--- title: "Is there an app that can name a song by humming?" url: https://isthereathing.com/an-app-that-can-name-a-song-by-humming/ answer: "yes" summary: "Yes. Google's hum to search, YouTube Music's Sound Search and SoundHound all take a hummed or sung tune. Shazam, the one most people try first, is built for music that's actually playing." category: "Identify things" published: 2026-10-02 updated: 2026-10-02 author: "Jack Stovell" publisher: "Adapt Progress Evolve Limited" language: en-GB --- # Is there an app that can name a song by humming? **Answer: yes.** Yes. Google's hum to search, YouTube Music's Sound Search and SoundHound all take a hummed or sung tune. Shazam, the one most people try first, is built for music that's actually playing. (Source: [Google: Song stuck in your head? Just hum to search](https://blog.google/products/search/hum-to-search/)) Yes, a few apps can name a song from your humming. Google's hum to search, YouTube Music's Sound Search and SoundHound all take a hummed or sung tune, but Shazam, the one most people try first, is built for music that's actually playing around you. ## The shortlist ### Google hum to search Hum, whistle or sing for 10 to 15 seconds in the Google app and it suggests the most likely songs. - Link: https://blog.google/products/search/hum-to-search/ - Free tier: yes. Part of the Google app; no charge mentioned on the pages we read. - Paid from: not checked (not verified: Google's pages state no price) - Best at: Humming with no words to go on; Google says you don't need perfect pitch. - The catch: It gives likely matches, not a guaranteed one. At launch it was English-only on iPhone, with 20+ languages on Android. - Platforms: Android (Google app), iPhone (Google app), Google Assistant - Source: [Google: Song stuck in your head? Just hum to search](https://blog.google/products/search/hum-to-search/) ### YouTube Music Sound Search Sound Search in the YouTube Music app: play, sing or hum a song to find it. - Link: https://music.youtube.com - Free tier: not verified. not verified: the help page says nothing about price - Paid from: not checked (not verified) - Best at: Finding the song and playing it straight away, if you already use YouTube Music. - The catch: The help page only describes the mobile app, and you need to be signed in with microphone access. Whether it needs Premium isn't stated. - Platforms: YouTube Music mobile app - Source: [YouTube Music Help: Sound Search](https://support.google.com/youtubemusic/answer/13401025?hl=en-GB) ### SoundHound Music ID app: tap the button for music playing nearby, or sing or hum the tune. - Link: https://music.soundhound.com - Free tier: yes. Free to download and use, with in-app purchases. - Paid from: £6.99 one-off, Ad Removal (in-app purchase, UK App Store) - Best at: One app that does both recorded music and humming. - The catch: Ads unless you pay to remove them. - Platforms: iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Android - Source: [SoundHound on the UK App Store](https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/soundhound-music-discovery/id355554941) ### Shazam Apple's music recognition app for songs playing around you. - Link: https://www.shazam.com - Free tier: not verified. Music Recognition is built into Apple devices. Full-song listening needs Apple Music or another supported service. Apple's page states no price for the app. - Paid from: not checked (not verified: Apple's page states no price) - Best at: Naming a recording that's playing right now, in a shop or on the radio. - The catch: Apple's own pages only talk about music playing around you and never mention humming, so it's the wrong tool for a tune stuck in your head. - Platforms: iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple Vision Pro - Source: [Apple Support: Shazam and Music Recognition](https://support.apple.com/en-gb/118570) ## How they compare Which one suits you depends on what you've got in your head, and what's already on your phone, so here are the likely reasons, one at a time. ### If you only have a tune and no words Google's hum to search is the one built for this. You hum, whistle or sing for 10 to 15 seconds in the Google app, and it suggests the most likely songs. Google says you don't need perfect pitch, which helps if your humming is rough. What you give up is certainty. It offers likely matches, not a guaranteed one, so expect a short list rather than a single answer. At launch it was English-only on iPhone, with 20+ languages on Android, so if your phone's set to another language, that's worth knowing. It's part of the Google app and the pages we read mention no charge, though Google's pages state no price either way. ### If you want one app for both recordings and humming SoundHound does both. You tap the button for music playing nearby, or you sing or hum the tune, so you don't need one app for the radio in a