How do I find out where my music is coming from on Android?

Have you ever heard a catchy song playing and wanted to figure out what it was? On Android devices, there are a few different ways to identify music tracks you hear around you. Sometimes a song gets stuck in your head but you don’t know the name or artist. Being able to quickly identify the title and artist of songs you hear on your Android can be useful in many situations.

This guide will explain the different methods you can use on your Android device to identify music tracks playing from various sources. Whether it’s a song in a video, commercial, movie, or being played live nearby, there are techniques to easily find out more information. We’ll go over both built-in Android features and third-party apps that can listen to music and tell you the artist and song name.

Check the Notification Panel

The notification panel or drawer is often one of the first places to check when trying to identify which app is playing music. When music is playing, the app should display a persistent notification in the panel showing details like the song title, artist, album cover, and playback controls. Tapping on this notification will usually open the music app or take you directly to the player screen.

To view notifications, swipe down from the top of the screen on Android. Look for the music player notification and check which app it belongs to. This is usually displayed prominently with album artwork. For example, if you see the Spotify logo that likely means the music is coming from Spotify.

However, some Android skins like MIUI have removed the persistent music notification in recent updates so this may not always work (source). Additionally, if you only see controls but no app logo that can make it hard to identify the source.

Use a File Manager

One of the easiest ways to find out where your music files are coming from on Android is to use a file manager app. File managers give you access to browse all the folders and files on your device, including music files. Popular file manager apps like File Manager and Files by Google allow you to search for music files by file type, date modified, etc. This makes it easy to locate music files that may be stored in random folders.

When you open your file manager app and browse to storage locations like internal storage or SD card, you can navigate through the folder structure to see where audio files like MP3s are saved. Oftentimes downloads from streaming apps or files transferred from a computer will be in folders like Music, Downloads or Audio. Using the file manager’s search function, you can search for “mp3” or “audio” files specifically and it will show results for any music files on your device. This helps pinpoint where that unknown music is coming from.

Check Running Apps

One way to identify the source of music playing on your Android device is to check the app switcher, which shows all of your currently running apps. To access the app switcher, simply swipe up from the bottom of your screen or tap the rectangular button in the navigation bar. This will bring up a view of your recent apps.

Look through the apps in the switcher to see if any music or audio apps are open, like Spotify, YouTube Music, Google Play Music, etc. The app that is actively playing music will usually show a media notification in the switcher view, making it easy to identify. Tapping on the app can take you directly back into it.

If you don’t see an obvious music app running, check if web browsers like Chrome have any open tabs that could be the source of music from sites like YouTube or SoundCloud. Apps like Facebook or Instagram could also be playing videos with audio in the background.

The app switcher provides an easy way to quickly identify and switch between running apps on Android. Check it frequently if you ever hear mystery music and want to figure out where it’s coming from.

Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/Android/comments/903f4p/ive_been_using_the_app_switcher_a_lot_less_since/

Use a Music Identification App

One of the easiest ways to identify music playing on your Android device is to use a music identification app like Shazam or SoundHound. These apps listen to whatever music is playing and can quickly match it against their database to return the song title, artist, album, and more.

To use Shazam or a similar app:

• Install the app from the Google Play Store
• Open the app and tap the button to start listening/identifying
• Hold your phone’s mic near the music source
• The app will begin matching the music and display the results

These music identification apps work offline and can ID songs playing on your phone’s internal speakers, through headphones, or even from an external source like a speaker. They provide a quick and convenient way to satisfy your curiosity about whatever music is playing around you.

Check Connected Devices

One way to determine the source of music playing on your Android device is to check for any connected Bluetooth devices. Many people connect Bluetooth speakers or headphones to stream music from their phone.

To check for connected Bluetooth devices on Android:

1. Open the Settings app and tap Connected devices or Bluetooth.
2. Look under Paired devices for any connected Bluetooth audio devices like speakers, headphones, car systems, etc.
3. If you see a connected Bluetooth audio device, there’s a good chance your music is streaming from your phone to that device.

You can also programmatically check for connected Bluetooth devices in your Android app code. The BluetoothAdapter API allows you to query paired Bluetooth devices.

Review Recent Activity

Android provides a way to see your recent audio playback history through the Now Playing feature. This allows you to view the songs, podcasts, and other media that you’ve recently listened to on your Android device.

To access your Now Playing history, open the Settings app and go to Sound & vibration. Tap on Now Playing history to see a list of your recent audio playback. This history includes music files stored on your device as well as streaming content from apps like Spotify or YouTube Music [1].

Reviewing this list can help you identify the source of music you’ve heard recently. Look for titles, artists, playlists or apps that may give you a clue where the music originated from. Now Playing history persists for several days, so you can go back and trace a song you heard earlier in the week.

This feature is available on Android 10 and higher. For older Android versions, you may need to rely on other methods to track down mystery music.

Check Downloads Folder

Downloaded music on Android is often automatically saved in the Downloads folder. This is the default location for files downloaded from the internet, email attachments, and other sources. To check here:

Open the Files app or file manager app on your device. Navigate to Downloads or wherever you have downloaded files set to save. Look for music files such as MP3s or audio folders here. Newer Android versions may categorize Downloads by file type, making it easy to spot music files.

If you downloaded the music recently from an app or website, it should be in Downloads unless you changed the save location. Browse through your Downloads folder thoroughly since music can sometimes get buried among other files. Check for artist, album or song names when looking.

If you still can’t find the downloaded music in your Android’s Downloads folder, try searching your device storage. The Files app or file manager will have a search option to help you quickly locate music files.

Use a File Search

One way to locate the source of music files on your Android device is to use the built-in file search. Here are the steps:

1. Open the Files app on your Android device. This is usually pre-installed or can be downloaded from the Google Play Store.

2. Tap the menu button in the upper right corner.

3. Select “Search device”.

4. Type “.mp3” in the search bar. This will search for all mp3 files on your device.

5. Tap the “Filters” icon on the right side of the search bar. Select “Audio” to only show audio file types.

6. Browse through the search results. This will show all music files stored on your device, organized by folder location.

7. Tap any file to preview it. Check if you recognize the song.

8. Note the folder location of any music files you want to investigate further. This can reveal where it’s being saved from – for example, the Downloads folder may indicate it was downloaded from the internet.

Searching for audio files can reveal the source of any music on your Android device. It’s an easy way to identify music content and see exactly where it’s being stored.

Conclusion

In summary, there are several ways to identify the source of music playing on your Android device:

Check the notification panel or the “Now Playing” screen to see if any music apps are actively playing music. Open a file manager app and browse to the Music or Downloads folders to see recently added songs. Check the list of running apps and processes to see if anything related to music is active. Use built-in music recognition features like Shazam or Sound Search to identify songs. Review recent activity in apps like Spotify to see what was recently played. Check connected Bluetooth devices to see if they are streaming music.

The easiest and most reliable methods are using music identification apps like Shazam or Sound Search. These can listen to music playing from any source and identify the song title and artist. This works for music from apps, downloads, streaming devices, radio, and more. Just open the app and let it listen to the music for a few seconds.

With a combination of checking active music sources and using song identification, you should be able to discover where any music playing on your Android device is coming from.