s documentation for details on the embed code.
Consider mobile optimization – Test how the widget looks on mobile devices and make adjustments as needed. You may want to display the widget only on desktop or hide certain elements on mobile. Use CSS media queries to control the styling and visibility of the widget across screen sizes.
Check for performance issues – Ensure the page loads quickly with the widget added. If needed, defer loading of the widget code or load it after page render to avoid impacting main page load time.
Follow Google’s usage guidelines – Abide by any usage terms, attribution requirements, or restrictions on how the widget can be displayed. This will ensure proper integration and prevent issues.
Monitor over time – Check back on occasion that the widget is still functioning properly, especially after site updates. Continuously test different devices and browsers.
For more details, refer to Google’s technical documentation here: https://support.google.com/websearch/answer/9208897?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DAndroid
Troubleshooting Issues
Sometimes the Google Sound Search widget may not work as expected. Here are some common issues and potential fixes:
Widget Not Responding
If the widget fails to respond when tapping on it, try closing and reopening the app. Or go to your device settings, find the app, and force stop it. Relaunch and the widget should work again. Clearing the app cache can also help get a non-responsive widget working again.
Problems Identifying Songs
The widget relies on a clear audio sample to detect songs. Make sure you hold the phone close enough to the music source to pick up a good sample. Background noise can also interfere – move closer or pause other sounds briefly while sampling. Check that the phone microphone is clean and not blocked.
Errors Connecting to the Google App
The widget requires connectivity with the Google app to function. Check that you are logged into your Google account and it is the same account used in the Google app. Re-syncing the two apps can help resolve connection issues.
FAQ and Support
For additional troubleshooting tips, visit the Google Assistant Help Center. You can also search or post questions in the subreddit forums. For further assistance, contact Google Support.
Usage tips and best practices
The Google Sound Search widget can be a great enhancement to your website or app, but getting the most out of it requires following some best practices:
Optimize for clarity
Make sure your audio is clear, without too much background noise. Position your microphone close to the source audio for best results. Speak slowly and clearly if using speech recognition.
Provide context
Give listeners some context about what sounds they are hearing. For example, “You are listening to birdsong recorded in Central Park.”
Curate your sounds
Carefully select sounds that are relevant, interesting and engaging for your audience. Avoid random, unpleasant or offensive sounds.
Keep sounds short
Long recordings can lose listeners’ interest. Keep your sound clips under 30 seconds in length.
Add metadata
Using the widget options, add titles, descriptions and tags to help users find relevant content.
Monitor usage
Use Google Analytics to see which sounds are most popular and optimize based on those insights.
Promote discovery
Make sure website visitors know about the sound search and can easily access it. Place the widget in a visible spot.
Refresh content
Add new sound clips periodically to give repeat visitors fresh experiences. Creating seasonal or timely content can help drive engagement.
Privacy considerations
When using the Google Sound Search widget, it’s important to be aware of how it handles your data and potential privacy concerns. The widget allows you to search by voice, which means Google will record and store your voice queries. According to Google’s support page, audio recordings are saved to your Google Account as part of your Web & App Activity. You can manage these recordings in your Google Account settings.
Some privacy advocates have raised concerns about Google storing voice data without explicit consent. There is also concern that the recordings could potentially be used to improve Google’s voice recognition algorithms. If you are uncomfortable with Google saving your voice searches, you can turn off Web & App Activity or avoid using voice search. You may also consider using an alternative search widget that does not store voice data, such as a basic Google search bar widget.
Overall, it’s a trade-off between convenience and privacy. The Google Sound Search widget provides handy voice search capabilities, but at the cost of allowing Google access to your voice queries and recordings. It’s up to each user to decide if the benefits outweigh the privacy risks for their personal situation.
Alternatives to the Google Sound Search Widget
While the Google Sound Search widget offers a convenient way to identify songs, there are other music recognition options that may better suit certain needs:
Shazam (https://alternativeto.net/software/sound-search-for-google-play/) is one of the most popular alternatives, with an extensive music database and integration with streaming services. Shazam can identify a broader range of media and offers more advanced features.
SoundHound (https://sound-search-for-google-play.en.softonic.com/android/alternatives/free) has strong music recognition capabilities as well as additional features like identifying what’s playing on the radio.
For those looking for a free open source option, Musixmatch (https://www.reddit.com/r/androidapps/comments/po14u6/alternative_to_shazam/) provides lyrics and translations for millions of songs.
The Google Sound Search widget may not be the best choice for identifying obscure tracks, songs in different languages, or background music in video. Dedicated music recognition apps can provide more reliable results in these cases.