What is SoundHound?
SoundHound is a music finder app that identifies songs playing around you in seconds. Hold up your phone, tap the orange button, and it names the track, artist, album, and lyrics. It also works when a song is stuck in your head. Sing or hum the melody and it matches the tune to a real song. With over 300 million downloads, it’s one of the most widely used music finder tools available. The app connects to Apple Music and Spotify for full playback. A free built-in YouTube player covers everyone else. An Apple Watch app lets you identify music and follow lyrics directly from your wrist.
Features & Benefits
- Song Identification: Tap the SoundHound button to identify any song playing nearby. Get the title, artist, album, and lyrics instantly.
- Hum-to-Search: Press the button and sing or hum a melody to find a song from memory. This music finder feature works without hearing the original recording.
- LiveLyrics: View real-time, karaoke-style moving lyrics as a song plays.
- Voice Control: Use “Hey SoundHound” from any screen to navigate the app, identify songs, search lyrics, play tracks, and manage playlists hands-free.
- Music Playback: Listen to identified songs through a free built-in YouTube player or through a connected Apple Music or Spotify account.
- Playlist Management: Build and access personalized playlists through Apple Music or Spotify directly inside the app.
- Discovery History: Keep a personal log of every song you’ve identified, synced across all your devices.
- Apple Watch App: Identify music and follow LiveLyrics from an Apple Watch. Cellular-enabled models work without a connected iPhone.
- Widget and Quick Launch: Access the music finder button from the notification center widget or via 3D Touch on the app icon.
Real-World Applications
Catching a song in a café, store, or at a party takes seconds with the music finder button. Tap it, let the app listen, and the track details appear immediately. The discovery history saves every find, so nothing gets forgotten by the time you get home.
Lyrics mode adds another layer to music discovery. Following along to words that move in sync with the music can make repeated listening more engaging. This music finder experience connects naturally to full playback through Spotify or Apple Music, letting you go from a quick ID to a saved playlist in a few taps.
Driving or cooking means your hands are busy. The “Hey SoundHound” voice feature handles music finder tasks entirely without touch. Ask it what’s playing, request a song by name, or pull up a Spotify playlist using only your voice.
Apple Watch users get music finder access without reaching for their phone. A cellular watch works independently, so identifying a song during a run or workout needs no other device nearby.
