How do I search for a song on Android?

With over 2 billion Android users worldwide, searching for a song on an Android device is a common task. Whether trying to identify a tune you heard on the radio or find a song in your own music library, there are several methods Android users can utilize to search for music. From using built-in apps like Google and YouTube, to third party apps like Shazam and SoundHound, Android offers a variety of song search options. The specific method you choose will depend on whether you know the song title and artist, or only have a recording of the melody. This article provides an overview of the various techniques available to search for music on an Android device.

Use The Google App

One easy way to identify a song on your Android device is by using the Google app. As noted in this Google support article, you can open the Google app and type in lyrics or other details about the song you are trying to find. The Google app will search its database of songs and provide you with matching results.

To use this method:

1. Open the Google app on your Android device.
2. Tap on the microphone icon or type “what’s this song?”
3. Speak or type the lyrics you know into the search bar. You can enter lyrics line by line or phrase by phrase if you only know snippets.
4. The Google app will show you the most likely song match based on the lyrics.
5. Tap on the song to confirm it is the one you were looking for.

The Google app has an extensive song catalog it can search through to help you quickly identify songs by lyrics. This makes it one of the easiest and most convenient ways to find out what song is playing on your Android device.

Use The Google Assistant

One of the easiest ways to identify a song on your Android device is by using the Google Assistant. The Google Assistant has a powerful built-in song recognition feature that can identify songs being played near you or songs that you hum, sing, or whistle.

To use the Google Assistant to identify a song, simply say “Hey Google” to activate it and then say “What’s this song?” or “What song is this?”. The Google Assistant will begin listening and analyzing the song that is playing. After a few seconds, it will tell you the name and artist of the identified song.

You can also hum, whistle or sing the melody of the song you are trying to identify to the Google Assistant. After you say “Hey Google”, say “What’s this song?” and then hum or whistle the tune for 10-15 seconds. The Google Assistant will work to match your hum, whistle or singing to its database of songs and provide you with the result.

According to Google’s blog, the Assistant can recognize songs even when there is background noise, imperfect humming, or singing. It claims over 90% accuracy in identifying songs by humming. This makes the Google Assistant one of the easiest and most powerful ways to identify both playing and imagined songs on your Android device.

To use this feature, you need to have the Google Assistant enabled on your Android device. The Google Assistant comes pre-installed on most modern Android smartphones. You can access it by voice, or by long pressing on the home button on your device in most cases.

Use SoundHound Or Shazam

Two of the most popular song identification apps for Android are SoundHound and Shazam. Both allow you to quickly identify a song that’s playing by letting the app listen to a sample. SoundHound tends to be faster at identifying songs and works better in noisy environments, while Shazam has a cleaner interface without ads (Source).

To use one of these apps to search for a song on your Android device:

1. Install the SoundHound or Shazam app from the Google Play Store.
2. Open the app and tap the big button to start listening. Hold your device near the audio source playing the song.
3. The app will listen to a sample and then display the song title and artist. You’ll also see options to view lyrics, listen to previews, create playlists, and more.

Both apps have high accuracy in recognizing songs, especially popular tracks. SoundHound works better with singing/humming/instrumental search. Shazam may be faster for identifying obscure or new songs (Source).

Search Your Music Library

If you have the song downloaded on your Android device, the easiest way to find it is to use the search feature in your native music app. For example, if you use Google Play Music, open the app and tap on the search icon. Type in keywords or lyrics from the song and Play Music will show matching results from your library [1]. You can also search by artist name, album, playlist, etc. The same applies for other music apps like YouTube Music, Spotify, Amazon Music, etc. Just launch the app, go to the search tab, type in the song name or info and see if you get a match.

Searching your music library is the quickest way to find a song if you’ve already downloaded it to your Android device. The search functionality scans all the metadata of your music to help you locate that catchy tune stuck in your head. If you can’t remember the exact song title or artist name, try searching with partial words or lyrics to broaden the results.

Check Your YouTube History

If you’ve previously played the song on YouTube or YouTube Music, it may be easier to find it by checking your YouTube History. The YouTube app saves your YouTube watch and listening history to make it easy to find videos or songs you’ve previously played. Here’s how to check your YouTube history on Android to see if you’ve played the song before:

Open the YouTube app and tap on your profile picture in the top right corner. Then select “History” from the menu. This will display a list of all the YouTube videos you’ve recently watched in reverse chronological order.

Scroll through your YouTube History looking for videos with the song title or artist name. Your video watch history goes back several months, so it’s possible the song you’re searching for is saved there if you’ve played it on YouTube somewhat recently.

If you find the song in your History, you can simply tap to play it again. This is usually the fastest way to find a song on Android if you’ve previously listened to it on YouTube. Checking your History can help you track down elusive songs you’ve forgotten the name of.

For more tips, see this WikiHow guide on how to see your YouTube Music history on Android.

Search Play Store Apps

The Google Play Store has many apps specifically designed for searching and identifying songs. Try dedicated song search apps like TrackID, Shazam, SoundHound, Musixmatch or Song Search. These apps let you record a short sample of the song, then quickly return the song title and artist. Here’s how to use them to find your song:

1. Open the Play Store app on your Android device.
2. Search for “song search” or the name of the app you want to use.
3. Install a song identification app like TrackID.
4. Open the app and tap the search button.
5. Hold your phone near the music source to record a short sample.
6. The app will listen and analyze the song, then show the results!

Using a dedicated song search app can quickly and easily identify music playing around you. Give it a try next time you need to lookup an unknown song!

Use File Managers

If you have downloaded songs directly to your Android device, you can search for them using a file manager app. The default files app on your phone may be called Files, My Files, File Manager, or something similar. You can also download file manager apps like ES File Explorer or File Manager from the Play Store.

Open your file manager and look for a folder called “Music”, “My Music”, “Audio”, or “Downloads”. This is where your device saves songs, music files, and other audio files by default. You can browse and search within this folder to find specific songs.

Some file managers also have a built-in music player so you can play songs directly from the app. This allows you to find and play music files stored anywhere on your device without having to go into a separate music app.

Check Your Downloads Folder

One of the most obvious places to look for downloaded songs on Android is in the Downloads folder. This is where any files you directly download are usually saved by default. To access it:

1. Open the Files app or file manager on your device.

2. Navigate to the Downloads folder.

3. Browse the contents and see if your downloaded song appears here. You may need to sort by date modified to easily spot new additions.

The Downloads folder is usually the default location for any files downloaded directly through the browser or other apps. So if you recently downloaded an MP3 file directly, it should be waiting here for you unless you changed the download location. This is often the quickest way to access your latest music downloads.

Sources:

[1] https://www.imyfone.com/android-recovery-tips/recover-disappeared-music-files-on-android/

Conclusion

There are several methods you can use to search for and identify songs on your Android device. To quickly launch a song search, use the Google app or Google Assistant by saying “Hey Google, what’s this song?” or describing the song lyrics. Apps like SoundHound and Shazam can also listen to songs playing and tell you the title and artist.

You can browse your personal music library in apps like Play Music or search your YouTube history if you think you listened to the song online. File manager apps allow searching through downloaded song files, and don’t forget to check the Downloads folder for recently added music.

With all these options, you should be able to find any song as long as you have a few lyrics or melody to go on. Listening carefully and selecting the best search method based on the music source are key. Keep using these techniques to satisfy your curiosity whenever you hear a new song you want to identify.