shop and another for the song stuck in your head. It's free to download and use, with in-app purchases, and it runs on iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Android. The catch is ads. You'll see them unless you pay to remove them, which is covered below. If you only hum a tune once in a while, the ads may not matter much, but if it becomes a habit, they might. ### If you already use YouTube Music Sound Search sits inside the YouTube Music app, and the help page says you can play, sing or hum a song to find it. The appeal is simple. You find the song and play it straight away, in the app you were going to listen in anyway. Now the gaps, and there are a few. The help page only describes the mobile app, so don't assume it works anywhere else. You need to be signed in, with microphone access switched on. Whether it needs Premium isn't stated, and neither is the price, so we can't tell you it's free. If you don't already use YouTube Music, the Google app is the simpler place to start. ### If the song is playing around you right now Shazam. Apple describes it as recognising music playing around you, and Music Recognition is built into Apple devices. It runs on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and Apple Vision Pro. For a recording in a shop or on the radio, it's the one built for the job. What you give up is the humming. Apple's own pages never mention it, so don't count on it for a melody you're carrying around in your head. Full-song listening needs Apple Music or another supported service, and Apple's page states no price for recognition. ### When paying is worth it SoundHound is the only one with a stated paid option, a £6.99 one-off Ad Removal in-app purchase on the UK App Store. It's a one-off, not a subscription. If you use it often and the ads grate, that's the case for paying, but if you don't, there's nothing here you're forced to buy. Google's pages mention no charge for hum to search, and neither Apple's Shazam page nor YouTube Music's help page states a price. ## What to watch for The big one is Shazam. Apple's own pages never mention humming, so it's the wrong tool for a tune stuck in your head. If it comes back with nothing, that doesn't mean humming apps don't work; try one of the others. Google's hum to search gives likely matches, not a guaranteed one. Treat the results as a shortlist, and listen to a couple before giving up. And if you come across midomi.com, it now redirects to SoundHound's music site, so use the SoundHound app instead. ## How we checked We read each app's own help pages, launch posts and UK App Store listing on 2 October 2026. We haven't yet hummed the same five tunes into each app, so we don't rank them on accuracy. Not yet tested: hum the same five tunes (one chart hit, one old song, one TV theme, one classical piece, one off-key) into each app, and record which name it. ## If none of these fit Know any lyrics at all? Type the bit you remember into a search engine in quotes. If it's from a TV show, advert or film, the soundtrack listing for that episode is often quicker than any app. ## Also typed as - is there an app that can find a song by humming - is there an app that can guess a song by humming - is there an app that you can hum a song - is there a website that can identify a song by humming ## Related questions - [Is there an app that identifies plants?](https://isthereathing.com/an-app-that-identifies-plants/) ## Sources - [Google: Song stuck in your head? Just hum to search](https://blog.google/products/search/hum-to-search/) (checked 2026-10-02) - [YouTube Music Help: Sound Search](https://support.google.com/youtubemusic/answer/13401025?hl=en-GB) (checked 2026-10-02) - [SoundHound on the UK App Store](https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/soundhound-music-discovery/id355554941) (checked 2026-10-02) - [Apple Support: Shazam and Music Recognition](https://support.apple.com/en-gb/118570) (checked 2026-10-02) - [Google Search Help: find a song (Android)](https://support.google.com/websearch/answer/7554088?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DAndroid) (checked 2026-10-02) - [SoundHound music site](https://music.soundhound.com/) (checked 2026-10-02) - [midomi.com (HTTP check)](https://www.midomi.com) (checked 2026-10-02) ## Questions people ask ### Can Shazam identify a song by humming? Apple's own pages describe it as recognising music playing around you and don't mention humming. For a hummed tune, use Google's hum to search or SoundHound. ### What happened to Midomi? midomi.com now redirects to SoundHound's music site, so use the SoundHound app instead. ### How long do I need to hum for? Google suggests humming for 10 to 15 seconds. ### Is there a website that identifies a song by humming? We couldn't confirm a working website that does it in the browser. The tools that do are apps: the Google app, YouTube Music and SoundHound.