The shortlist
4 things that do it.
Apple's song identification app, and the Music Recognition feature built into Apple devices, for discovering music playing around you.
- Free
- The App Store lists Shazam as Free with no in-app purchases mentioned, and shazam.com calls it a free app.
- Paid
- from Free
- Best at
- Naming a song in seconds, including music playing inside TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat, with offline recognition and a library of past finds.
- The catch
- Apple's support page says full-song listening needs Apple Music or another supported streaming service. Apple's page for the app and shazam.com describe Android use only in passing.
- iPhone
- iPad
- Mac
- Apple Watch
- Apple Vision Pro
- Android
A feature of the Google app on Android: tap the mic, choose Search a song, then play a song or hum, whistle or sing the melody.
- Free
- Not verified: the help page states no price.
- Paid
- price not checked
- Best at
- Naming a song with no extra app on an Android phone, also reachable through Circle to Search, Quick Settings and the Gemini mobile app.
- The catch
- The help page we read gives steps for Android only. Automatic lock screen identification (Now Playing) is listed for Pixel 2 and newer.
- Android (Google app)
Sound Search in the YouTube Music app uses the microphone to recognise music playing nearby, or a song you sing or hum.
- Free
- Not verified: the help page says nothing about price.
- Paid
- price not checked
- Best at
- Finding a song and then playing it or saving it to your library, if you already use YouTube Music.
- The catch
- You must be signed in to the YouTube Music app and have the microphone enabled. The help page does not list supported platforms or say whether it needs a paid plan.
- YouTube Music mobile app
A music identification app that names music playing around you, with voice control, a player with lyrics, and Apple Music and Spotify integration.
- Free
- Free with in-app purchases on the UK App Store; SoundHound's site mentions streaming any song free.
- Paid
- from £6.99 Ad Removal (in-app purchase, UK App Store)
- Best at
- Asking by voice with 'Hey SoundHound', and getting lyrics and a player in the same app as the identification.
- The catch
- It shows advertising; removing ads is an in-app purchase on the UK App Store. The App Store lists iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Apple Vision, and SoundHound's site also names Android.
- iPhone
- iPad
- Apple Watch
- Apple Vision
- Android
How they compare
Which one suits you, and why.
If you use an iPhone, iPad or Mac
Shazam is the closest fit. Apple says Music Recognition is built into iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch, and can be added to Control Centre for quick access. The Shazam app is listed as Free on the UK App Store, with no in-app purchases mentioned, and shazam.com calls it a free app.
The App Store listing says it identifies songs playing around you or within apps like TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat, so music in a video feed is covered. The App Store lists Apple as the developer, and the app keeps a library of your past finds. It also has an offline mode. Apple says it creates a digital fingerprint, matches it against the Shazam database, and tries to identify the song the next time your phone is online. The trade-off is that offline you do not get an answer straight away.
If you have an Android phone and want no extra app
Google's Search a song is a feature of the Google app. Open the app, tap the mic, choose Search a song, then play the music or hum, whistle or sing the melody. It is also reachable from Circle to Search, Quick Settings and the Gemini mobile app.
The help page we read gives steps for Android only, and it states no price, so the cost is not verified. Automatic lock screen identification (Now Playing) is listed for Pixel 2 and newer. On other Android phones, Search a song is the tap-to-listen route.
If you already use YouTube Music
Sound Search is in the YouTube Music app. It uses the microphone to recognise music playing nearby, or a song you sing or hum. If a match is found you can play the song or save it to your library, and if there is no match you can try again.
You must be signed in to the app and have the microphone enabled before it will listen. The help page does not list supported platforms or say whether it needs a paid plan, so neither is verified. The practical consequence is that you should open the app and try it once before you rely on it to name a song.
If you want to ask by voice and get lyrics
SoundHound is built around voice commands ("Hey SoundHound"). It includes a player with lyrics in the same app as the identification, and it supports Apple Music and Spotify integration.
It shows advertising. The UK App Store lists iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Apple Vision, and SoundHound's own site also names Android.
When paying makes sense
SoundHound is free with in-app purchases on the UK App Store, and the only purchase listed is Ad Removal at £6.99. That is worth paying only if the adverts bother you. It is the only purchase listed. SoundHound's site also mentions streaming any song free.
What to watch for
The catches worth knowing first.
Identifying a song and playing it in full are separate things. Apple says Shazam plays a preview of an identified song, and whole songs need an Apple Music subscription or another supported streaming service, so full playback may cost extra even though the app is free.
SoundHound's UK App Store listing carries a 16+ age rating and mentions advertising, so expect adverts unless you buy Ad Removal.
Google's and YouTube Music's help pages state no price, and the YouTube Music page lists no platforms. Check the app on your own phone before relying on either, because we did not test them and cannot say how well they work on your handset.
The same shortlist, as a table
| Thing | Free tier | Paid from | Platforms | The catch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shazam | The App Store lists Shazam as Free with no in-app purchases mentioned, and shazam.com calls it a free app. | Free | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple Vision Pro, Android | Apple's support page says full-song listening needs Apple Music or another supported streaming service. Apple's page for the app and shazam.com describe Android use only in passing. |
| Google Search a song | Not verified: the help page states no price. | not checked | Android (Google app) | The help page we read gives steps for Android only. Automatic lock screen identification (Now Playing) is listed for Pixel 2 and newer. |
| YouTube Music Sound Search | Not verified: the help page says nothing about price. | not checked | YouTube Music mobile app | You must be signed in to the YouTube Music app and have the microphone enabled. The help page does not list supported platforms or say whether it needs a paid plan. |
| SoundHound | Free with in-app purchases on the UK App Store; SoundHound's site mentions streaming any song free. | £6.99 Ad Removal (in-app purchase, UK App Store) | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Apple Vision, Android | It shows advertising; removing ads is an in-app purchase on the UK App Store. The App Store lists iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Apple Vision, and SoundHound's site also names Android. |
How we checked
What we read, and what we haven't tested yet.
On 2026-10-09 we read Apple's support page on Shazam and Music Recognition, the UK App Store listings for Shazam and SoundHound, shazam.com, SoundHound's own site, Google's Search help page for finding a song on Android and the YouTube Music help page for Sound Search. Google's and YouTube Music's pages state no price, so those are marked not verified. We did not run any of them hands-on and do not rank them on accuracy.
If none of these fit
The manual way.
If the song is not playing and you only have the tune in your head, humming is a different job, covered on our page about naming a song by humming. If you want the chords once you know the song, see our page on identifying chords.