Ever found yourself in the frustrating situation of hearing a catchy song without knowing its name or the artist behind it? We’ve all been there. Fortunately, with the rise of music recognition apps, those days of humming the tune to your friends and hoping for the best are long gone. There are always questions like – how does Shazam work? or for the lesser known tool – what is soundhound? In this guide, we’ll compare two popular music recognition apps: Shazam vs Soundhound.
By the end of it, you’ll have all the information you need to decide which app suits your music identification needs.
History of Shazam and SoundHound
SoundHound was founded by Keyvan Mohajer, a Ph.D candidate at Sanford university studying speech recognition. SoundHound was earlier known as Midomi. It was rebranded in 2009. The app hit 100 million users in 2012 and 300 million users in 2016. The company, SoundHound Inc. began working with some of the world’s largest automobile manufacturing companies like Hyundai, Mercedes-Benz and Honda to provide voice interaction for their products using its Houndify voice AI platform. With a series of successful funding rounds, SoundHound is now valued at more than $1 billion.
Shazam was founded in 1999 by Dhiraj Mukherjee and two others. The idea by the founders was to give a magical experience to people by recognising music on their phones. How it initially worked when first launched in the UK in 2002 was, the users had to dial a number to get the music recognized. The phone would hang up after 30 seconds and they would then receive a text message on their phones with the name of the song and the artist. The service would later add hyperlinks in the messages to allow the user to buy the song. Apparently, Shazam’s net worth hit $1 billion dollars in 2015 and Apple acquired it in 2018 for $400 million.
Choosing between Shazam vs SoundHound as the best music recognition app in 2024 involves comparing their features, interface, pricing, accuracy, special features, compatibility, and privacy policies. Shazam excels in rapid recognition and integration, while SoundHound offers better humming recognition and a more interactive experience.
SoundHound vs Shazam: Basic Features
SoundHound
The process of searching music is essentially the same for both apps – with a center button to input audio for recognition. Both give you song details – song title, album cover, genre, the name of the artist. Additionally, there are suggestions for similar music and links to purchase the track. Both apps allow you to track the tag history, but SoundHound has more to offer. It’s LiveLyrics feature tracks and highlights the part of lyrics being played.
Shazam
Interface and Experience
Both Shazam and SoundHound offer sleek and user-friendly designs. Shazam boasts a minimalist layout, with a large button in the center of the screen that you tap to start the recognition process. Shazam algorithm caters a smooth music recognition and music search. The app then analyzes the audio and instantly provides the song details.
SoundHound, on the other hand, takes a slightly different approach. It offers a more visually engaging experience, with a live sound waveform that responds to the audio input. This can particularly appeal to those who enjoy a more interactive and immersive user experience.
SoundHound clearly wins here. It allows you to stream music from several platforms like YouTube and Spotify with lyrics to sing along. Shazam on the other hand, is dead simple in its interface, making it easier for people to purchase songs. Maybe Shazam is your thing if you’re the minimalistic type.
You’re going to encounter more advertisements on Shazam than on SoundHound. The paid version of SoundHound is completely ad free and offers a few extra features like the on-screen widget for your cash. If you are looking for a vibrant experience then I would suggest SoundHound. Also, SoundHound’s theme is set to dark and it will be friendly for phones with OLED displays.
Shazam vs SoundHound: Pricing and Availability
When deciding between Shazam or Soundhound, it matters if any of them spams you with ads.
Shazam is a completely free app without any ads. SoundHound provides a free service for all the users. The paid version of SoundHound only gets rid of ads, with a few other features like the on-screen gadget.
Both apps are available on Android, iOS and Windows. Also, Shazam integrates with Siri, so iPhone users don’t necessarily need to download the app. SoundHound has a built-in voice assistant called Hound to help you play music with voice commands. Tapping on the microphone icon to the right of the search bar activates Hound.
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Accuracy
Of course, the most crucial aspect of any music recognition app is its accuracy. Shazam and SoundHound have made significant advancements in this area, but slight differences are worth noting.
Shazam has been a pioneer in the field, and its vast database enables it to identify a wide range of songs with impressive accuracy using the Shazam algorithm. SoundHound, on the other hand, has also gained a reputation for its robust recognition capabilities.
In fact, SoundHound claims to be able to identify songs even if you hum or sing them yourself. This feature sets SoundHound apart and can be a game-changer for those moments when you can’t remember the lyrics or melody.
