How can I find out what song is playing in a video?

In August 2021, there were nearly 700 hours of video streamed on the popular video sharing site YouTube every minute. There is a plethora of digital content out there, including countless videos using popular songs in the background. 

If you want to know the song’s information, there are several ways to go about it, ranging from looking up the video’s information to using a song recognition application.

How Do You Find a Song Name Used in a Video?

To find the name of a song that is used in a video, you can:

• Use a song recognition app such as Shazam or SoundHound.
• Google the lyrics of the song.
• Use a digital assistant like Siri or Alexa.
• Search the video description or read the comments of the video.

Shazam, SoundHound & Music Recognition Apps

When you want to find out the name, title, and artist information of a song you hear, you can use a music recognition app. There are several out there.

• Shazam: Available for both Android and iOS users, this one of the most popular song recognition apps on the market. After downloading the app to your device, you can easily ask it what song is playing and get the song details. This can even be used in the background of other applications so you can identify a song while watching a video, for example.
• SoundHound: Also available on both iOS and Android platforms, this app has a voice-controlled music assistant that allows you to search for songs based on the artist as well as recognize them even from just humming them. It also offers a connection to Spotify for music streaming and Google Play to buy songs.
• Music ID: This is a free application that allows you to identify music and see information about top and popular songs and artists.
• MusixMatch: This app is designed exclusively to provide song details and recognition information as well as showcase lyrics. It can help you recognize and catalog songs and lyrics.

Googling Lyrics

Another option for finding information on a song, such as the title and artist, is inputting the lyrics into a Google search. Google can often tell you the song details with fairly decent accuracy. 

You will need to know at least one or two lines of the song verbatim for this to work well. 

Siri or Alexa

Digital assistants on smart devices such smartphones, tablets, Amazon Echo, or Google Assistant can help to identify songs that it hears if you ask it to. Simply saying, “Hey Siri, what song is this?” to your Apple iPhone when Siri is activated can answer this question for you.

Search the Video Description or Read the Comments

Another method of finding a song from a video is to look at the actual description of the video itself. 

Often, YouTube videos will give the song information in the video’s description box. You will just need to click on the “show more” box and scroll down to the section detailing “Music in this video.” 

It will show the name of the song and the artist at the very least, and often, it will have a link to it on YouTube. Songs may not appear in the order they were in the video, however.

It is also highly likely you are not the first one to wonder about a song in the video you are watching, so you should look at the comments on the video to see if anyone else has asked the question about the song details and if it has been answered.

How to Legally Play the Song in Your Business

Once you know what the song is, you will need to ensure that you are legally covered before streaming or playing it in your business. To do so, you should use a music streaming service for businesses. 

These are generally subscription-based. You pay a small monthly or annual fee for access to the music. 

Here are some options to legally stream music in your business:

• Cloud Cover Music
• Rockbot
• MOOD:Mix
• Soundtrack Your Brand
• Soundsuit

References

YouTube: Statistics & Facts. (February 2022). Statista.

Shazam. (2022). Apple, Inc.

Discover, Search, and Play Any Song – Featuring Voice Control. (2022). SoundHound, Inc.

Music ID. (2007). Gravity Mobile.

Enhancing the Experience of Music Worldwide. Musixmatch.

Music That Matches Your Business Goals. (2022). Cloud Cover Music.

Smarter Media for Your Business. Rockbot.

Music Designed for Business. Mood Media.

Background Music for Businesses That Want it All. Soundtrack Your Brand.

Music Streaming for Business Made Effortless. Soundsuit.

Google Introduces Song Matching Via Humming, Whistling or Singing. (October 2020). TechCrunch.