bruce mars from Unsplash Since then, however, songs of all kinds have dropped every year at an increasingly shorter frequency. That pace went a notch higher when streaming empowered indie artists to reach markets. You do get the point of how many songs there are today, don’t you? Now, how do you decide which song to listen to? Better yet, how do you discover new songs? How about new covers of existing songs? Or recordings like those by Taylor Swift? Well, technology has introduced a solution thanks to song finder apps. These help you discover new songs or search and find a given song whenever you want. While the need to find specific songs is clear, the market is awash with numerous options for consumers to try out. But which are the best song finder apps for Android? We took a look, and here are our best six.
Best Song-Finder Apps
1. Shazam
Shazam is an algorithm-based app that identifies patterned sounds, including music, movies, advertising, and even television shows, based on a short sample of the said sound file. Shazam identifies music and other sound recordings by listening to them through the app’s built-in features. Once a song, TV show, or audio file is identified, the app displays its name and any other additional information alongside available sharing or purchase options. As of 2021, the app had more than 450 million users and about 200 million monthly active users from about 50 countries. In June 2021, the app reached a milestone of one billion song matches per month. While it is compatible with both Android and iOS devices as well as popular home assistant systems like Siri or Google Home, the app only works with the original song, meaning users cannot hum a song or sing into the app. Further, even the songs identified successfully and tagged in the app cannot be bookmarked for use at a later time. The app is also able to continually listen to one’s environment, even when its microphone has been turned off.
Shazam Pros
Advanced song recognition Users can sing along to time-synced lyrics Seamless integration with other music apps Allows users to buy identified songs
Shazam Cons
Can only identify the original song Cannot bookmark tagged songs Poor at identifying classical music Continuous listening to a user’s environment
2. SoundHound
SoundHound is one of the best song-finder apps for Android, with the ability to identify songs, whether it’s the original recording playing or a live performance. In fact, SoundHound will also identify a song if sang directly or even just hummed, a capability lacking in most similar apps. Additionally, SoundHound allows you to access music charts of frequently identified songs by others users, helping you find new music even though you weren’t looking for it. SoundHound users can opt for the free ad-supported version or upgrade to the paid, ad-free SoundHound Infinity plan. A key advantage is the ability to search online and offline. While using a network connection delivers instant results, the offline search functionality saves users’ data, especially when on an international roaming tariff. However, SoundHound is a poor choice for identifying the less-famous music, with its databases loaded with international hits. As a result, searching for obscure songs takes longer and may not produce a satisfactory result.
SoundHound Pros
Can search songs by humming or singing Finds songs within seconds of searching Also avails song lyrics Users can sing along Tagged songs can be bookmarked for later reference
SoundHound Cons
Irregular search results when humming or singing Plays the wrong song sometimes Steep learning curve suits tech-savvy users best Too many ads in the free version
3. MusixMatch
Backed by a massive music database, MusixMatch enables its more than 80 million users to search and find approximately eight million lyrics per month. The app shows synchronized visuals in rhythm with the song playing. Unlike other song finder mobile apps, MusixMatch has numerous native sub-apps that scan all the songs in its databases to find matching lyrics and beats to help in identifying a song. The app is compatible with various Android Wear devices, and it can find both local and international hits very quickly. MusixMatch runs a public music database against which it searches any song queries that its users submit. Contrary to industry standards, MusixMatch also lets its users register and contribute lyrics in addition to using automated transcription software, which significantly increases the accuracy of lyrics. However, this approach contributes to the app giving wrong lyrics, especially where its users contributed the wrong lyrics.
MusixMatch Pros
Huge library of song lyrics The user interface is clean, with good font sizes Easy to use; great user experience Translates songs tagged into multiple international languages
MusixMatch Cons
No dark theme Gives wrong song lyrics sometimes The search process is slow and full of bugs Laborious lyric-syncing features
4. BeatFind
BeatFind enables users to search and identify any song that is playing in their vicinity, as well as providing a real party-like environment through its exciting visuals that move in tandem with the beat. Unlike other song finder apps, BeatFind’s flashing strobe effect creates a pomp environment similar to a nightclub by extracting sound data from the microphone and synching it to the music playing. BeatFind has a superior song searching ability than both Shazam and SoundHound, and will often find songs the two can’t. Similarly, this app can search songs across different genres and international languages, with its fast search results a step faster than Shazam and SoundHound. With BeatFind, users are able to see song titles in multiple languages, as well as share the songs to external platforms such as Spotify and YouTube among others.
BeatFind Pros
Excellent app design and user interface Easy to follow favorite songs Easy to use with a not-so-steep learning curve Faster music search and recognition
BeatFind Cons
The app interface has too few features Cannot create a custom playlist Lacks trending or chart feature for discovering music The app does not have an official website
5. Genius
With more than 1.7 million songs, the Genius app is one of the biggest collections of song lyrics and crowdsourced musical knowledge around the world. With this app, users can identify and find the lyrics of songs currently playing music on their phones or around them. The app uses an archive of annotated lyrics to search, find, and tag a user’s favorite songs. Genius users can also browse through the app’s “What’s hot” feature that ranks the most searched songs to discover new music. To access the annotated lyrics of any given song, a user only needs to click on the highlighted lines in front of a song title. Unlike other song finder apps for Android, Genius is more conscious of creator rights and other music IP rights. As a result, Genius only accepts direct content submissions from verified artists and or their producers, while any user can help transcribe the songs anonymously. The app also uses AI technologies for its automated transcription.
Genius Pros
Huge music library Automated and manual transcription of song lyrics Live search and identify of songs playing around you
Genius Cons
Need for notification access permission weakens user privacy Too many fullscreen ads Consumes too much data, even when off Clanky full of bugs
6. Soly
This free song and lyric finder app can run on both mobile phones or through a PC computer client app using an android emulator software such as BlueStacks. Soly is one of the best Android apps to search, tag, and explore music or identify music lyrics and makes it easy for users to identify new songs that please them. Once the sound search ends, Soly users receive such complete information as the song’s name, artist, as well as other songs by the same artist. The Soly app also provides its users with a fun experience, including a user-experience rating feature alongside song rating, comments, and emojis among others. Like its competitors, Soly is loaded with useful features for the best experience. The music identification feature, for example, allows users to easily search and find songs playing nearby, while the song rating community helps you find great music you may not have known of. Soly users can also search songs by their lyrics, while the music charts show the most loved songs on the app.
Soly Pros
Free to download and use Easy to use with a short learning curve. Compatible with third-party software and extensions Available in Google Play and as an APK file download
Soly Cons
Limited language options Weak on user data privacy No user contribution accepted
Did I miss out on any other best song-finder apps for Android? Let me know in the comments section. This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.