After several tests to check the accuracy and speed of these music ID apps, I found SoundHound to be 100% accurate, and faster in identifying songs. But when it comes to identifying remixes and live recordings, SoundHound failed to keep up with Shazam. Having said that, a ‘humming’ feature that is unique to SoundHound is unbeatable. You can sing the tune stuck in your head from the song you heard, and SoundHound is going to help you recognise it. A song played from a distance is more likely to be identified by SoundHound better, while Shazam is accurate in recognizing songs amidst background noise.
Shazam vs SoundHound: Special features
Apart from the hum recognition and the voice assistant, the app lets you make playlists of your favourite artists and stream music.
Both apps offer a range of functionalities to enhance the user experience.
Shazam, for instance, allows you to view lyrics, watch music videos, and discover similar tracks based on your preferences. It also integrates with popular streaming platforms, such as Spotify and Apple Music, allowing you to easily add identified songs to your playlists. The Shazam algorithm lets you search for music easily on the tips of your fingers. SoundHound, on the other hand, focuses on building a more comprehensive music discovery platform.
In addition to recognizing songs, it provides users with artist information, tour dates, and even real-time lyrics that sync with the music. If you enjoy delving deeper into the music world, SoundHound might be your better choice.
Compatibility and Integration
Compatibility and integration are essential factors to consider, as they determine how well the app fits into your existing ecosystem. Shazam and SoundHound are available for both iOS and Android devices, making them accessible to a wide range of users. Shazam’s integration with streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music allows for seamless transitions from song identification to full-fledged music streaming.
SoundHound, on the other hand, integrates with various platforms, including YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Music, enabling users to listen to their identified songs or discover new music directly from the app.
Shazam vs SoundHound: Privacy and Data Handling
Shazam and SoundHound take user privacy seriously and have implemented measures to safeguard personal information. Shazam, owned by Apple, follows the privacy guidelines set by the tech giant, ensuring that user data is protected. SoundHound emphasizes privacy and states it does not sell or share user data with third parties. Both apps allow users to control their data and offer options to delete search history and manage permissions.
SoundHound or Shazam: Verdict
Choosing between Shazam and SoundHound ultimately depends on your personal preferences and needs. If you’re looking for a simple and efficient music recognition app with integration into popular streaming platforms, Shazam is an excellent choice.
On the other hand, if you want a more immersive music discovery experience with the ability to identify songs by humming or singing, SoundHound is the way to go. Whichever app you choose, both Shazam and SoundHound offer great accuracy and reliable music recognition capabilities that can add a touch of magic to your everyday life. We hope that this article answers all your questions from – what is music recognition to how does shazam work. So, next time you find yourself humming a tune with no name, rest assured that there’s an app out there ready to unveil the musical mystery. Happy listening!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. How does Shazam music recognition work? How does SoundHound work?
You can read our full article on how Shazam and SoundHound work here.
TL;DR – How Shazam works is by using audio fingerprinting technology to identify songs. Tapping the app’s button records a short audio sample and transforms it into a unique digital fingerprint. This fingerprint is compared against a vast database of song fingerprints to find a match. The Shazam algorithm analyzes the acoustic characteristics of the sample, such as melody, rhythm, and waveform, to accurately identify the song. Shazam provides the song’s title, artist, and other relevant information within seconds.
2. What is music recognition?
In layman’s terms, music recognition refers to the process of identifying a song based on a given audio sample. It involves using advanced algorithms and pattern recognition techniques to analyze the acoustic characteristics of the audio, such as melody, rhythm, tempo, and waveform.
By comparing these characteristics with a vast database of songs, the music recognition app can determine the most likely match for the provided audio sample. Music recognition technology has become widely accessible through mobile apps and online platforms, allowing users to quickly identify unknown songs and discover information about the track, including the title, artist, album, and sometimes even lyrics and related music recommendations.
3. What is Shazam music recognition?
Shazam’s music recognition is a technology that allows users to identify songs playing in their surroundings. By tapping the app’s button, Shazam listens to a short audio sample and analyzes it using advanced algorithms. It creates a unique digital fingerprint of the song based on its acoustic characteristics, such as melody and rhythm.
This fingerprint is then compared against a vast database of songs to find a match. Within seconds, Shazam provides users with the song’s title, artist, album, and other relevant information. It revolutionizes how we discover and interact with music, making it easy to identify and explore new songs with just a few taps.
4. What is SoundHound?
SoundHound is a music recognition app that goes beyond identifying songs. It allows users to discover music by listening to a song snippet or even humming or singing a melody. SoundHound’s advanced audio recognition technology analyzes the audio input and matches it with songs in its extensive database.
Additionally, it provides real-time lyrics that synchronize with the music, making it a useful tool for karaoke enthusiasts or those who want to sing along. SoundHound offers a unique and interactive music discovery experience that goes beyond traditional song identification apps.
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